http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/09/19/asia/talk.php
Some would suggest that there’s not a lot to debate about regarding a simple fact, but there are many important things to consider. The world’s languages are going extinct at a faster rate than any mammal, plant, fish or bird species on Earth. I read somewhere that English, Spanish, and Mandarin Chinese are the fastest growing and currently the most abundantly used languages of modern society. So suppose that one day these were the only 3 languages that were in use. What would the world lose from losing languages? With thousands of the current languages only existing in an oral form, should linguists attempt to preserve these cultural identities by converting them into a written form? It seems like somewhat of a waste of time since in some cases there are only 3 people alive who still speak the language. But because language is oftentimes a huge part of an entire culture, is it worth the time to preserve the language in order to conserve a culture of a particular community?
I would imagine that as languages begin to disappear, the number of dialects of a few languages would skyrocket. What if by the end of the century the 6 billion people of the world spoke only 1 of 3 languages? Surely the variety of dialects would out number the current number of languages in the world today. For example, the Australian dialect is very much different than that of America’s New Orleans’s dialect. And the British dialect is a much different dialect than that which would be created from the Pacific Island region.
Most people do not realize what kind of an impact losing languages would have on our globe. Maybe it’s a little extreme, but if the world would conform to only three forms of communication thousands of cultures, customs, and traditions would also disappear. We’ve worried about differences between AAVE and Standard English. Think of the dialect issues that could occur if a third of the world spoke only one language!
Some would suggest that there’s not a lot to debate about regarding a simple fact, but there are many important things to consider. The world’s languages are going extinct at a faster rate than any mammal, plant, fish or bird species on Earth. I read somewhere that English, Spanish, and Mandarin Chinese are the fastest growing and currently the most abundantly used languages of modern society. So suppose that one day these were the only 3 languages that were in use. What would the world lose from losing languages? With thousands of the current languages only existing in an oral form, should linguists attempt to preserve these cultural identities by converting them into a written form? It seems like somewhat of a waste of time since in some cases there are only 3 people alive who still speak the language. But because language is oftentimes a huge part of an entire culture, is it worth the time to preserve the language in order to conserve a culture of a particular community?
I would imagine that as languages begin to disappear, the number of dialects of a few languages would skyrocket. What if by the end of the century the 6 billion people of the world spoke only 1 of 3 languages? Surely the variety of dialects would out number the current number of languages in the world today. For example, the Australian dialect is very much different than that of America’s New Orleans’s dialect. And the British dialect is a much different dialect than that which would be created from the Pacific Island region.
Most people do not realize what kind of an impact losing languages would have on our globe. Maybe it’s a little extreme, but if the world would conform to only three forms of communication thousands of cultures, customs, and traditions would also disappear. We’ve worried about differences between AAVE and Standard English. Think of the dialect issues that could occur if a third of the world spoke only one language!
These are really interesting and important questions you ask, Rachael. It begs the question that has lurked underneath many of our discussions this semester: how important is language to a person's (or a people's) culture? And if a language is indeed crucially important, is it all that different for a dialect? After all, plenty of linguists would argue that the only difference between a "language" and a "dialect" is that language is the dialect spoken by the people in power...as you say, the mainstream American, British and Australian dialects are all dramatically different, but nobody claims that Australian English is wrong and should be "corrected."
ReplyDeleteIf that's the case, then what does it tell us that folks are trying so hard to preserve some languages that are deemed important, while others work equally hard to eradicate dialects that are deemed improper or "uneducated"? Most importantly, who gets to decide which is which?
I think that this article shows that the world changes and evolves and the people living in it change and evolve along with it.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is a shame that some of the most historic languages are becoming extinct, but I do think that it is a worthwhile thing to record them and preserve them for future generations to hear.
I highly doubt that one day, even in the far off future, the entire world will only speak 3 languages. The world as a whole would not tolerate that. A major difference between the extinction of the languages mentioned in the article and the languages of the world now, is that those languages were only oral. Today, the majority of languages of the world are written and spoken.
This article supports my opinion even more that the world is always changing. I agree with Rachael that language is a huge part of a culture. I also think that it is worth the time for linguists to preserve a language that is becoming extinct, if it is important enough to that culture.
ReplyDeleteJust as many of the world's languages are becoming extinct, I believe that new languages and dialects will evolve in the world. With the rapid growth of population in this world, new cultures and communities will form. So, I think that the languages that are important enough to in the world will be preserved and remain in use, and many will die out as others will be born.
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ReplyDeleteBefore reading this article, I had no idea that there were so many languages in the world - each with its own separate dialect, too! To me this seems almost uncomprehendable, but I attribute this to the fact that I speak a language that is known all over the world.
ReplyDeleteLike Katelin said, I do not think it would be possible for the world to only speak three languages. For one, there will always be those who are resistant to change. Even more, there are simply too many words and phrases that cannot be translated literally from one language to another - any of us who has studied a foreign language is aware of that. Take the American expression, "What's up?" for example. Anyone raised in this country would understand what that means, but to an outsider it makes no sense at all.
I believe that it is phrases like this that give language its endearing qualities. People's passion for language gives it staying power. I, along with millions of others, am proud to be an American. This is why English is such a prominent language. There are countless people who strive to preserve the American heritage and culture. However, we have learned this semester that it is usually easier to give in to the majority. So, unfortunately, as some languages face extinction, their people find it easier to adopt a more widely know language than to wait to teach their language to a future generation.
If the world ever were limited to only three languages, I feel that the dialects would be so different that it would almost be as if they were there own separate language anyway. Just as Katherine suggested, even with many old languages dying out, there are bound to be new ones constantly on the rise...ebonics, anyone? ;)