While many people are well-aware these days of the serious issue of dying species, far fewer people know about an equally substantial threat: dying languages. What can be done about it, and how can professional linguists help?
A language is the most effective tool in a community in order to obtain understanding. Throughout the history of languages in the world, we have seen many languages all over from the globe disappearing from the face of earth all of a sudden.
The disappearance of many languages in the world today is still very common, which is somehow alarming and will continue to affect the vital significance of every language, most especially if people ignore this serious linguistic issue. In fact, there are some endangered languages that have just a very small number of native speakers remaining. Today, more than 500 languages are endangered; like Chemehuevi, a Native American language of Arizona, and Chulym, a language spoken in Siberia, with the simple survival of both languages becoming an issue.
Interestingly, there are many languages that are losing native speakers very rapidly. Philippine dialects like Isarog Agta, a dialect of a community living at Mount Isarog in the Southern Luzon province of Camarines Sur, shows an alarming survey in the year 2000, when it only had six native speakers remaining.
Thus, this is critically endangered language, which may soon be lost and forgotten, and possibly is already today, for all we know.The thing is, when a language is lost most of the knowledge and speakers’ cultural identities are eradicated as well. We usually notice that speakers of endangered languages learn to speak major languages such as English or Spanish, or at least are learning the most influential language in the country. More linguists nowadays are becoming worried due to the effect of dying languages.
Moreover, losing several languages seems like a chain process; some are lost and at the same time many new languages are developing and are eventually used quite widely. So, why should endangered languages be saved at all? And, how do linguists and researchers know when a language is dying?
Actually, there are many factors that we should consider in identifying the status of a language that is close to becoming endangered. An endangered language is the critical stage of a language to become extinct in the near future; this is usually due to the great influence and dominance of other languages in the region or country. Thus, as a new language is being adapted by the community, the endangered language is slowly replaced by a new one that would certainly affect the language status of the old language. Many members of the young generations will stop learning the importance and usage of an endangered language, but will accept the influence of the new or foreign language.
People in the community, including linguists, have a number of options to work together in preserving an endangered language. Once a language disappears, its culture and identity is lost as well. However, through linguists and translators, knowledge about endangered languages is being preserved and protected. In addition, linguists can use their knowledge to help the community develop ways of studying and reviving a language.
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