Endangered Languages

There are more endangered languages than there are steady languages in the world. An endangered language is a language that will likely become extinct in the near future.

Languages become extinct primarily because of colonialism. When communities feel the need to integrate with a larger group, the first thing to go is typically language. Often, people native to the lands being colonized are made to stop speaking their language and to not pass it down to their children. Sometimes, the pressure isn’t explicit, instead it’s a social pressure to fit in with the larger group. When languages aren’t passed down to children, they can become extinct as suddenly as one generation or fade out over several generations.

In Alaska, in some Yupik Eskimo communities, just 20 years ago, all children spoke Yupik. Today, the youngest speakers of Yupik in these communities are in their 20s, and the children only speak English. Iroquoian languages like Onondaga and Mohawk, spoken in upstate New York and parts of Canada, have been declining for over 200 years. However, some older adults still speak the languages, and in the case of Mohawk, some younger people do as well.

There are more than 5,000 languages in the world. Linguists estimate that over half of them could be extinct a mere century from now. Some endangered languages include the over 900 spoken in the tribes of Papua New Guinea, the Aboriginal people of Australia, native people of the Americas, and minorities in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania.

What can we do to preserve endangered languages? First, we can teach native languages in primary and secondary school. One of the most important parts to preserving language is ensuring that the next generation continues to speak the endangered languages. We can also create workshops, conferences, and publications to help preserve the languages. Linguists can study endangered languages and offer help with teaching, maintenance, and revival through dictionaries, grammar guides, and other scholastic methods.

Translation can help preserve languages. Language service providers can provide opportunities and resources through supporting businesses and communities in rare languages. By preserving languages, we protect the rich cultural heritage of many diverse and lesser-known languages. We would be happy to help you with your translation project. Contact us today for a free quote.