Living in a communicative world, the most popular and effective way of sharing occurs thorough languages with their unique, vast background. They hold a key position in today’s cultural heritage, not only as a means of communication, communication, but also as documents of human knowledge and invaluable sources of history (Crystal, 2000). As a consequence, we must evaluate language extinction and act proactively against it. In this essay, I am going to deal with the subject and defend survival of languages.
Today` s fast moving, complicated world makes it hard to define what exactly a proper language means; or determine current language statistics around the world; however, according to Crystal, there are approximately 6000 languages being spoken around the world with “4% of these languages accounting for 96% of people and 25% having fewer than 1000 speakers” (Crystal cited in Yee, 2000). Another survey indicates that, 3000 languages or so of them, spoken by fewer than 10,000 people, are at the top of endangered languages list (Poirier, 2006). So the statistics go on, and it is not exactly clear how many languages exist, or how many of them die, yet.
Nevertheless, there is a common definition of language death accepted by many linguists; and it is that, they gradually disappear, recess until the last person who speaks it; after that, death comes (Wikipedia, 2006). Aitchison explains this process under two headings generally: language suicide and language murder (1991). In language suicide, speakers of a language become bilingual and start to use the other language more often. In order to describe this process, Aitchison draws an analogy between an octopus and the dominant language: “..entwining its tentacles round all parts of an animal before it eventually kills it.” (Aitchison, 1991,p. 204). The simplest model for this is stated by Steele, who argues that in Wales, “Parents want their kids to speak English for the opportunity…” (Steele, 2003). According to his interview with Abrams and Strogadz from Cornell University, speaking Welsh does not help one to get a better job, which eventually causes the decline in one’s Welsh skills. Language murder usually takes place in a more tragic and quick way compared to language suicide. As it happens to Kwegu tribe in Ethiopia, the girls of Kwegu are being married to the more powerful Mursi and and Bodi tribesman, who do not speak Kwegu. This phenomenon, together with the prestige loss, brings a quick end to the language (Aitchison, 1991).
Behind all status and prestige arguments, we come across another bigger picture. Availability of fast transportation and endless communication around the world, in other words, globalisation, has a crucial role in language extinction process. Poirier states death of languages “..as another great mess extinction event to have accompanied globalisation.” (Poirier, 2006). Increasing number of worldwide organizations “..means that English continues to be in demand globally.” (Block, 2002, p. 154). Poirier, by taking the subject from a different angle, passionately argues that, sharp decline in the number of foreign courses (other than English) provided in England recently shows nothing; but indifference and disinterest of English speakers towards other languages; and so to their cultures as well. It can be indirectly inferred that, this negligence by a leading country of the world towards the image of multiculturalism feeds the loss of languages as well (2006).
Besides the significance of a language as a tool of cultural identity, it can also be seen as a fruitful source to provide basis and feedback for history and anthropology studies. Kaya says, “We observe the word "tepetl " or "tepec " meaning "hill" which is the same both in the meaning and word structure as "tepe" in Turkish.” while he demonstrates his findings between the Turkish and the Nahuatl-Aztec- (Kaya, n.d.). That shows, turning a blind eye on language death will soon make us unable to track our historical ties back since, as a personal comment, there will be no Aztec or Turkish at all in the future.
To be realistic, it would be a naïve assumption that we could save every language that passes away. Because of research, identification and financing difficulties, the future does not look promising. Some scholars, even more pessimistically, label this condition as ‘hopeless’ and accept it to be a part of natural selection as Malik does. He emphasizes the fact that saving languages is expensive , the world should communicate in several languages only, and finally argues “Let them die in peace.” (Malik, 2002)
By contrast, some language protection procedures can really achieve great success in practice without any significant trouble. And these models can be executed where suitable and applicable. First of all, people speaking an endangered language should demonstrate the desire and awareness to protect their language. After the decision,
as Crystal puts it, accurate and necessary analysis must be provided by relevant people to make the right moves (2000). In this case, Manx and Irish can be good samples of those languages saved under the appropriate educational regulations taken by the government. (Wikipedia, 2006) Similarly, Steele puts that: “a language can be preserved by boosting its status”; and attaches an example of French, protected and backed by the government in Quebec (2003). Crystal’s approach to the protection of endangered languages is more detailed and refined, out of which, it is worth picking the necessity to amend the poor state of speakers of an endangered language. He, by giving Switzerland example, a country where people live in towns next to each other and speak different languages, strongly emphasizes the need to heal poverty by offering some industrial investments to these areas where a win-win position can be created (2000). It can be indirectly assumed that, subject languages which already receive or will receive their prestige back, will not only serve to their nation, but also to the advantage of cultural legacy and richness of mankind.
To sum up, considering the importance of a language as glue between its culture and the rest of the world, “for cultures are chiefly transmitted through spoken and written languages” (Crystal, 2000, p. 34); this is one topic which should not be swept under the carpet indifferently. One might agree that, a way can always be found to help an endangered language with its people; regardless its cost compared to what governments spend for other purposes. We must assess this phenomenon comprehensively and take necessary steps before we come across increasing numbers of people in anguish and search of their own identity and culture.
References
Aitchison, Jean. (1991). `Language Change: Progress or Decay? Second Edition` Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Block D., & Cameron D. (Eds.) (2002) `Globalization and Language Teaching ` London: Routledge.
Crystal, D. (2000). `Language Death` Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Malik, K. (2002). `Let Them Die`, Available from: [Accessed 2 September 2006]
Kaya, P. (n.d.). `Turkish Language and the Native Americans`, Available from: [Accessed 30 August 2006]
Steele, B. (2003), `It's 'status' that decides whether a language survives, CU engineers say .` Available from: http://www.news.cornell.edu/chronicle/03/9.11.03/language_death.html [Accessed 1 September 2006].
Wikipedia (n.d.). `Language Death`, Available from: <"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_death"> [Accessed 28 August 2006]
Yee, D. (2000), http://dannyreviews.com/ , Available from: [Accessed 28 August 2006]
Poirier, A. (2006) Tongue-Tied. The Guardian-Saturday, 26 August, p.23-24.
