Discussion #8

When a language dies, a culture loses identity and pride. Languages go extinct when a dominant language is adopted through cultural assimilation or colonization. To preserve the language, linguistics documents with dictionaries, textbooks, recordings, and cultural events. A “dead” language is not really dead but dormant because there is documentation to revive the language. To bring it back, there are summer programs, immersion schools, radio programs, and the internet. To improve the visibility of a language, it is used in song lyrics and to celebrate the language, to be proud of it. Community-based educational efforts were seen in Canada when elders were teaching young children their native language. Nigeria did the same thing for the language Olukumi. They named the children with the language and implemented lots of cultural events such as festivals, language retreats, and traditional culinary workshops. Examples of media and digital technology are the use of national media programs in Peru for Quechua, Ashaninka, and Aymara, and in Wales, they dedicated a television channel to Welsh.  

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