Preserving languages is not simply sustaining the number of speakers. Based on the reading, one leading factor causing the extinction in language is speakers. In order to keep a language alive, there has to be a specific environment in which the language can thrive. Such environment can hardly be created if there is no one in modern society intuitively speaking that language. Some people may point out that a language is protected as long as we have written materials or recorded songs or dances. However, if a speaker did not grow up speaking a specific language, his understanding toward the language is vastly limited. Syntax, jargons, or even idioms will be lost gradually. One of methods that help preserving languages mentioned in the reading passage is creating sources of reference, for example, dictionaries. With a dictionary, one is able to refer back to it if he is uncertain of some particular elements in a specific language. Also, the creation of dictionaries makes it more convenient for people who are interested in language learning to study. The video made a good point in encouraging indigenous speakers to preserve their local “intellectual property” by building trust and heightening their sense of self-esteem. Personally, I think it is impossible to bring a dead language back to life. If a language is dead, perhaps we still have sources to refer to, we will struggle understanding and perceiving the language system as a whole. Although we may process in our mind the translation of each word, we cannot have our mind built to adapt such language. Therefore it is the job of all humans to preserve languages before we begin losing them.
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I do agree with you that in order to keep a language alive there has to be an environment where the language is used. I think may be the reason why some traditional langauges were lost in the current period due to people not passing it down or utilizing it.