Languages go extinct, and die, when the number of native speakers becomes dangerously low and there is little to no written information documenting these languages to preserve its continuity. This can happen for a number of reasons, the economic necessity of speaking a more dominant language like English, and smaller native community sizes are just two of these reasons that both David Harrison and Anna Luisa Daigneault mention in When Languages Die and How to Resurrect Dying Languages respectively. Linguists can prevent this extinction and help preserve languages by (a) creating immersive environments organized by local stakeholders, (b) encouraging active community involvement in language revitalization, (c) prioritizing presence in digital communities/spaces, (d) and supporting acts of decolonization, Daigneault argues. Immersive environments, or “language nests” are environments where toddlers/beginners learn from fluent or semi-fluent elders on a consistent basis. Active community involvement in language revitalization, however, can look different from community to community, this could involve: giving children cultural names, language classes in local schools, cultural community events (ie. culinary workshops, nature walks, language retreats, language art festivals, film screenings, contests, camps for teens, radio shows, TV shows). Presence in digital spaces has also become increasingly important for revitalization in our technocratic society, this can look like Facebook groups, TV shows, and language-learning apps among other things. Lastly, Daigneault mentions encouraging acts of decolonization, like renaming streets in the languages of local Indigenous populations.
While dead languages can be brought back to life, it can be an incredibly difficult task, requiring the cooperation of both linguists and Indigenous communities. Indigenous communities, due to historical exploitation, are often hesitant to these efforts though. Currently efforts are underway, by Harison, to bridge this gap and send trained linguists into remote areas to document these nearly extinct languages before they are lost.
Replies
I love your inclusion of how the key role indigenous communities play. I feel thsi point is often overlooked by the more flashy creations of radio shows and school curriculum.
I also agree that reviving a dead language is especially difficult due to the distrust between indigenous communities and the public. In order for true revival to work and be sustained, both parties must be involved and committed to the initiative, but that is much easier said than done. Years of exploitation and past abuse can create a detrimental divide. I learned of this first-hand when I visited the Maori people in New Zealand and truly it is a tricky situation (to put it lightly).