Languages can go extinct due to the linguistic powerhouses—English, Spanish, and Mandarin—dominating the world’s communication domain. In the article “Tribe Revives Language on Verge of Extinction, Kirk Johnson mentions a very good point, “[s]chool was also once the enemy of tribal languages. Government boarding schools, where generations of Indian children were sent, aimed to stamp out native ways and tongues”. I have personal experience with this as well.
My mother told me when I was younger, in preschool, I didn’t know how to speak English and I only spoke in Korean (which is, sadly, completely mind-boggling to even think about now).
Since I didn’t know how to speak in English, there was a time when I came home crying because I couldn’t ask to go to the bathroom and had to hold it in the entire time. I, of course, don’t remember that memory—or any memory of when I was fluent in Korean—due to my young age, but my mother told me ever since then I worked hard to learn English so that never happened again. I’d constantly ask my older brother and my parents how to say certain words and repeat them to myself. Somehow, I must’ve grown to be fluent because, growing up, I always thought English was my first language. Then once I entered high school, that’s where the majority of my Korean abilities dissipated. As a consequence of wanting to “fit in”, I became more “whitewashed” which means someone who is looked at as leaving behind or neglecting their culture and assimilating to a white, western culture. Looking back, this was the main reason why my relationship with my Korean linguistic abilities became so strained and would have become “extinct” if my parents hadn’t spoken Korean to me growing up.
Therefore, I agree with the fact that languages can go extinct due to schools as they encourage the assimilation of western culture. Along with the fact that at schools, the main language courses that are provided are languages that hold heavy prevalence in the world. Granted it does make sense, if it is a common language, it’d be helpful to have knowledge for use in life. However, this notion supports the extinction of other languages. When language dies, culture dies. I personally experienced this, and the readings have stated this. The way I see it is, if language is a seed, the roots are culture. If the culture is strong, then language can prosper and grow into a strong source of communication. However, if culture becomes diminished or wiped away, the roots of the plant are removed and can no longer grow. It’s possible it can grow back, but it’ll just take a very long time since it’s not as strong and healthy as it once was.
As such, linguists can help preserve a language by ensuring that culture is preserved. How? Through having respect for one another’s culture and promoting said cultures so other dying language communities can connect with one another. There are several groups that have programs like the “Endangered Language Alliance” that focus their efforts on documenting the vocabulary of a language, analyzing its grammar, and collecting texts to create a flexible, multi-purpose record than can be useful for learners, linguists, and speakers themselves (“Documentation”, elalliance.org). Schools can encourage this idea as well by offering more language courses. This allows for a younger generation to revive these “dead” languages and become prevalent again. Fashion is constantly revived and recycled. For instance, it’s 2020 and the fashion from the 70’s-90’s is what’s in trend now. These styles were decades ago, but they came back from the power of the young generation and the internet.
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