Due by 5pm on Sunday, April 6: Discussion Post #9 on the Ning
How do languages go extinct? Respond to the readings, and reflect on what happens when a language dies? How can linguists help preserve a language? Can a ‘dead’ language ever be brought back to life? What efforts are currently underway to document linguistic diversity?
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5) Due by 5pm on Sunday, April 6: Discussion Post #9 on the Ning
In this post the goal was to answer “How do languages go extinct?” Based on the readings and video interviews the consensus is that languages typically go extinct when communities shift to more dominant languages for reasons like colonization, globalization, or economic and educational pressures. As David Harrison emphasized, this process is often accelerated by the marginalization of minority cultures and the loss of intergenerational transmission. Once children stop learning a language, it becomes endangered and can vanish within a generation. When a language dies, we lose not only the words spoken, but also access to a unique worldview (including centuries of oral history, ecological knowledge, and cultural identity). As the NYT article on the Siletz tribe shows, languages encode traditions, values, and even taxonomies that mainstream science may overlook or undervalue. Linguists also play a critical role in documenting these languages through recordings, dictionaries, and collaborative fieldwork. Harrison noted that even basic documentation, such as creating a digital archive or recording last speakers can preserve vital knowledge for future generations. The Siletz Dee-ni Talking Dictionary is a great example of this, showing how community-driven projects, supported by linguists and digital tools, can breathe new life into threatened languages. And yes, dead languages can sometimes be revived. The Siletz project proves that, especially when digital platforms are involved and young community members are motivated to learn. Efforts like the Living Tongues Institute and National Geographic’s Enduring Voices project are currently working to document and preserve the world’s linguistic diversity before it disappears.
Languages go extinct for a variety of reasons, many of which are rooted in social, political, and economic pressures. The readings and video show how dominant languages replace minority ones, due to globalization, education systems, and media consumption. For example, in the ScienceLine and NYT articles on bilingualism, we see that speaking multiple languages brings cognitive advantages, but they also hint at how the dominance of global languages like English make it harder for smaller languages to survive. David Harrison’s interview emphasizes that when a language dies, we lose not only the words, but entire worldviews, cultural identities, and oral histories. Language is not only a tool for communication, but a deeper understanding of how cultures interact with each other. Linguists can help preserve endangered languages by recording native speakers, developing written systems, and creating dictionaries. They can work with communities to document grammar, vocabulary, and traditional stories. And while reviving a dead language is possible, it is very challenging. For example, the Siletz Dee-ni revival is an example of how language can be revived again through recordings and dictionaries. Today, many efforts are being made to document and protect languages. Organizations like Living Tongues Institute work to record and archive disappearing languages. In conclusion, while languages go extinct due to outside pressures, efforts to preserve and revive languages show how meaningful language is to our identity, culture, and intellectual diversity.
I totally agree with your point that English is making it harder for "smaller languages to survive." This reminds me of the concept of a "one world language." Do you think that one day everyone will speak one laguage? If so what could be the negative/positive repercussions.