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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Languages go extinct through a combination of cultural, political, and economic reasons. This often happens when speakers of a minority language shift to speaking a more dominant one in order to gain better access to education, employment, or social mobility. Over time, younger generations may no longer learn the language at home, leading to its gradual disappearance. When a language dies, it's not just words that are lost—it's the loss of a worldview, cultural knowledge, oral histories, traditional practices, and identity. Language carries unique ways of expressing concepts, storytelling, and connecting with the environment. Once it's gone, an entire cultural system often fades with it. Linguists play a crucial role in preserving endangered languages by documenting grammar, vocabulary, and oral traditions. This can involve working closely with native speakers to record conversations, write dictionaries, and produce learning materials. Technology, like mobile apps, audio recordings, and digital archives, has become a powerful tool for language preservation. While rare, ‘dead’ languages can sometimes be revived. Hebrew is the most notable example, it was once only used in religious contexts but has been successfully re-established as a spoken language. Other languages like Cornish and Wampanoag have also seen revival efforts, driven by dedicated communities and scholars. Language death isn't just about losing communication, it's about erasing pieces of humanity's collective heritage. But with thoughtful effort, respect for native communities, and interdisciplinary collaboration, it's possible to slow or even reverse that loss.
I liked how you highlighted the role of linguists and technology in preservation efforts, and your example of Hebrew as a successfully revived language was powerful and inspiring. Your point about respecting native communities and working collaboratively was great. You did a great job showing that when a language dies, it’s so much more than just losing words; it’s about losing identity, history, and an entire way of seeing the world.
I think language loss is a very serious issue, as it means the loss of a culture and a worldview (in addition to the language itself). It is very encouraging to know that this loss can be slowed or reversed!
Languages can go extinct for various reasons. The reason is often tied to social, political, and cultural pressures. Colonization, globalization, and the dominance of major languages like English, Mandarin, or Spanish can marginalize smaller languages. This could eventually make them less relevant and in some instances they are even made illegal to speak. In many cases, younger generations abandon their ancestral languages in favor of more widely spoken ones, leading to language shift and eventual loss. Additionally, the lack of institutional support for minority languages in education and media accelerates this decline. It is a tragic thing when a language dies because it is not just a loss of words but it also signifies the erosion of unique cultural identities, worldviews, and traditions. Linguists play a crucial role in preserving languages. They document endangered languages, create dictionaries, and record oral traditions before the last speakers are gone. Digital tools, such as online dictionaries and audio archives, help make languages accessible to future generations and other people. While a "dead" language—one with no fluent speakers—may not be fully revived, revitalization efforts are possible. Language immersion programs, media exposure, and community involvement can help bring back use, even if fluency is not completely restored.
I liked the way you connected the issue to larger forces like colonization and globalization, it’s a powerful reminder that language loss is often the result of deep systemic pressures, not just personal choice. The point about younger generations abandoning ancestral languages stuck with me. I wonder: what role do schools and families play in either preserving or accelerating that shift? I also liked your emphasis on the role of linguists and technology in preservation. Have you come across any specific examples of successful revitalization programs that stood out to you?
Although extremely difficult, I think it is possible to bring a ‘dead’ language back to life if it has been well-documented and there are individuals who are interested in being engaged and immersed in language revitalization. Especially in this generation, maybe social media could be of great use and a language could be revitalized through integrating it into modern communication?
Discussion Post #9: Languages go extinct due to a complex interplay of factors, prominently including the dominance of major languages like English, Spanish, and Mandarin in global communication and digital media. This phenomenon can lead to a perceived lack of utility or prestige for smaller languages. Furthermore, oppression, prejudice, and societal pressures can contribute to communities feeling low self-esteem regarding their language, leading them to abandon it in favor of more dominant tongues. Historical events, such as the implementation of government boarding schools aimed at eradicating native languages, have also significantly contributed to language endangerment.
When a language dies, the consequences are profound. Humanity loses a unique window into human cognition, history, and culture. Each language represents a distinct "monument to human genius," more intricate and older than any physical construction. (When Languages Die). These languages hold rich histories, mythologies, and unique systems of knowledge, including sophisticated understandings of local ecosystems and scientific observations that may differ from or even top Western scientific knowledge. The loss of a language often means the disappearance of this unique "folksonomy" or "folk taxonomy," a way of categorizing and understanding the world that is deeply embedded within the language. (When Languages Die). Since the vast majority of endangered languages are primarily oral and have never been written down, their extinction leads to an irreversible loss of this knowledge, as it often resides solely in the memories of the speakers.
Linguists play a crucial role in attempting to preserve endangered languages. Their work involves going into communities to document the languages, often starting by taking a census of speakers and assessing their language knowledge. This documentation includes recording speakers, studying the grammar and vocabulary, and analyzing the unique linguistic structures. Linguists often work with the last speakers of a language, feeling a significant responsibility to capture their knowledge before it is lost forever, sometimes creating the first and potentially the last recordings of a language. A key aspect of their work is responsible archiving of the collected data, often recognizing the intellectual property and ownership of the language by the speaker communities themselves. Linguists also collaborate with communities on language revitalization projects, aiming to create resources and programs that encourage language use and transmission to younger generations. The development of online talking dictionaries, such as the Siletz Dee-ni Talking Dictionary, exemplifies how linguists can leverage technology to aid in language preservation and revival. (Tribe Revives Language on Verge of Extinction).
While the complete return to widespread use as a first language may be challenging, a 'dead' language can indeed be brought back to life through dedicated and sustained efforts, as evidenced by the revival attempts of the Siletz Dee-ni language. (Tribe Revives Language on Verge of Extinction). This process often involves compiling dictionaries from remaining speakers and historical recordings, developing teaching materials, and utilizing modern communication tools to foster language learning and use. However, the initial goals of revival efforts often focus on stabilization and creating a new pool of speakers rather than a full restoration of the language's former status.
Currently, there are various efforts underway to document linguistic diversity. Linguists are increasingly aware of the crisis state of global languages and are actively engaging in documentary linguistics, traveling to regions where languages are rapidly disappearing, often referred to as "language hotspots". (When Languages Die). These efforts involve recording and analyzing endangered languages, sometimes being the first or last to document a particular language. There is a growing emphasis on ethical and collaborative approaches, recognizing the rights and ownership of the language by the indigenous communities. Furthermore, there is a push to raise public awareness about language endangerment and to recruit new linguists into the field to address this pressing global issue. Projects that create accessible resources like online dictionaries serve as important models for language documentation and revitalization.
I really appreciated how you emphasized the deep cultural and cognitive loss that comes with language extinction—especially your point about folk taxonomy and the unique knowledge embedded in each language. It’s inspiring to hear how linguists and communities are working together to preserve and even revive these languages. The Siletz Dee-ni example gives real hope that, with the right tools and commitment, meaningful revitalization is possible.
Languages go extinct when the last remaining native speakers stop using them or when younger generations no longer learn them, which may due to social, political, or economic pressures favoring more dominant languages. From the NYT article on the Siletz tribe in Oregon, language loss may also result in the gradual erosion of cultural identity, shows how diligent community efforts might help for revival. Preserving endangered languages requires recording native speakers that mostly older people, compiling vocabularies, and creating accessible teaching materials. These efforts keep languages alive for future speakers, even if the language is initially considered “dead.” In some cases, a language can indeed be brought back to life in communities that embrace linguistic heritage and integrate it into daily activities or formal education. Linguists play an important role by documenting linguistic diversity, collaborating with native speakers to develop resources. Furthermore, as explained in bilingualism article, language preservation benefits more than just cultural identity; bilingual or multilingual individuals often enjoy cognitive and social advantages. Overall, by combining community engagement with linguists’ expertise and emerging technologies, they are kepp trying to protect linguistic diversity around the world.
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.
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