Discussion Post #8

In the past, the main cause of language death was an increase in mortality. This may be the result of violence such as war or genocide, or it may be the result of large-scale epidemics or natural disasters. Now, the main reason for the extinction of languages is I think urbanization. In Kenya, two people from different places meet in the capital Nairobi. They don't speak their mother tongue. They speak Kenya's common language, English or Swahili. The children they give birth to may learn a little of their respective languages from their parents, but by the third generation these remnants will soon have disappeared. For most of history, including in many parts of the world today, it was normal for residents to speak a language with fewer than 500 speakers. Cities that can be settled for long periods of time contain more and more people, which keeps the same language stable and reduces the number of languages.

For linguists, protecting endangered languages is a big task. Not only are many languages on the verge of extinction, but there is a lot of work to be done to keep a language intact. Individual power is limited, but social power is enormous. Linguists can do this by joining forces with language conservation groups. Every language is unique and beautiful in its own way. Therefore, through propaganda of the cultural history behind the language, the public can first be exposed to the language, and slowly understand the culture behind the language.

The carrier of a language is a person, so if you want to revive an extinct language you need someone to start using it. The best candidates are the people to whom the language belongs.In my opinion, the biggest problem with the extinction of these extinct languages is that the community wants to give up its indigenous language and culture to integrate into the world. So, the main thing is to make them aware of the uniqueness and beauty of their language, to encourage them to learn and pass it on.

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