In the video it shows that the languages go extinct since there is no more speakers and there is no more conversations between speakers. The elders with low hearing abilities can hardly make conversation using the targeted language. Therefore it is harder to record and preserve the language for further use. Similarly in the reading article, the language xxx came back to life due to the reuse of language. Also, education system plays an important role in language as well. When there is no curriculum about languages like Siletz, the younger won’t be able to acquire them.
Linguistics can do several things to preserve a dying language. First, they can record the language and document them in a dictionary which give access to the general public without violate their intellectual rights. Second, working with government and including the target language in school curriculum can be also very helpful on preserving a dying language. Moreover, linguistics need to be working with other professionists such as zoologists and biologists to understand the language on its own term. Immediate need of care and support of dying languages make language preservation is a great challenge. Although a lot of dedication is needed, it will be worth it as David Harrison illustrated that there are a large amount of knowledge encapsulated in endangered languages that is highly valuable. The linguistic David Harrison are educating high school students and college students about linguistic and recruiting linguistics to work on dying languages.
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