SDLC 105 Learning Journal # 7

[Sydney Freeman]

This reading opened my eyes to how languages die when the speakers of the language are very few, and when there is no written record of the language. I learned that it is more common for oral languages to die permanently, since there is no proof that it once existed. Especially when a language is only spoken by a few of people and is not seen as useful, it easy for it to get lost generation after generation. This is especially seen in children who have immigrant parents. If the language is not spoken at home, it will most likely not be part of their vocabulary and as the family line continues, the language will no longer be a part of the norm. At the end of the day, when the language dies, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to bring it back. There is a whole culture that dies along with it. People lose cultural identities, richness, and diversity of humanity's linguistic heritage. Therefore, it is crucial to maintain the language by having a group of people who speak the language generation after generation to ensure that the language does not die out.