The effects of that language loss could be culturally devastating. The grimmest predictions have 90 percent of the world's languages dying out by the end of this century. Although this might not seem important in day-to-day life language loss matters are significant. Here’s what we all lose: We lose The expression of a unique vision of what it means to be human, we lose the memory of the planet’s many histories and cultures, we lose some of the best local resources for combatting environmental threats, and some people lose their mother tongue. The real tragedy of all this might just be all of the people who find themselves unable to speak their first language, the language they learned how to describe the world in. Some find themselves in the unenviable position of being one of the few (or the only) speakers of their mother tongue. What can we do about all this? Educate ourselves, to start with. The Smithsonian's annual Mother Tongue Film Festival takes place every February in Washington, D.C. And projects like National Geographic's "Enduring Voices" are a great place to learn about endangered languages and their many speakers, and UNESCO's own website is another resource. There's still hope for some of these languages if we pay attention.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/four-things-happen-when-language-dies-and-one-thing-you-can-do-help-180962188/

I agree with Manal Hadi Kanaan

Most languages, though, die out gradually as successive generations of speakers become bilingual and then begin to lose proficiency in their traditional languages. This often happens when speakers seek to learn a more-prestigious language in order to gain social and economic advantages or to avoid discrimination.

Because language discloses cultural and historical meaning, the loss of language is a loss of that link to the past. Without a link to the past, people in a culture lose a sense of place, purpose and path; one must know where one came from to know where one is going.

When a community loses its language, it often loses a great deal of its cultural identity at the same time.

In 1996 an international, multicultural, and interdisciplinary group of linguistic rights activists joined together in Barcelona to proclaim the Universal Declaration of Linguistic Rights, after over two years of deliberation. This document has influenced legislation in several countries during the last quarter of a century.

In 1998 the Follow-up Committee published a book explaining the genesis of this manifesto, including letters of support from notable people, and including the text of the Declaration. It is available for download at the web site of the Catalan chapter of PEN International (https://www.pencatala.cat/en/programes/drets-linguistics/declaracio-universal-dels-drets-linguistics/) in four languages:

• English: https://www.pencatala.cat/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/dlr_angles.pdf
• Castilian: https://www.pencatala.cat/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/dlr_espanyol.pdf
• French: https://www.pencatala.cat/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/dlr_frances.pdf
• Catalan: https://www.pencatala.cat/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/declaraciouniversaldretslinguistics.pdf

The text of the Universal Declaration of Linguistic Rights is available in English, Castilian, Russian, Arabic, Chinese, and French at the UNESCO web site (https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000104267).

Thank you Manal Hadi Kanaan , Iqbal Mahmood Alwan , Faraed Salman , David Charles and all for your participation, your enriching answers, your opinions and all the information you have provided. The diversity of languages ​​is a human richness which reflects the identities of peoples and their different cultures.

There is a vital link between language and traditional knowledge related to biodiversity. Therefore, scientists declare the existence of a great link between lingustic diversity and biological diversity. According to a source, a study carried out among the Amuesha tribe in the upper branch of the Amazon in Peru, whose language is in serious danger, concluded that the decrease in the number of speakers and Sages with traditional knowledge among the Amuesha has a directly deleterious effect on the diversity of cultivated agricultural species.

To this end, the linguistic loss should also be worrying. Awareness remains one of the means to awaken people and prevent them from the negative repercussions which the loss of languages ​​would generate in general. Thank you.

Loss of. Biological diversity challenge human life more than language diversity.Today the world is unified much due to ICT.SoMore common languages are important. Learning too many languages is difficult for scientifc adventure.Rather one two world common languages are more important than more language diversity. This is my opinion. Do you think me otherwise ?

We should speak and teach our children our native language

Hafida Rahal-bouziane,

Very important discussion.

Live the conservation of Bio-diversity, the conservation of languages and cultural diversities are needed to protect from being disappeared.

But, the solution is tough.

I only can say that this goal can be achieved by proper Psychological Set up within all people over the Globe.

There are some languages prevailing over the Globe which have been so essential for all people of the Globe that all people must know any one of these languages to keep up with Global advancements and keeping Global interaction.

But, this can be changed. This needs mind set up.

If there is a community speaking a language which is confined within a very less number of people, then they should be encouraged to speak in their own language and education should be provided by their native language.

But, there is a practical Problem.

This is the problem of books and teachers . Books must be there in there own language and teachers should be encouraged to teach in their own language.

But, this is a tremendous challenge.

But, I think , this can be achieved.

Main barrier is the inferiority complex grown up in the mind of people.

There are so many points to discuss on this matter.

Only one thing I just mention that the most effective way to develop one's Human power is to grow up with his/her native language.

Thanks

N Das

I thank Abdul Hei , Mubashir Ali Rather , Nityananda Das and all for your intervention and your rich discussions. Preserving the diversity of languages therefore seems more difficult and complicated to achieve than preserving biological diversity. It is clear that some languages are used the most in the world to facilitate communication on a global scale and that not all languages can be learned. However, this does not prevent guaranteeing the preservation of mother tongues. Everyone should be proud of their mother tongue with which they were able to express themselves from the start of their life, which enabled them to communicate with those close to them and which contributed to the development of their personality. I therefore agree with the colleagues to say that it is important to keep the mother tongue while learning other languages as needed.

I love my heritage be it my language ie Kashmari so i speak it or my culture, tradition and social customs untill these do no contradict my religion.

we should teach our children mother language

Hafida Rahal-Bouziane

Dear Professor,

Thank you for this wonderful topic of discussion.

There are two ways to deal with linguistic loss. One is that you may look at it as a loss. The other is that you may look at it as a gain. When a language gets absorbed in another or absorbs words and expressions of other languages, then the ability of absorption of the language gets proved. The volumes of acceptance of that language increases. Thus, the longevity of that language expands manifold. These may be highlighted among the users of the concerned language.

A language usually never disappears or fades out, unless the rulers or ruling authorities want it to fade. A language always survives because of the common people. At times the rulers or ruling authorities, for various reasons, may pressurize the common people to not use a language. That brings a linguistic loss. But in history, there are examples where people have revolted against such incidents and that led to many political collisions. In such case, incidentally, the concerned language survived and flourished.

Best regards,

Anamitra.

Thanks to Mubashir Ali Rather , Iqbal Mahmood Alwan , Anamitra Roy and to all participants to this discussion.

It is clear that each language has its specificities. Some languages have linguistic capacities superior to others like the synthetic power for example. Some languages may have emerged globally more than others for colonial, economic, political and other reasons. The most sustainable languages are those that are most spoken and used globally. I think this subject is relevant and very related to the human species, to its diversity at different levels, to its ability to develop its mode of expression and thus deserves to be supported in research, especially by specialists in the field. Thank you.

Please see the below link

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jun/08/why-we-are-losing-a-world-of-languages

Dear Hafida Rahal-Bouziane, I believe we all agree on the Universal Declaration of Linguistic Rights (UDLR), as pointed out by David Charles Wright-Carr. It appears, therefore, that the UDLR is the best that the international community can do or has done in terms of linguistic rights. However, the fact that the UDLR is written in only six languages (English, Castilian, Russian, Arabic, Chinese, and French) contradicts its substance, content, and scope. The UDLR, out of respect for itself and its contents, should be written in all languages of the world. We ask UNESCO to publish the UDLR in all languages of the world. Language is alive. Therefore, like all living beings it is born, grows, evolves, and dies in the sense that it transforms into another language. For example, Latin, in addition to being the official language of the Vatican City (State of the Church), has become the Castilian, French, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, etc. of today. I don't know if in a thousand years we will still speak as many languages ​​as we do now. Therefore, I believe it is useful and necessary to best preserve all the world's linguistic heritage in the best possible way by exploiting all the technological possibilities available today. It does not seem entirely clear what exactly is meant by "Biological Diversity" in the context of this discussion. It seems that in this context Biological Diversity refers to man. If this is so, it is good to reflect on the fact that genetically all men are identical and therefore the world is inhabited by a single human species and a single human people. Men are culturally very different from each other and it is true that these differences are "mediated" also by language. But, in my opinion, the cultural differences between men have their roots in archetypes that are much more solid and ancient than the language. For example, a sign of peace between two people, in my opinion, is better and unambiguously expressed by physical posture and physical expression than by words.

Thank you Dr Leonardo Cannizzaro for your relevant intervention. I agree with you that UNESCO should integrate all languages ​​into its work and also agree that technological development should help facilitate this task rather than being among the causes of language loss and this is exactly what I wanted among others as possible solution through this discussion. However, it takes a great will, a great conviction but above all a powerful collaboration on an international scale to succeed this feat if I can describe it thus. Concerning biological diversity, it is integrated in this discussion in its general sense given its vital link with the different languages ​​and it is thanks to language among other things that information in terms of inventory, history and others on biological diversity in ecosystems in general and those that are most distant is transmitted more easily and helps scientists to better evolve in their research, among other things. It is also the means of transcribing local knowledge and the traditional management of diversity in its natural or in situ context, which is of great importance. Thank you.

Thank you Reza Fotohi for your interessant link which showed among others that

Researchers have established a correlation between changes in local environments – including the extinction of species – and the disappearance of languages spoken by communities who had inhabited them. It is also said by researchers from George Wright Society and from zoological society of London via this link that one in four of the world's 7,000 languages are now threatened with extinction, and linguistic diversity is declining as fast as biodiversity – about 30% since 1970, they say. Thank you for your support.

Some language communities have produced additional translations of the Universal Declaration of Linguistic Rights. I don't have the full list at hand, but I can share a file with a translation into Nahuatl (see attachment), an indigenous language spoken in Mexico. According to a Wikipedia article (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Declaration_of_Linguistic_Rights), there are also translations into Galician, Basque, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Russian, Portuguese, Italian, Nynorsk, and Sardinian. More translations are needed. Perhaps institutional funding can be obtained to expand this list.

The Girona Manifesto of 2011 (https://pen-international.org/app/uploads/Girona-Manifesto-ENGLISH.pdf) complements the Universal Declaration of Linguistic Rights. It has been translated into more than 40 languages to date (https://pen-international.org/who-we-are/manifestos/the-girona-manifesto-on-linguistic-rights/read-the-girona-manifesto).

A few years ago a small group of translators, editors, and visual artists produced translations of classic literary works into Otomi, another indigenous language in Mexico, with the support of the Museo Iconográfico del Quijote in Guanajuato. The results are published editions of Don Quixote for Children, a children's edition of the Popol Wuj, and The Little Prince, in trilingual editions (Otomi, Castilian, and English). The Otomi-speaking members of the team insisted on including English, since many Otomi children are in effect trilingual as a result of international migration to and from the United States. This is but one example of the work undertaken by people to revitalize languages that are in peril of extinction. It is an ongoing struggle and requires the combined and coordinated efforts of many people and institutions.

Yes it is a real struggle as you mentioned Dr David Charles and thank you for your very rich contribution in terms of information and which gives among other things a glimmer of hope as to the safeguard of languages as much as possible . It certainly takes a lot of will, effort, conviction as to the importance of languages for a global interest and there must certainly be financial support to succeed in creating this historical database on human language. I would like to thank Dr Mariam Paulis Sada

Thank you for sharing this Question

Our world is losing not only biological diversity, but also linguistic and cultural diversity. UNESCO data for 2018 in the "Atlas of the World's Languages ​​in Danger" indicate that 2,500 local languages ​​are threatened with extinction and that there are languages ​​that are disappearing every two weeks.

Thank you Dr Osamah K.Abdulretha Alsharifi for your interest in this discussion and for your reply. What you add as information confirms the extent to which languages are being lost around the world. Thank you.

Thank you for sharing the question

Hafida,

Government policy of deliberate assimilation-ist agendas, public shaming, and non-scientific educational polices to rush mainstreaming minority language speakers into faux bi-lingual education programs that are truncated to two years instead of a four year bi-lingual transition to the majority language (which allows retention of minority languages) have been the standard peace time approaches in the United States.

This is often true for modern and assimilation-ist countries. Monolingual language ideology continues to be discussed outside the framework of human rights. This must end, or the capacity of minority cultures and languages to exist is always threatened. My nation, the Cherokee Nation, has over 350,000 citizens, but we are down to 2,000 speakers of Cherokee. Recently the Cherokee Nation, a peoples hunted down by federal troops in the 1840's, and a people whose own autonomous governments were legally banned by the Federal US Government four times, is paying the price for the long term suppression of our language, our religion, and our culture.

Recently the Cherokee Nation allocated $19 million dollars for language revitalization. Not the Federal government, or own tribal government. It may or may not be too late.

The methodology chosen will follow the NEST program of the Maori which has proven to be productive for indigenous peoples worldwide. There needs to be public advocacy for investment in language teaching and learning as a deliberate human right.

Creating popular uses of language with today's technology is also a necessary strategy of resilience. David Charles Wright Carr's example of translation of important literature and public texts (like language rights declarations!) demonstrate to speakers' communities that their languages have legitimacy on par with other languages. Racism continues to haunt language communities who self censor and live with stigma. Indigenous peoples have achieved international instruments for our human rights, but international institutions and institutions of state (including Universities) often ignore the rights of language communities.

Ultimately, cultures cannot continue if the material basis of their origins are severed from the peoples they sustained. In some cases, language migration may prove to be an inter-generational linguistic survival strategy. Yiddish, comes to mind.

The second largest language spoke in the United States before WWII, was German. It was banned by 13 states in the interwar period (WWI-WWII) due to the response of state officials to the Nazi rise to power in Germany. The German speakers in the United States were not representatives nor sympathetic with the German government, but their language was basically banned. The bans were eventually overturned in the US Supreme Court, but by then - the damage had been done.

When governments attempt to use monolingual as a imperial tool of power, the price minority languages pay for not having advocated for multilingualism in times of "peace" is unfortunately always worse. Languages are human diversity, and our losses are part of the result of industrialization.

However we evolve, adapt, and reproduce linguistic concepts within new languages, just as in nature.

That is what Chomsky meant when he once said on television,

"There's no such thing as a language", in respond to an interviewer trying to pin him down on "standardized French".

Hafida, can you share with us Mariam Paulis Sada's "highlighting certain causes leading to the loss of a language"?

Blake Gentry (Cherokee)

Indigenous Languages Office

Alitas Immigrant Shelter

Tucson, Arizona, USA

Thank you Blake A. Gentry for your participation and for all this mass of information. I am very interested in this subject and it is quite possible that over time I will do research in this direction. It is a fundamental subject that deserves special attention. Thank you.