Languages more threatened than mammals
I don't believe in one universal language. We need to preserve cultures that are now dying! Human languages are more threatened than birds and mammals. Many linguists predict that at least half of the world's languages will be dead or dying by the year 2050! Languages are becoming extinct at twice the rate of endangered mammals and four times the rate of endangered birds. If this rate continues, the world of the future could be dominated by a dozen or fewer languages. When you lose a culture your not only losing humanity. You are losing a unique set of answers to the question of what it means to be human. Language is a main concept in culture.
Sent by: Hillary
Comments
It is very interesting that Northern Ireland is omitted from the areas where Irish is understood and spoken.
I agree also, we really need to keep these dying languages. These languages can say a lot.
"What is so bad about having only few global languages that would help economies and business deals all over the world?" Nothing is wrong with it ... as long as it's not your language. What if English slipped away in the next few centuries. Hmmm, it appears to me that the people who want less languages are the ones who do not face language discrimanation, or anything of the sort and thus can only DREAM of what it must be like to learn another language to survive in a strange place where no one understands you.
To me the answer is simple. Everyone should learn their own mother tongue and an easy, logical world language for international communication. Why not Esperanto which is already spoken as a second language by some million or so people in well over 100 countries.
Every language encompasses the sum of human thought and knowledge, through it's structure and grammar. This is idea is well caught in an old Czech proverb Kolik jazyk暖 zn谩拧, tolikr谩t jsi 膷lov臎kem, the more languages you know, the more times a person you are. You live a new life for every new language you speak. If you know only one language, you live only once. This is so so true! Of course peoples' opinions differ, but the analogy with mammals is apt.
Whilst my intention is not to 'tar people with the same brush', I have made an observation that many others may be able to see. In my experience, people who suggest that the world would be fine with just a few languages, would be horrified if they were to find out that it had been decreed that their 'mother tongue' was to be banished. To Barb and Paul who first replied to this post, I would ask, would you be happy if it were to become that Great Britain was to use Spanish from now on to "help economies and business deals all over the world"? Didn't think so. It is this arrogance by us Brit's that I find so very embarrasing. Why do we, and why should we, expect everyone in the world to all speak like us. Learn about your neighbour. Learn about each other. You just might find a new friend...
I think that we're all in a very sad state right now due to this! How can some people say you only need a few dozen languages to know and understand - it is a real lack of respect. What happened to individuality - if you know Chinese or Hindi for example not only will you be comunicating with millions of people but you may know a language that many don't which will make you stand out and more employable too! I also think we need to focus on encouraging people to be proud of their native language, while also concentrating on non-European languages such as Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Swahili etc. It may make a lot of difference too!
Language is one of the most important things in the world. The ability to communicate in other languages is what sets us apart from the animal world. If we do not preserve the old languages and force the world to only speak one, we are forcing the world to lose its own identity and culture. Without language we couldn't read texts and stories from other countries, or even from further back in history. I love learning other languages and I love speaking them. To speak another person's language, to me, is like being about to connect and understand them better. It also helps me to enjoy their culture. How many times have you went into a city or a shopping mall and heard people speaking in their native tounges? Language is what makes the world a better place as it helps us to realise that we are all different, and hopefully to be more tolerent with our differences.
I think we have to accept that, as society moves on and develops, certain cultural traits will become endangered and in some cases extinct, as other languages, fashions and ways of life will be introduced and spread across the planet. It's the same with animals, species will die out whilst other species evolve and branch out.
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