Preserving Language Diversity: The Importance and Challenges

1. Language Why do people preserve local languages?

2. Preserving Language Diversity • The distribution of language is a measure of the fate of an ethnic group • English diffused around the world from a small island • Icelandic remains a little-used language due to isolation • Language displays two competing geo trends • English has become principal language of communication for the entire world • At same time, local languages that are endangered by English are being protected and preserved • Preserving Language Diversity • Extinct languages • Languages no longer spoken or read in daily activities • Today estimated 473 almost extinct languages • Only a few speakers left • Not teaching to children • 46 in Africa • 182 in Americas • 84 in Asia • 9 in Europe • 152 in Pacific • Examples: • Spanish conquest of Peru • Gothic language in Europe • Attempts to preserve

3. Language hotspots

4. Hebrew • Reviving Extinct Languages • Hebrew is a rare case of an extinct language that has been revived • Most of Jewish Bible was written in Hebrew • Language of daily activity in biblical times • Hebrew diminished in 4th century B.C.E. • Only retained for religion • Aramaic replaced by Arabic • Israel 1948 • Hebrew became 1 of 2 official languages • Was symbolic of unity among different groups of people • Reviving Hebrew • Difficult job • Had to created new words for thousands of objects and inventions unknown in biblical times • Phones, cars, electricity • Effort initiated by Eliezer Ben-Yehuda • Credited with invention of 4,000 new Hebrew words • Created the 1st modern Hebrew dictionary

5. Celtic • Major language in the British Isles before invasions • 2,000 years ago Celtic spoken in much of present-day Germany, France, and northern Italy, as well as in the British Isles • Today Celtic on survives in: • Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and France • Celtic branch is divided into: • Goidelic (Gaelic) • Two languages survive: • Irish and Scottish Gaelic • Brythonic • Speakers fled during Germanic Invasion to Wales, Cornwall, and France

6. Celtic • Gaelic • Irish • One of two official languages • Spoken by 350,000 daily • Scottish • 1% in Scotland speak it • Large body of literature exists • Brythonic • Welsh • Welsh language dominant until 19th century • English migrated to work • Estimated 22% speak Welsh • Cornish • Extinct in 1777 • Breton • Isolated peninsula • 250,000 speakers • Has more French words • Survival of any language depends on the political and military strength of its speakers • Celtic declined because the Celts lost most of the territory they once controlled • In 1300s Irish forbidden by English masters • 19th century- “tally sticks” • Encouraged for jobs in 19th and 20th cent. • Recent efforts to preserve • Wales • Welsh Language Society • 1988 Education Act • Made it compulsory in school • Government services, utilities, TV • Irish • Irish language TV station in 1996 • Revival led by young Irish • Cornish • Revived in 1920s • Taught in schools • Dispute over revival

7. Multilingual States • Conflict • Belgium • Has difficulty reconciling the interests of the different language speakers • Southern Belgium • Known as Walloons • Speak French • Northern Belgium • Known as Flemings • Speak a dialect of the Germanic language- Dutch • Called Flemish • Language sharply divides the country • Aggravated by economic and political differences • Historically Walloons dominated the Government • French was official state language • Response to pressure • Divided into two independent regions • Flanders and Waloonia • Regional autonomy not enough for Flanders • Issues with split • Other example: Switzerland • Four linguistic regions

8. Conflict

9. Monolingual States • Definition: • Because of the increasing pace of spatial-cultural interaction globally, few purely monolingual countries exist • Japan • Relatively monolingual due to its stringent immigration laws • France • Fought to preserve monolingual heritage • Laws to keep language “pure” • Prohibit infusion of English

10. Isolated Languages • Definition • A language unrelated to any other and therefore not attached to any language family • Arise through lack of interaction with speakers of other languages • Basque • Best example in Europe • Only language that survives from before arrival of Indo-European speakers • Unable to link to any other language • 1st language in Pyrenees • Isolation preserved language

11. Global Dominance of English • One of the most fundamental needs in a global society is a common language for communication • Language of international communication today is English • Lingua Franca • Language of international communication • To facilitate trade speakers would create a lingua franca by mixing elements of two languages into a common simple language • Terms means : language of the franks • Other Lingua Francas • Swahili in East Africa • Hindi in South Asia • Indonesian in Southeast Asia • Russian in former Soviet Union • Pidgin language • A simplified form of a lingua franca • Limited vocab and simplified grammar • Mix some elements of own language • No native speakers • Adopted through force usually • French- Caribbean • Rapid growth of English • Reflected in high % of students learning English as a second language • 90% in European Union • Japanese have considered making English its 2nd national language

12. Global Dominance of English • Expansion Diffusion of English • In past a lingua franca achieved distribution through migration and conquest • Example: Latin • Today English has spread through Expansion diffusion • Two ways • English is changing through diffusion of new vocab, spelling, and pronunciation • English words are fusing with other languages • Ebonics • Distinctive African American dialect • Influenced by forced migration from Africa and slavery • Communication in code • Words: gumbo, jazz • In 20th century mass migration out of south led to preservation of dialect • Classified as a distinct dialect • Distinct grammar and vocab • Use of double negatives • “I ain’t going there no more” • Controversial today

13. Global Dominance of English • Diffusion of English to Other Languages • English words have been increasingly integrated into other languages • Franglais • Language a source of national pride and identity in France • French are upset with domination of English • French is official language in 29 countries and was a lingua franca • French upset that English is destroying “purity” of language • Cowboy, jeans, hamburger • French Academy tried to reinforce French • Struck down in 1994 in court • Even more extreme in Quebec • Surround by English • Spanglish • English diffusing into Spanish language thanks to 34 million Hispanics in U.S. • Called Cubonics in Miami • Spanglish involves converting English words into Spanish forms • Shorts becomes chores • New words have been invented in Spanglish that do not exist in English • Become widespread in popular culture • Denglish • Diffusion of English words into German