The Cultural Consequences of Language Extinction

It is widely acknowledged that biodiversity is disappearing in the globe of the twenty-first century. But most people aren’t aware that even languages are disappearing. More and more people are finding it convenient to communicate in a common language as a result of globalization. As a result, some languages, like English, are growing in popularity while others are rapidly becoming extinct. About thirty languages are predicted to disappear annually. Thus, this essay explores the trend’s probable cultural repercussions. The tendency, if it is to continue, will signify the loss of about 3000 languages by the end of the century. In 2008, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) launched an awareness campaign regarding the alarming disappearance of languages with the slogan “languages matter”. However, even with the program, many people still fail to acknowledge the issue. UNESCO’s take on the problem was that recognition of diverse language led to the recognition of diverse culture which is a crucial undertaking in the promotion of human rights universality (UNESCO 19). Thus, by allowing certain languages to die out, protection of human rights will not be effectively exercised.

Loss of a language may moreover translate into the loss of a cultural meaning in the community that experiences the extinction. This is because the spiritual, intellectual and cultural life of a community is carried through their language. Such components include mythologies, prayers, poetry, ceremonies, vocabulary, greetings, humor, conversation styles, emotions, and behavior (Dorian 66). Disappearance of languages does not, however, take all these away. Instead, it refashions the content into the dominant language. Still, in the process of translation, the difference in wording styles, grammar structures, and sounds will ultimately vanish. Moreover, the so called translation also results in the loss of meaning.

Extinction of languages may be detrimental to the cultural identity of the afflicted communities. Moreover, their values may become obsolete and their social cohesion threatened. Furthermore, other effects of language obsolescence may be political. For example, in countries where marginalized or indigenous units are distinguished through their language, its loss will ultimately diminish their standing as a culture. This will thereby translate into a situation where any unique collective rights that the group previously enjoyed will be nullified as politically illegitimate. Languages may moreover carry the community’s shared knowledge regarding scientific phenomena and topics such as philosophy, medicine, and botany (Dorian 65). Therefore, the language death may entail the loss of this knowledge.

However, not all consequences of a language loss are bleak. This is because the extinction of the less used ones leads to the adoption of the dominant language (Hill 75). The process, in turn, has the cultural effect of increasing cohesion among formerly disparate societies. With the growth of global unity, issues such as world peace and eradication of discrimination on diversity bases will, on the other hand, be resolved.

Conclusion

The tendency in language obsolescence is currently higher than ever with the expected loss of about 3000 at the turn of the century. This leads to the disappearance of cultural diversity. Moreover, the loss of meanings in the process of language extinction results in the extinction of cultural identities and overall traditional cohesion of the affected communities. Moreover, the presence of scientific knowledge in the endangered languages translates into the loss of potential contribution to science. Therefore, the language death can be equated to the extinction of a part of the humanity’s collective cultural identity.

Works Cited

Dorian, Nancy C. Investigating Obsolescence: Studies in Language Contraction and Death. Cambridge University Press, 1992.

Hill, Jane. ”Language Death, Language Contact and Language Evolution.” Approaches to Languages: Anthropological Issues, edited by McCormack, William, and Stephen A. Wurm, 2011, p. 75.

UNESCO. Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger. Edited by Christopher Moseley, UNESCO Publishing, 2010.