Yes, there are endangered languages that are close to extinction. Learn more about them here, and get all types of translation and interpreting services from Language Direct today.
Much attention and efforts have been given to extint languages in the last years. This usually happens to small languages that are not very dominant. For various reasons, the speakers of endangered languages cease speaking them and begin using a new language.
Because of social, political or economic pressure, they might only use their native language at home. This will cause the slow decline of the native language.
Language is culture, therefore language loss has certain social and cultural repercussions.
Endangered Languages
Let’s define some terms:
An endangered language is one that is at risk of extinction because its speakers are either dying or are starting to speak a new language.
A dead language is one that has no more native speakers.
An extinct language is one that has no speakers at all.
According to Ethnologue, there are several factors that affect and assess language endangerment:
- The number of speakers
- The number people who associate their ethnic identity with the language
- The stability of the population and trends in its size
- Historical date and patterns involving residency and migration of speakers
- Use of second languages
- Speakers’ language attitudes
- The age range of the speakers
- The domains of use of the language
- Official status of the language within the nation or region
- Means of transmission (taught in school or at home)
- Non-linguistic factors such as the presence or lack of economic opportunity
There are five levels of language endangerment according to UNESCO:
- Safe
- Vulnerable – the language is not spoken by children outside the home
- Definitely endangered – children do not speak the language
- Severely endangered – only spoken by the oldest generations
- Critically endangered – spoken only by few members of the oldest generation, who are usually semi- speakers
Michael Krauss, a famous linguist, used an alternative scheme to classify endangered languages:
- “safe” languages are those whose children will probably be speaking them in 100 years
- “moribund” languages are those whose children are not speaking them now.
In 2005, 6.8% of all languages in the world were considered nearly extinct. In 2013, that number dropped to 6.1%.
Here’s a video that discusses why we should and how to save endangered languages:
Whether you need more information on endangered languages, translation or interpretation, Language Direct’s professional linguists can help you.
Language Direct it’s currently providing services in London | Birmingham| Leeds| Glasgow| Sheffield | Bradford | Edinburgh | Liverpool | Manchester | Bristol | Wakefield | Cardiff | Coventry | Nottingham | Leicester | Sunderland | Belfast | Newcastle upon Tyne | Brighton | Hull | Plymouth| Stoke-on-Trent | Wolverhampton | Derby | Swansea | Southampton | Salford | Aberdeen | Westminster | Portsmouth | York | Peterborough | Dundee | Lancaster | Oxford | Newport | Preston | St Albans | Norwich | Chester | Cambridge | Salisbury | Exeter | Gloucester | Lisburn | Chichester | Winchester | Londonderry | Carlisle | Worcester | Bath | Durham | Lincoln | Hereford | Armagh | Inverness | Stirling | Canterbury | Lichfield | Newry | Ripon | Bangor | Truro | Ely | Wells | St Davids
Book here | Request a Quote