Endangered and Extinct Languages
Language Demographics There are approximately 6,809 current spoken
languages 330 languages each have one million speakers or more. The median size language in the world is 6,000 speakers
Since 1900, 600 have been languages lost
2400 languages are endangered, primarily those spoken by small indigenous groups of people
450 languages have only one or two elderly speakers left
155 out of 175 are “moribund” in United States
95% of the world population speak 100 languages
45% world population speak Top 5 languages, referred to as “killer” languages
More Demographics
50-90% of current languages are projected to be lost during 21st century leaving only approximately 600 languages
2/3 of world’s children are becoming bilingual
44%+ of world’s online population doesn’t use English
Top 10 World Languages
Chinese 1.070 Billion English .508 Hindustani .497 Spanish .392 Russian .277 Arabic .246 Bengali .211 Portuguese .191 Malay-Indonesian .159 French .129
Control of Language Variants
Banned Languages
Endangered Languages
Extinct Languages
http://www.sil.org/sociolx/ndg-lg-grimes.html
Possible Causes for Language Extinction
Colonialization
Repressive governments
Attrition or assimilation of isolated cultures by modern cultures
Economic and political conflict/alliances
Consumerism through homogenizing corporate and/or artistic western influence
World globalization through new technologies and telecommunications
Human disease
Genocide
Prevention of Language Extinction
Dictionaries for translation Bilingual educational programs
and teacher trainingFree lessons in public and
private sector Recording dying languages Indigenous language
movements
Some Visuals
• K. David Harrison Dying Language Expert• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SohcBBhNHM• http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=nmLYo8zQOVs&feature=related• Endangered Languages in Europe• http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=UvI5DWJQTnE&NR=1• Navaho Language Schools• http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=wE8kiVvkapc&feature=related
Study Guide
Banned languages
Endangered languages
Extinct languages
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