Unit 2: Languages in Danger
Because I, a mestiza,
continually walk out of one culture
and into another,
because I am in all cultures at the same time,
alma de dos mundos, tres, cuatro,
me zumba la cabeza con lo contradictorio.
Estoy norteada por todas las voces que me hablan
simultáneamente.
From Borderlands / La Frontera by Gloria Anzaldúa
Part 1 – Languages in Danger around the world
(Formato website)
THE ENDANGERED LANGUAGES PROJECT
Humanity today is facing a massive extinction: languages are disappearing at an
unprecedented pace. And when that happens, a unique vision of the world is lost. With
every language that dies we lose an enormous cultural heritage; the understanding of how
humans relate to the world around us; scientific, medical and botanical knowledge; and
most importantly, we lose the expression of communities’ humor, love and life. In short, we
lose the testimony of centuries of life.
Languages are entities that are alive and in constant flux, and their extinction is not new;
however, the pace at which languages are disappearing today has no precedent and is
alarming. About half of the world’s approximate 7,000 languages are at risk of
disappearing in the next 100 years. But today we have tools and technology at our
fingertips that could become a game changer.
The Endangered Languages Project puts technology at the service of the organizations
and individuals working to confront the language endangerment by documenting,
preserving and teaching them. Through this website, users can not only access the most
up to date and comprehensive information on Endangered Languages as well as samples
being provided by partners, but also play an active role in putting their languages online by
submitting information or samples in the form of text, audio or video files. In addition, users
will be able to share best practices and case studies through a knowledge sharing section
and through joining relevant Google Groups.
http://www.endangeredlanguages.com/about/
READING: Correct the mistakes in these statements.
1. Languages are disappearing very slowly.
2. When a language dies, the culture of that language survives.
3. Language is a static entity.
4. There are 7,000 endangered languages.
5. Only experts in language can use this website.
VIEWING: Watch the following video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=Bn2QbwcjmOI
1. Highlight the ideas in the text which are also mentioned in the video. Then,
compare answers with a classmate.
2. Watch the video again and choose the correct option.
Language is the means / way by which we pass on ideas, knowledge and identity
from one generation to the next. But of the 7,000 / 6,000 languages currently
spoken, it is expected that 60% / 50% will not survive the turn of the century. And
when the last fluent speaker of a language dies, we lose the centuries of knowledge
and traditions that have helped shape who we are. Language loss is often /
sometimes related to oppression and injustice. For these communities, preservation
of their language is about the restoration of their social / cultural identities, their
values and their heritage. Google is working together with trusted organizations /
institutions to help stop their disappearance. The Endangered Languages Project is
an online space designed for speakers of endangered languages and those
passionate / interested about their preservation. It features the most comprehensive
information: the option to download / upload video, audio, documents and share
your knowledge and experiences. And this is just the beginning. Start exploring at
endangeredlanguages.com
Part 2 – Endangered Languages in Argentina
ARGENTINA’S DISAPPEARING LANGUAGES
Now, the world’s languages are dying out even faster than animals and plants. We are
currently facing a massive extinction […]. The destruction is most intense in five key
hotspots: eastern Siberia, northern Australia, central South America, the US state of
Oklahoma, and the US Pacific Northwest, according to a new study released this year. But
Argentina’s indigenous languages too are under threat.
When the first Spaniard sailed up the Río de la Plata, 35 native languages were spoken in
the territory that is now Argentina. Now, there are just 15, from six distinct linguistic
families. In scattered communities around Argentina, people are still telling jokes, arguing,
and making love in Mapudungun, Tehuelche, Vilela, Toba, Pilagá, Mocobí, Chulupí,
Chorote, Wichi, Mbya, Tapiete, Quichua Santagueño, Guaraní-Correntino, Guaraní, and
Chiriguano. […]
What is lost?
Should we care? Why do we need so many languages anyway? Wouldn’t a universal
language – English, say – make life more convenient for everyone? Maybe, but the price
for convenience would be an irreplaceable loss for humanity.
Every time the last speaker of a language dies, a wealth of specific knowledge – about the
environment, plants and animals, or medicinal remedies – is lost forever. “When an old
man dies in Africa, it is like a library burning down,” as Malian ethnologist Amadou
Hampâté Bâ once said. […] When a language dies, the people who speak it lose a sense
of community identity. The last speakers of a language frequently express immense
sadness at the loss of such a fundamental part of their culture.
With around 70,000 speakers, Toba is not as imperilled as other languages such as Vilela
and Tehuelche – but if current trends continue, it might not last much longer than the next
generation. José Maidana believes his people must fight to retain their language. “We
don’t fight with bows and arrows any more – but this bow on our wall is a symbol: we have
to confront the dangers to our culture. Our language is like the trees and the rivers: we
have to protect it.”
www.argentinaindependent.com/socialissues/development/endangered-argentinas-disappearing-languages/
READING: Why are these numbers relevant? Find the information in the article.
5: ______________________________________________________
35: ______________________________________________________
15: ______________________________________________________
70,000: ______________________________________________________
6: ______________________________________________________
DISCUSSION: Get into groups and discuss the following phrases from the article.
1. Why do we need so many languages anyway?
2. Our language is like the trees and the rivers: we have to protect it.
RESEARCH: Use the UNESCO website (http://www.unesco.org/culture/languages-
atlas/index.php) and complete the following table:
Language How many people speak What is the level of vitality
the language? of this language?
Wichi
Quechua
Chaná
Pilagá
Tapieté
Tehuelche
Mocoví
Projects Bank
Endangered Languages Campaign: Get into groups and create a blog or a poster
explaining the importance of defending endangered languages in our country and
around the world. Try to make your poster / blog as appealing as possible.
Languages in your Community: Find a person in your family or in your community
who speaks another language apart from Spanish. Interview the person. Ask him / her
where he / she learnt the language, why he / she likes the language and what he / she
usually uses the language for. Write a brief report to share with the rest of your class.
Creating an Endangered Language Trilingual Dictionary: Do some research on the
web and find dictionaries or lists of words in any of the endangered languages in
Argentina. Then, design a poster with the word in the endangered language, the
translation into Spanish and the translation into English. Finally, include a picture of the
word.
