The extinction of some languages

The extinction of some languages

Although there are more than 7,000 languages in the world, there lacks an equitable distribution of speakers. For example, Galla (2012) observes that 97 percent of the population of the earth speaks four percent of the world’s languages. One can flip this statistic around to reveal that only 3 percent of the world’s population speaks the remaining 96 percent of existing languages. What this means is that while the world has many languages, only a few of them are relevant owing to the broadness of its audience. They include English, Mandarin, Spanish, and Arabic. They have become so important that the number of second-language speakers of these languages has increased tremendously over the years. An increase in the number of speakers of English language as a second language, for example, has happened in the backdrop of a dwindling number of speakers for other languages, especially indigenous ones, some of which are now on the verge of extinction. Some languages have already vanished from the face of the earth and Galla (2012) believes that by the year 2100, half of the existing ones would disappear.

The extinction of some languages would happen naturally over the course of the next several years. Part of the reason for this is that children being born would grow and learn new languages that increase their chances of securing a job or participating actively in global affairs as a responsible citizen. Indeed, looking around, one would realize that many parents are now discouraging their children from speaking mother tongue. Instead, they pressure them to learn English and other languages that people consider influential in global business. The problem with the gradual disappearance of some languages is that it would occasion the loss of a wealth of knowledge, history, culture, the human brain, and the natural habitats of some communities. The likelihood of such a loss happening is high because most of the small languages of the world, and their speakers, remain undocumented. In some cases, the existing documentation of languages are not sufficient to offer an in-depth look into the peculiarities of that language or the people who speak it. also, self-documentation of languages lack because communities have traditionally relied on the word of mouth to pass their cultures, beliefs, and values from one generation to the next.

One of the languages that is slowly but steadily disappearing is Irish. Native to Ireland, Irish is a member of the Celtic branch of the Indo-European family (Class Notes). It belongs to the same classification with Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, and Breton. People can also refer to the language as “Gaelic” or “Irish Gaelic” but the Irish, the language’s native speakers, prefer to call it “Irish”. The language, with most of its speakers in rural areas, has three dialects: Donegal, Connacht, and Munster. For the last 100 years or so, the language has enjoyed some state and unofficial support. However, it remains an endangered dialect. All the efforts in aid of the language for the past 100 years have only worked to prolong its extinction year, but they have not converted it into a stable or growing language. According to statistics from the 2011 census, 44 percent of the population of Ireland can speak the language and only 1.8 percent of them (or about 77,000 people) speak Irish daily outside the education system. today, there are virtually no monolingual speakers of the language.

Future prospects of reviving the language look dim for two reasons. First, no monolingual speakers still exist. All those speaking Irish can also communicate fluently in English or another language. Some of the speakers of the language have also learned it due to curiosity and fascination with a dying language. The fact that no monolingual Irish people still exist mean that Irish is no longer the only option of communication for some people. Instead, it has now become an option. Indeed, its is common to find native Irish people speaking English or another language while communicating with each other. Second, native Irish children between seven and 12 years have mastered the English language more than Irish. The lowered ability in Irish as compared to English among native Irish children is an indication of the endangered nature of the language. It also shows that attempts to revive the language and ensure its survival are ineffective. Since children are the ones to propagate the language to future generations, their weak skills in it show the language’s dying nature and reduced hopes for continued existence.

Dominance in English among the seven to 12-year-old native Irish children shows language ability that is a reflection of a changing society. Presently, English is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. therefore, it is not surprising that even people of Irish descent are now leaving their mother tongue for the English language. Not only that, the children have achieved English language dominance in vocabulary and semantic and pragmatic usage. Typically, people achieve greater accuracy in these areas if they use a language frequently, and enjoy greater support from adults and those who understand the language well. The children have also demonstrated greater accuracy in English language phonetics, morphology, and syntax than Irish. Again, these are deep language issues that are indicative of greater mastery of one language than the other. For this reason, it is not surprising that Irish as a language faces the threat of extinction. Any effort to save the language must focus on ensuring that young speakers comprehend the language and use it more accurately from an early age.

But there is some hope left about the language. First, there are some areas where Irish has a strong presence. Connemara is one such places. In the future, the number of dedicated Irish speakers in here might increase and spread to nearby areas. What people need to continue using a given language is sufficient incentives and motivations. For example, offering essential services in Irish might force many people to familiarize themselves with the language to increase their personal convenience. Second, there was a slight increase in the number of Irish speakers between 2006 and 2011. In particular, the number of speakers increased by 7.1 percent. The number of those speaking Irish daily also increased by seven percent. Thus, as a social process, the main determinant of language distinction is the number of young children speaking the language. It is synonymous with ceding a significant amount of power to young, innocent, and clueless children. Children always learn some languages, oblivious of the fact that the continued existence of that dialect depend on how firmly they grasp on it.

Ongoing effort to conserve, revive, or maintain Irish represents a successful instance of dedicated language preservation. What is more interesting about it is that most of this work has happened outside the Gaeltacht communities. Indeed, fostering of Irish has occurred right in the middle of the English language. Official ad non-official effort outside of the native Irish speaking communities has facilitated the emergence of a vibrant population of speakers of Irish as a second language. The effort is unparalleled and deserves a lot of appreciation. The second language community is now larger than the indigenous one, and offers opportunities for future generations to learn and appreciate the history, culture, and values of Gaeltacht communities, which ae now long gone. The world can replicate this effort in the revival or maintenance of other endangered languages. What the world needs is some passion for that language as well as the dedication to follow it through to its logical conclusion. Recall that effort to conserve Irish have been in place for about a century now, and it will continue well into the future.

With its more than 7,000 languages, the world has a rich history and heritage. Unfortunately, most of this wealth might disappear in the future, as the world is set to lose half of its languages within the next eight decades. Rather than allow these languages to disappear into thin air, the world can implement strategies to maintain them and ensure their effective documentation. The world should also look for ways of contacting as many communities as possible and documenting their ways of life without distracting them or changing their courses. Many uncontacted communities are still practicing their indigenous lifestyles, and there is a g=high risk that such cultures would disappear if they come into contact with the rest of the world. IF people have achieved success in maintaining Irish and creating a large community of speakers of Irish as a second language, then it is possible to conserve the other languages as well. People should not treat one language as superior or inferior to the other because each unique dialect represents a culture and a way of life.