Date : 08/09/2023

Relevance – GS Paper 1 – Art and Culture

Keywords – British Colonialism, Index of Linguistic Diversity (ILD), International Decade of Indigenous Languages, UNESCO

Context

Linguistic diversity is not just about languages; it encompasses cultural variations, opinions, views, and knowledge. English, as a common language in India since British colonial rule, has connected multilingual Indians, but language barriers persist in remote areas. The question arises: Why not have a universal language to unite humanity? The biblical story of the Tower of Babel illustrates the power of a common language. Language serves as a vehicle for transferring information, ideas, and emotions.

The Forecast of Language Extinction

Currently, 7,000 distinct languages are spoken worldwide, but they are rapidly shrinking. A mathematical model predicts the extinction of 40% of languages with fewer than 35,000 speakers within a century. This extinction means these languages will no longer be spoken as mother tongues or principal languages, threatening language diversity. English has become the world's most widely spoken language, partly due to British colonialism.

Migration to countries with a common language contributes to language decline. As migrants assimilate, first-generation individuals become bilingual, the next generation loses their mother tongue, and the third generation may not understand it at all. English now boasts 340 million native speakers and over 1.2 billion second language speakers, potentially outpacing languages like Hindi with 586 million second language speakers.

The Index of Linguistic Diversity

The Index of Linguistic Diversity (ILD) quantifies language trends over the past 30 years by measuring the number of mother-tongue speakers worldwide. A Language Diversity Index (LDI) assesses the probability of two people from a population having different mother tongues. Countries with fewer mother languages have lower LDIs, indicating less linguistic diversity. For example, the United Kingdom has an LDI of 0.139, while India's LDI stands at 0.930. The United States, with its diverse immigrant population, has an LDI of 0.353.

Globally, linguistic diversity has declined by 20% from 1970 to 2005. Indigenous linguistic diversity in the Americas decreased by over 60%, by 30% in the Pacific, including Australia, and by nearly 20% in Africa. However, calculating the index from a sample of languages may not account for population growth, making it apparent that the distribution of speakers is becoming increasingly uneven over time.

Factors Influencing Language Endangerment

Language Ecology Assessment: The "language ecology" of each language is evaluated by considering variables such as the number of fluent speakers who learned the language as children, the number of other languages in contact, language usage within the community, its role in education, and official national recognition. The availability of language resources like dictionaries and grammars is also considered.

Environmental Features: Environmental factors like the geography of the region (mountainous or river-surrounded), climate (crop growth and food gathering availability), and the degree of natural environment modification (endangered species in the area) are analyzed.

Human-Modified Landscape: Human influence on the landscape is assessed through variables like the extent and rate of change in farmland, built environments, roads, population density, and urbanization.

Socioeconomic Indicators: Socioeconomic factors, including life expectancy and income inequality, are considered as potential influencers of language endangerment.

The Loss of Linguistic Diversity and Its Consequences

A growing number of people worldwide are transitioning to a few dominant languages, resulting in a loss of linguistic diversity and the extinction of smaller languages. Dozens of languages have only one living native speaker, as reported by the Linguistic Society of America (LSA). This precarious situation threatens cultural identity and knowledge.

Language is not just a tool for communication; it carries cultural values and indigenous knowledge. The extinction of languages leads to shrinking cultural diversity and increased cultural homogenization.

Preserving Language: A Treasure of Culture and Identity

The loss of a language is more than just a fading dialect; it signifies the disappearance of a unique history and a repository of cultural wisdom. Each language represents a testament to human ingenuity, offering elegant solutions to intricate communication challenges. Beyond being a mere tool, languages carry invaluable insights into human history, tracing migrations and cultural exchanges where other historical evidence may fall short. Most significantly, language serves as a symbol of cultural identity and belonging, deeply intertwined with people's heritage.

The decline of distinct languages is met with sorrow by many, as they yearn to maintain competence in languages that are slipping away. Across the globe, dedicated individuals are actively working to revive endangered languages, viewing this effort as a means to strengthen culture and reconnect individuals with their roots.

While the prospects for language preservation may appear bleak, these predictions reflect the trajectory without intervention. There remains an opportunity for meaningful impact. Many endangered languages still have fluent speakers, and there is a pressing need to swiftly support communities in nurturing these living languages. Encouraging children to learn and use these languages at school, at home, and within their broader communities is crucial.

In 2022, we usher in the UNESCO International Decade of Indigenous Languages, a significant opportunity to celebrate, revive, and safeguard the diverse linguistic tapestry of our world. It is a call to action to preserve not only words but also the cultural richness and identity that languages embody.

The Situation in India and the Need for Strategies

A UNESCO report from 2018 indicates that 42 languages in India are on the path to extinction, spoken by fewer than 10,000 people. According to UNESCO, any language spoken by only 10,000 people is potentially endangered. Most of these endangered languages belong to indigenous tribal groups across India.

In a world concerned about biodiversity and the loss of species, languages can be equated to distinct species in the "linguasphere." The decline of languages not only diminishes linguistic diversity but also erodes cultural variations, opinions, views, and knowledge.

Conclusion

Preserving linguistic diversity is vital to maintaining cultural richness and knowledge. Efforts to document endangered languages, such as those by the Linguistic Society of America, through videotapes, audiotapes, and written records, must be encouraged and replicated by other institutions. It is imperative that the world takes steps to prevent the disappearance of languages and the cultural heritage they represent. In doing so, we can ensure a more diverse and culturally rich global community for future generations.

Source – The Hindu