Lost Voices

Language is the vehicle of expression and communication that carries the cultural heritage of communities. Through the lenses of different languages, we come to understand the values of different cultures and we see a new perception of reality which adds profound depth to our shared human experience.

This linguistic diversity is crucial for humanity, however, such diversity is plummeting as many languages are on the verge of dying.

There are many factors as to why languages die, two of the most historically prominent ones are colonialism and linguistic imperialism. Throughout history, the political domination by certain powers and the forceful promotion of their cultures and languages led to the endangerment of such languages. Implementing the colonist’s language in education paved the way for social control and continuous imperial expansions. It also established a sense of superiority of the language and culture which legitimized the marginalization of indigenous people.

This marginalization in turn led them to abandon their languages to have more social mobility. With the rise of this language hierarchy, the colonial languages were thought of as catalysts for advancement whereas indigenous languages allegedly failed to express progressive thought. Moreover, indigenous people’s attachment to their languages was portrayed as an act of resistance against civilization. Such portrayals and practices led to language shifting either by one’s own volition or by coercion which in turn brought about the demise of many languages.

Today, linguistic imperialism takes a different form as the dominance of language is closely tied to economic and technological power. The rise of English as the language of business and opportunities and the medium of communication endangers minority languages. English holds the promise of upward mobility whereas minority languages are thought to be detrimental to one’s success in today’s economy which makes minorities shift to dominant languages.

These adverse effects of globalization led to the endangerment of many indigenous languages, however, the UNESCO is putting great effort in preserving these languages. It sustains them through collecting data on endangered languages and developing methodologies to keep their vitality. The UNESCO also promotes for native language literacy through education and supports multilingualism but not at the expense of the native language.

Done by: Amani Al-Mutairi