At present, there are nearly 7,000 languages being spoken worldwide. However, due to ageing populations and globalization’s English-only emphasis, a language dies out every 14 days. At this rate, nearly half the world’s languages will vanish in 100 years. Very often, these languages are lost without any record: no clues about pronunciation, let alone grammar or vocabulary. Now, new digital speaking dictionaries may be the key to saving thousands of languages from extinction. The Living Tongues project presented eight new dictionaries at a conference last week.
Margaret Noori is director of the comprehensive studies program and lecturer in the Native American Studies Program at the University of Michigan.
Gregory D. S. Anderson is director of Living Tongues, which unveiled eight dictionaries of languages that are currently facing extinction last week.
The World is an independent newsroom. We’re not funded by billionaires; instead, we rely on readers and listeners like you. As a listener, you’re a crucial part of our team and our global community. If you’ve been thinking about making a donation, this is the best time to do it. Your support is vital to running our nonprofit newsroom, and we can’t do this work without you. All donations between now and June 30 will be matched 2:1. Will you help keep our newsroom on strong footing by giving to The World?