Language, Death And Linguistic Endangerment - 2188 Words

Main Issues: The way in which our world functions today is a result of colonialization. Language death and linguistic endangerment is woven with colonialization and the history of oppression toward indigenous communities. We cannot speak of language death without first acknowledging the speakers and the systematic oppression that indigenous communities continue struggling to resist. In present time language shifts due to economic incentive of hegemony and the mediating role of language ideologies are two of the most important causes of language death. Language shift and language ideologies that ultimately cause language death are current consequences of colonialization. The death of a language has both of linguistic and cultural consequences to the particular community affected and to the world’s diversity as a whole. Languages serve as carries of cultural knowledge, as identity and verbal art, hence when a language is lost cultural resources, identity and verbal art are lost. One of the most important causes of language death is language shifts due to economic incentives of hegemony. A language shift is when people adopt the language of the hegemonic society replacing their mother tongue in both their personal and professional lives (Mithum 1998:182). The shift of language is motivated by the hope for economic prosper as hegemonic languages like English and French dominate the economic market place. This language shift is also understood through the terms ofShow MoreRelatedThe Current Sociopolitical Structure Of Developing And Developed Countries1575 Words   |  7 Pagesimperialism. Language death and linguistic endangerment is woven in with colonization and the history of oppression toward indigenous communities by the colonizers. We cannot speak of language â€Å"death† without fist acknowledging the speakers and the systematic oppression that indigenous communities continue struggling to resist. The death of a language has both linguistic an d cultural consequences within the particular community affected as well as the world’s knowledge diversity. Languages serve as carriersRead MoreImportance Of Indigenous Languages1496 Words   |  6 PagesLanguage is one of the most significant developments of humans. It is one of the few means of communications which enclose a large number of beliefs, values and it is provided paths to see the world in different perceptive. The languages are thought to be in danger when people do not speak their native languages or mother tongue in foreign countries. Mother tongue is a child’s first language and it can be learned since birth. This mother language cannot be used often in foreign countries. As a resultRead MoreSerbia and Kosovo: From Myth to Genocide Essay2939 Words   |  12 Pagesgroup of scholars who studied the wars in Yugoslavia is comprised of international authors, among whom Bieber, 2005; De La Brosse, 2003 and a group of Bulgaria scholars. Apart of that, a so urce of utmost importance was the BBC produced series â€Å"The Death of Yugoslavia† combining authentic footage and interviews with key players such as Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic and the first president of Croatia Franjo Tudjman. The documentary consists of six episodes and it has been used at the International