ESSAY OUTLINE is There Any Value in Preserving Minority Languages in the World

Introduction ● Example of context: linguists have always faced the conundrum of whether to invest resources in dying languages that may not be of need in today’s world ● Minority Minority languag languages: es: have have only only a few several several thousa thousand nd speake speakers, rs, or even even fewer  fewer  ● Yes, although although the the cost of doing doing so may may yield little benefit benefit for its speakers speakers who are burdened with the task of learning another language to communicate with others, because these languages represent cultures which are inherently valuable as a part of mankind’s social memory It is costly to preserve them, and costs may outweigh benefits ● Linguist Linguists s and ethnogra ethnographe phers rs must documen documentt their grammar grammar and and vocabular vocabulary y for them to be taught academically and preserved systematically for posterity ● Many speak speakers ers of minority minority languag languages es are in geograp geographica hicallyi llyinacc naccessi essible ble places places ! "apua "apua #ew $uine $uinea: a: home home to over over %&& langu language ages, s, but much much of of the count country ry is dense and inaccessible 'ungle ● ()pensi ()pensive ve to provide provide teaching teaching resou resources rces for for languages languages and and maintain maintain the use use of them such as through *+ broadcasting ! *he elsh elsh govern governmen mentt spends spends billions billions a year year on elsh elsh *+ broad broadcasti casting, ng, providing bilingual road signs, and providing elsh translations for members of the public ● *hus *hus it may be argued argued that that there there is little little value value especiall especially y when the the benefits benefits accrue accrue only only to a minority, such as elsh speakers in ales -peakers of minority languages would continue to be burdened by the need to learn another language ● .nly hebrew hebrew has has become become a widely widely spoke spoken n langua language ge in Israe Israell ● #ot #ot everyo everyone ne can can be effe effecti ctivel vely y multil multiling ingua uall ! -ingapo -ingapore: re: studen students ts and parent parents s debate debate with leade leaders rs over over the need need to learn learn / languages ● -peakers have to learn learn another language language to communicate communicate with with nonspeakers nonspeakers especially in an age of globalisation where many languages besides minority ones are proliferating in other communities *here is value ● *hey *hey are spoken spoken by cultures cultures which which are slowly slowly disappea disappearing ring,, and languag language e encapsula encapsulates tes their ways of life in many ways ! *he Inuit Inuit have have multiple multiple words words for different different types types of 0snow’ while (nglish (nglish does not, not, given the polar nature of the landscape they inhabit ● Languag Languages es thus repres represent ent the many many cultures cultures and and lifestyle lifestyles s making making up humanity humanity -ome have important historical value as a link to the past ● *he Manchurian Manchurian language language spoken by the Manchus who ruled 1hina from from 2344 to 2522 2522 now has fewer than 6& speakers ● Manchuri Manchurian an is essential essential to unders understan tanding ding court court documen documents, ts, thus thus there is value value in preserving it

+alue of preserving it can be increased ● $iven that once it goes e)tinct, it is difficult, if not impossible, to revive it into common use again, making the loss of a language even greater 1onclusion ● *here is value as languages chart the deveopment of human society across the world ● 1osts of preserving them may be mitigated especially if the aim is not to make them widely spoken, but to preserve it among a small community, which reduces financial costs ● 7inancial costs may not outweigh the inherent value of preserving a part of human civilisations, which is priceless