Saturday, October 07, 2006 Libre: Endangered languages By Mel Libre Seriously Now
For sometime now, there has been deep concern for endangered animals and plants, thus the efforts to protect them. But there is another matter that we should also be concerned. Language experts revealed that about half of the planet’s languages are facing extinction.
Linguists say that, “languages are becoming extinct at twice the rate of endangered mammals and four times the rate of endangered birds. If this trend continues, the world of the future could be dominated by a dozen or fewer languages.”
Prof. David Crystal of the University of North Wales reported that, “this is a big crisis. Of the 6,000 or so languages in the world, half are so seriously endangered they are unlikely to last the century.”
Among the causes of the death of languages are: abandonment of speakers of their language, replacement of a language by a more dominant one, and the rapid evolution or assimilation of language until it gives birth to an offspring, yet dissimilar language.
Though it seems that in the Philippines languages remain “living,” we can already feel the pressure of Tagalog, also called “Filipino,” getting into the tongues of non-Tagalog speakers. And because of western inventions and products, Philippine languages have to adopt English words, if not make concoct Filipinized versions.
Despite 400 years of Spanish colonization, our people retained our languages because the Spaniards did not want to teach Spanish to the Indios. Spain also encouraged regionalization to prevent its subjects from identifying themselves as one nation.
Only well-to-do Indios like Jose Rizal, the Lunas and others were able to learn, if not master, Spanish and used it as a tool against Spain. Rizal wrote his masterpieces “Noli Me Tangere” and “El Filibusterismo” in the Castillan language.
But the American colonizers were more aggressive in implanting their language and culture among Filipinos. In the first half of the 20th century, they turned the Filipinos into their little brown brothers, though the effort was slowed down by the nationalist fervor of student activists in the ‘60s and ‘70s.
We can be assured, though, that Philippine languages will continue to flourish if government assures its use in educational and government institutions and mass media promotes it through their programs. More importantly, literature, poetry, music and other artistic expressions should be encouraged not only among lovers of the language but the youth as well.
While it is important to have an international language linking peoples of the world, it is not wrong to promote as well other languages, especially among native speakers. For not only is language pride to a people, it is also the best and most beautiful way to express your deepest emotions to your loved ones and to the world.
