Preservation of Indigenous Languages

A language on an imminent demise can be denoted as extinct once children no longer master the language. In the text ‘Back to Babel’ by James Geary, the following quote suggest that language to a certain extent is a sign of life: “Languages, like all living things, depend on their environment to survive.” Thus preserving indigenous languages will ensure the existence of primitive peoples and help diversify cultural distinction. The affects of mass culture are detrimental for indigenous languages and traditional lifestyle, as consequence that entire cultures are endangered. Languages represent the driving force behind distinct cultures, hence when a language is on the edge of extinction the entire culture is negatively impacted in a sense of losing valued communication and identity. Contemporary communication needs to be fast and coherent, therefore the obligation of a lingua franca is increasingly respected amongst pop cultures. However at the cost of severe losses of indigenous languages.

A language can be vigorously decisive in shaping one’s sense of self. Identity and language function cohesively, therefore it is fairly important to preserve indigenous languages in order to prevent disassociation with one’s self. Mastering a language serves as more than just a communicative system of words, rules and regulations. It encapsulates a way of thinking and being. Indigenous languages connect people to their ethnic groups, in which they share knowledge and traditions crucial to maintain cultural heritage. Language can be an important aspect in strengthening feelings of pride and self worth. It enhances the sense of belonging. Regarding the Aboriginal languages, their existence is essential to botanists nowadays. Their language has the explicit potential to describe the natural world. The aboriginals have named various species of flora, which are now being used by botanists to identify identical flora species. As for their rich and poetic vocabularies, it can be noticed how close the aboriginal clans have bonded with their land.