This document discusses endangered languages. It defines an endangered language as one at risk of no longer being spoken as its speakers die out or shift to other languages. Languages become endangered for various reasons, such as a lack of transmission between generations, small speaker populations, war, negative attitudes, and pressure to adopt dominant languages. The document classifies languages based on their degree of endangerment from vulnerable to extinct. Losing a language can negatively impact communities by weakening cultural traditions and identity. UNESCO works to safeguard endangered languages through supporting education in local languages, collecting language data, and promoting multilingualism.

1. Umm-e-Rooman Yaqoob
Roll # 3
B.S (English) 4th
semester
Endangered Languages
Endangeredlanguages:
“A language is classified as endangered if there is an eminent of it no longer being risk spoken”
An endangeredlanguage is a language that is at risk of fallingout of use as its speakersdie out or shift
to speakinganother language. Language lossoccurs whenthe language has no more native speakers,
and becomesa "deadlanguage".Ifeventuallyno one speaks the language at all,it becomesan
"extinctlanguage".
The attitude of the people make language endangered.Hesitation tospeaktheirown language.
Ideologies are changedandsoattitudestowardsone language changes.They attachsome value
language andtheyare notallowedbytheirparentstospeaktheirmothertongue.
Steps:
 You desertthatlanguage
 You shifttoanotherlanguage
 You start speakingtwolanguages
Factors/types:
 Many languagesare endangeredbecausethere have beenameasurable declineinthe
percentage of childrenwholearntospeakthemoverthe course of twoor more generations.
Trajectory of the decline of the numberof the people learningthese languagesassuchthatat
some pointintergenerational transmissionwill seize.Atthatpointthat language isconsidered
moribund( a stage at whichlanguage cannotsurvive).
 The secondtype of endangeredlanguage isthathasa small numberof speakersoverall.Though
manysuch languagesare thrivingunderthe social conditionthatcurrentlygoaled,theirlimited
speakersbase rendersthensusceptible language lossshouldconditionschange.
Classification:
Is basedonthe degree of vitalityof thatparticularlanguage.
UNESCO provide aclassificationsystemtoshow justhow 'introuble'the language is:

2. Vulnerable - mostchildrenspeakthe language,butitmaybe restrictedtocertaindomains(e.g.,home)
Definitelyendangered - childrennolongerlearnthe languageas a 'mothertongue'inthe home
Severelyendangered- language isspokenbygrandparentsandoldergenerations;whilethe parent
generationmayunderstandit,theydonotspeakitto childrenoramongthemselves
Criticallyendangered- the youngestspeakers are grandparentsandolder,andtheyspeakthe language
partiallyandinfrequently
Extinct - there are no speakersleft
Threatened language:
Are those languagesforwhichlongtermsurvival isapossibilitybutwhichare vulnerabletorapid
language loss. Language andculture are both vulnerable.The vulnerability maystandforthe numberof
factors e.ga small numberof populationof speakersorsocial transformationthatdecreasesthe
necessityforusingthe language indailyactivities.
The numberof causesthat effectnumberof speakersare
a) War
b) Hesitation
c) Attitude towardsthatlanguage
d) Trans generational transmission
e) Inferiorityandsuperiority
Declining language:
Are those languagesthatevincingasteadyerosimtotheirspeakerrace, primarily due tothe factthat
fewerandfewerchildrenlearnthislanguage attheirhomes.
Moribund languages:
That is nolongerbeinglearnedbychildrenasfirstlanguage
Extinct language:
Are those languagesthathave no speakersleft.
Effects:
Language endangermentaffectsboththe languagesthemselvesandthe peoplethatspeakthem.
Effects on communities:

3. As communitieslose theirlanguage theyoftenalsolose partsof theircultural traditionswhichare tied
to that language,suchas songs,mythsandpoetry that are noteasilytransferredtoanotherlanguage.
Thismay inturn affecttheirsense of identity,producingaweakenedsocial cohesionastheirvaluesand
traditionsare replacedwithnewones.Thisissometimescharacterizedasanomie.Losingalanguage
may alsohave political consequencesassome countriesconferdifferentpolitical statusesorprivileges
on minorityethnicgroups,oftendefiningethnicityintermsof language.Thatmeansthatcommunities
that lose theirlanguage mayalsolose political legitimacyasa communitywithspecial collectiverights.
Effects on languages:
Duringlanguage loss — sometimesreferredtoasobsolescence inthe linguisticliterature — the
language thatis beinglostgenerallyundergoeschangesasspeakersmake theirlanguage more similarto
the language thattheyare shiftingto.Forexample,graduallylosinggrammatical orphonological
complexitiesthatare not foundinthe dominantlanguage.
Causes:
A language disappearswhenitsspeakersdisappearorwhentheyshifttospeakinganotherlanguage –
mostoften,a largerlanguage usedbya more powerful group.Languagesare threatenedbyexternal
forcessuch as military,economic,religious,culturaloreducational subjugation,orbyinternal forces
such as a community’snegative attitudetowardsitsownlanguage.Today,increasedmigrationand
rapidurbanizationoftenbringalongthe lossof traditional waysof lifeandastrong pressure tospeaka
dominantlanguage thatis – or isperceivedtobe – necessaryforfull civicparticipationandeconomic
advancement.
Safeguardof Endangeredlangauges:
UNESCO acts on manyfrontsto safeguardendangeredlanguagesandpreventtheirdisappearance:
In education,UNESCO supportspoliciespromotingmultilingualismandespecially mothertongue
literacy;itsupportsthe language componentof indigenouseducation;andraisesawarenessof the
importance of language preservationineducation.
In culture,UNESCO collectsdataon endangeredandindigenouslanguages,developsstandardized tools
and methodologies,andbuildscapacitiesof governmentsandcivil society(academicinstitutionsand
speakercommunities).
In communication and information,UNESCOsupportsthe use of local languagesinthe mediaand
promotesmultilingualismincyberspace.
In science,UNESCOassistsprogramsto strengthenthe role of local languagesinthe transmissionof
local and indigenousknowledge.