Language Exchanges - opportunity to preserve languages too?

A discussion of the peculiarities of languages and the differences between them.
SheriS
Junior Lexiterian
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2014 11:41 pm

Language Exchanges - opportunity to preserve languages too?

Postby SheriS » Tue Jul 15, 2014 7:42 pm

Here's a fantastic initiative on so many levels - young people learning English in Brazil connect with elderly people in Chicago who are just so grateful to have someone to talk to.

In this case, young Brazilians want to improve their English by engaging in conversations with native speakers. What if the same concept could be used to assist preservation of languages that are at risk of becoming 'extinct'??

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10 ... =2&theater

User avatar
Slava
Great Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 8013
Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2006 9:31 am
Location: Finger Lakes, NY

Re: Language Exchanges - opportunity to preserve languages t

Postby Slava » Thu Jul 24, 2014 11:11 pm

I can't do the video as I killed my sound card, but I did get enough of an idea of what this is about to comment, I believe.

While I think the idea is a worthy one, where would the funding come from? Are there enough speakers of any endangered language to set up such an exchange? Are there enough people interested in learning these languages?

As I say, it sounds nice, but would it be feasible?
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.

User avatar
Slava
Great Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 8013
Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2006 9:31 am
Location: Finger Lakes, NY

Re: Language Exchanges - opportunity to preserve languages t

Postby Slava » Tue Jul 29, 2014 10:19 pm

To add to this topic, here is an article from NPR on how the Internet might be of use in preserving dying languages: http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconside ... e-new-hope

Personally, I don't see it as being quite what the article is trying to push. It will be all written, and much of it concocted by those using the system. I ran up against this problem when I got my Georgian grammar book. How do you actually say the words? Will anyone understand you? Will you understand their replies? Etcetera, so on, and so forth.

Further, who will be the arbitrator of what is correct and what is slang or a regional dialect of these languages? I'm not against the idea of using what we have available to keep languages alive, but we do need to have trust in who is making the decisions.
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.


Return to “Languages of the World”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 8 guests