th Dubai International Academy Model United Nations 2019| 11 Annual Session
Forum: General Assembly 3
Issue: Methods to preserve and prevent the extinction of endangered languages in the face of global advancements
Student Officer: Aryan Gulati
Position: Deputy President
Introduction
Languages are indispensable tools of personal and cultural expression, that contain centuries of accumulated human knowledge, experience, creativity, and evolution. The extinction of languages leads to the loss of these key socio-cultural aspects of human existence. The disappearance and birth of languages and cultures is not a new phenomenon, however, unprecedented rates of declining linguistic and cultural diversity are being experienced in the face of globalization and development. According to UNESCO, over half of the 6,000 languages spoken around the world today are in danger of extinction by the end of the century. Some languages are lost due to assimilation policies or language planning programs, others because of persecution and exploitation or a plethora of other socio-cultural or economic reasons. In order to preserve the cultural and linguistic diversity of our world, it is paramount that languages are preserved despite globalization and innovation. Preserving endangered languages also allows linguists to study the syntax and structure of these languages in order to better understand languages and formulate truly universal principles as well as study the influences that languages have on each other and their surrounding cultures.
In the past few decades, some member states and NGOs have already begun to take action to avoid the extinction of languages through language documentation, language nests and other language revitalization programs. However, there is a need for more attention on the issue as well as international cooperation to implement effective solutions that protect and preserve linguistic diversity despite the constantly changing socio-cultural and economic landscape of the world that threatens the existence of these languages.
In order to effectively preserve endangered languages, it is important to understand the cause of their endangerment. The inability of minority and endangered languages to provide economic opportunities and the limited environments in which they can be used along with discrimination against their speakers significantly reduce any benefits of learning these languages. It is essential to create
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th Dubai International Academy Model United Nations 2019| 11 Annual Session suitable conditions for speakers of endangered languages to thrive in order to allow for speakers to learn these languages. Due to the multi-faceted nature of the issue, it is essential that international cooperation and multi-stakeholder cooperation occur at all levels in any attempts at solving the issue.
Definition of Key Terms
Endangered Languages
A language is endangered when its speakers desist from using it, begin to use it in fewer contexts and situations, use fewer of its speaking styles and registers, and/or intergenerational transmission of the language stops.
Extinct Languages
An extinct language is one with no longer has any speakers and is not learned as a native language by any speech community
Intergenerational Language Transmission
Refers to the transfer of a language from parents to their children, i.e. when a parent teaches their child how to speak a language.
Language Revitalization
Language revitalization, also known as language revival is an attempt at halting or reversing the decline of a language or an attempt to revive an extinct language.
Less Economically Developed Countries (LEDCs)
Less economically developed countries refers to countries that generally have low GDP, standards of living, employment rates, reduced educational opportunities for their population and generally rely on agriculture
More Economically Developed Countries (MEDCs)
More economically developed countries refer to countries that have high Gross Domestic Product (GDP), high standards of living for their people, have higher literacy and education rates, and pursue the expansion of manufacturing and service industries.
Globalization
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Globalization is a process that involves major changes in the economic, cultural, social and political spheres of society categorized by an ever-increasing integration of these aspects between nations, regions and communities.
Cultural Diversity and Multiculturalism
The term cultural diversity is often used interchangeably with the idea of multiculturalism. Multiculturalism is “a system of beliefs and behaviors that recognizes and respects the presence of all diverse groups in an organization or society, acknowledges and values their socio-cultural differences, and encourages and enables their continued contribution within an inclusive cultural context which empowers all within the organization or society.”
Key Issues
Changing attitudes in the face of globalization and development
It is theorized that language shift is determined primarily by internal changes within communities themselves. While these changes may come in response to external factors and influences, languages are so deeply intertwined with culture and perception of self, that the loss of a language due to external factors is rare. Although external circumstances may influence their decisions, ultimately, speakers decide what happens to their native languages. Families and parents choose to speak a language at home and teach their children, or they do not. The attitude that speakers have towards their language determines the domains in which the language is spoken and if intergenerational language transmission occurs.
Mass media and the internet have an adverse impact on the endangerment of languages, leading to cultural and language shifts in many communities. This may be because the Internet and media do not accurately reflect the cultural diversity of the world. There are over 6,000 languages spoken across the world, however, of these, only 500 languages are used online. The Internet and mass media are designed to shape the perceptions, attitudes and opinions of the masses. The lack of language diversity on these platforms leads to the extinction of many endangered languages.
Lack of Opportunities and Support for Speakers of Endangered Languages
Speakers of an endangered language often have more limited opportunities, economically and socially, than those who speak a more dominant language. This may often lead to bilingualism and the eventual extinction of mother tongues.
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Economic forces play a large role in determining the languages the speakers prefer to speak. Opportunities for employment and business tend to only be available to those who are fluent in the most common and dominant language. This is especially true in more economically developed countries, where there is a wage-based, capitalist economy, rather than less economically developed countries where the economy is generally based on agriculture. Many parents who speak minority languages around the world do not transmit them to their children, worried that doing so may affect their ability to learn the dominant language, and hence their chances of finding a good job.
The lack of a suitable environment in which languages can be spoken also determines language shift. As dominant languages and cultures spread, the domains in which minority speakers can use their language reduces. This leads to a condition in which there is no environment for endangered languages to be spoken, making revitalization more difficult. As the domains in which a language can be spoken reduce, even speakers of a language are unable to actually use the language. This becomes more prevalent as the population of speakers reduces. According to one study, there is a minimum threshold of approximately 330 speakers after which language revitalization becomes nearly impossible. As the language population size approaches this threshold, speakers find it increasingly difficult to use their language in a variety of domains. This is because small speaker population sizes are generally associated with adverse language or assimilation policies, voluntary language shifts, reduced intergenerational language transmission, reduced competitive abilities (primarily economic), and reduced willingness to learn and speak a language. Therefore, as speaker population sizes decline, the effort needed to revitalize a language increases significantly, as the drawbacks of not speaking a different, culturally dominant, language increase.
Threats to indigenous peoples and languages
The vast majority of endangered languages are indigenous languages. Threats to the existence of these languages are generally seen as the direct result of colonialism and colonial practices that decimated indigenous societies, including cultural and linguistic destruction. The implementation of policies of assimilation, forcing the relocation of native peoples, as well as enacting a multitude of other colonial and post-colonial laws and policies has led to the oppression of indigenous peoples and now threaten the extinction of indigenous languages in many regions across the globe.
The lack of support for cultural education for indigenous people along with colonial-era assimilation policies across the world has led to the loss of languages and cultural identities. For example, in the United States, native parents were forced to send their children to boarding schools where the children were harshly punished if they spoke in their own languages, and were forced to learn, and speak, English. This eventually led to the cessation of intergenerational language transmission from the Native American parents to their children. Although there is no more widespread oppression of
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th Dubai International Academy Model United Nations 2019| 11 Annual Session indigenous peoples in most places, discrimination against native peoples and extra economic opportunities for people who speak multiple languages have hampered native tribes from prospering and led to reduced willingness in indigenous people to understand their cultural heritage and learn their language.
Major Parties Involved and Their Views
India
With 197 endangered languages, India has the highest number of endangered languages across the world. The Indian government has initiated a “scheme for preservation and protection of endangered languages.” The purpose of the program is to document and archive any languages that are currently endangered or have a risk of being endangered in the future. The Indian government also provides funding to universities for researching and studying indigenous and endangered languages in the country. In order to protect the cultural diversity of India, the preservation of languages through documentation is of the utmost importance. However, due to the large number of endangered languages present in the country, the government is currently focused on documentation of languages, but may begin revitalization in the future.
Brazil
According to UNESCO, Brazil has 190 endangered languages. In order to preserve this large amount of very diverse languages, Brazil has governmental organizations that systematically study and document endangered languages within the country. Most of these documentation programs have begun in the past decade; however, the government has many initiatives planned such as the creation of a centre for the study of Amazonian languages in Belém, that when implemented would successfully preserve the linguistic diversity of the Brazilian nation for posterity. However, due to its relatively weak and unstable economy, international support in the preservation of endangered Brazilian languages is necessary. The contradictory and often ineffective socio-economic policies of successive administrations within the nation cause any planned initiative to face budget cuts and eventually shutdowns. International financial support would alleviate the limited funding faced by language preservation programs. In addition to financial cooperation, the exchange of scholars and students, as well as the reinforcement of scientific competency, is necessary due to the modest scientific capacity present in the country. With sufficient support, Brazil (and other similar nations) will be able to implement measures to successfully preserve and protect their languages.
United States of America
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The US has 191 languages that are under the risk of extinction. The indigenous peoples and tribes living in the country speak the majority of these languages. Despite the government giving Native tribes sovereignty, these tribes still face many difficulties that threaten their survival and hamper their growth, thereby threatening the survival and spreading of their languages. The government has done little to alleviate the hardships faced by these Native Americans, while also not providing funding or support for Native American cultural education. Reform efforts in the country are limited and progress is slow, in order to preserve the indigenous languages and cultural diversity of the US, it is important that conditions in which the indigenous people can thrive are created. However, the United States was one of only four countries that voted against the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in the General Assembly.
People’s Republic of China
With over 100 endangered languages, the PRC is committed to protecting and preserving its rich cultural heritage. China has created autonomous regions in which the speakers of a minority language can form their own curricula, and are given control of legislation to help preserve their cultures. However, mandarin speakers find it easier to get employment as compared to speakers of only minority languages, especially with recent increases in globalization. This reduces the will of parents to educate their children in minority languages. The government has passed some legislation attempting to preserve endangered languages, however the issue needs to gain more attention from lawmakers. Some language documentation programs have also been implemented in the PRC, however, these do not occur on a sufficiently large scale and need to be expanded. Overall, China has laid the foundations for a strong language preservation program and is now ready to construct a program to preserve and protect languages in the face of global advancements.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
According to UNESCO, over half of the 6,000 languages spoken across the world today will disappear by the end of the century. The disappearance of these languages would cause humanity to lose irreplaceable cultural heritage as well as, in many cases, ancestral knowledge.
UNESCO is the lead agency responsible for implementing measures and facilitating the year of indigenous languages (2019) and has prepared and submitted an action plan outlining its objectives for 2019- the year of indigenous languages- as well as the steps it will take in order to meet these objectives. UNESCO is committed to the preservation, and revitalization of indigenous and endangered languages, the integration of these languages into mainstream society and increased understanding, reconciliation and international cooperation among all stakeholders involved in language preservation.
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Wikitongues
Wikitongues is a non-profit organization that aims to document all languages spoken in the world. The organization collects video oral histories and publishes them to facilitate free educational use. Wikitongues compiles word lists, phrasebooks and dictionaries in order to preserve and document languages for posterity. They “work to guarantee that students always have access, academics always have data, and activists always have resources to sustain and defend their cultures.” So far, they have succeeded in documenting over 350 languages from around the world. Wikitongues uses innovations in technology to streamline the process of language documentation and to make it possible for the documentation of languages without orthographies and over 200 of the world’s sign languages.
Development of Issue/Timeline
Date Event Outcome
18 December, 1992 United Nations General The declaration reaffirms the Assembly adopts the right of minorities to speak their ‘Declaration on the Rights of language freely and without any Persons Belonging to National or persecution or discrimination and Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic also informs member states to Minorities’ The declaration aimed create favorable conditions for to reaffirm the rights of minorities speakers of minority languages in member states to express themselves and speak any language of their choice. The passing of this resolution influenced other actions of the general assembly (including the declaration of 2008 as the year of languages) and declared that minority language speakers should not be discriminated against in any way.
1994 United Nations Educational This was the first recognition of Scientific and Cultural the issue of endangered Organization (UNESCO) languages on an international
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publishes the Atlas of the scale. Languages that were World’s Languages in Danger. endangered and extinct, as well as where the speakers of the languages are, were identified in the Atlas. The Atlas succeeded in providing a list of endangered languages in an accessible method.
November 2, 2001 United Nations Educational The declaration reaffirms the Scientific and Cultural rights of language speakers. Organization (UNESCO) adopts Member states also agree to the Universal Declaration on support and increase linguistic Cultural Diversity diversity through foster creativity and expression in the greatest possible number of languages. Furthermore, member states commit to provide education in mother tongues at all levels, and to encourage learning languages at the earliest age.
February 20, 2003 United Nations General The general assembly, along
st Assembly proclaims the 21 of with declaring an international May as the World Day for day for cultural diversity, Cultural Diversity for Dialogue instructs member states to raise and Development in a resolution awareness on the issue of on “culture and development” cultural diversity and its positive (A/RES/57/249) value, with regards to languages.
October 20, 2005 The Convention on the The convention provides a Protection and Promotion of the framework for international Diversity of Cultural Expressions cooperation in ensuring cultural was ratified. The convention diversity and for informed, aims to preserve cultural transparent and participatory
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diversity, including phenomenon systems of governance for such as languages. culture at a domestic level.
May 16, 2007 General Assembly adopts a This proclamation led to resolution on ‘multilingualism’ intensified efforts to preserve (A/RES/61/266) and proclaims languages from member states, 2008 to be the ‘year of NGOs and other stakeholders. languages’
September 13, 2007 General Assembly adopts the The declaration and resolution United Nations Declaration on reaffirms the right of indigenous the Rights of Indigenous Peoples people to use, transmit, and revitalize their languages along with a plethora of other basic rights
31 January, 2017 United Nations General Recognition of the issue of Assembly adopts a resolution on indigenous language extinction ‘rights of indigenous peoples’ in the General Assembly. The (A/RES/71/178), declaring the declaration of the ‘year of year 2019 as the international indigenous languages’ serves to year of indigenous languages raise awareness on the issue of based on the recommendation of language extinction on an the permanent forum of international scale. Furthermore, indigenous issues. The during this time period, UNESCO resolution further designates and other organizations within UNESCO as the lead agency the United Nations system are responsible for implementation of tasked with implementing measures to protect indigenous suitable measures to preserve languages in this year indigenous languages
16-27 April, 2018 United Nations Permanent Within the report, the permanent Forum on Indigenous issues forum recommends member publishes report on the 17th states to establish permanent session of the forum (E/2018/43) financing structures to help indigenous initiatives for language revitalization.
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Furthermore, the report recommends the indigenous peoples develop and implement their own measures for language preservation. Additionally, the report encourages UNESCO and other UN entities to organize a major, high-level conference on indigenous languages along with regional events and to ensure the implementation of the UNESCO action plan for the year of indigenous languages (2019)
Previous Attempts to solve the Issue
Mentor-Apprentice Programs
The First Peoples Cultural Council in British Columbia implemented a Mentor-Apprentice program in order to facilitate the development of fluent speakers of endangered languages. This provides a platform for masters of an endangered language to be paired with willing learners in a language immersion program, where learners spend over 300 hours learning the language. This program has been successful in producing fluent speakers of some endangered languages, however, the program has not been implemented across the globe, which limits its efficacy. While the successful global implementation of the Mentor-Apprentice program may reduce the rate at which languages go extinct, it is not an effective long-term solution. The program requires large amounts of time and resources but is unlikely to lead to the successful revitalization of multiple languages due to its limited reach.
Language Documentation Programs
The government of India has initiated a program that documents and archives languages that are spoken by fewer than 10,000 people or classified as endangered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The program is intended to preserve languages for future generations and prevent languages from going extinct. Although this program will not lead to the revitalization of extinct or endangered languages, it will ensure that the knowledge, experience, creativity, experience and evolution accumulated over thousands of years is preserved. Furthermore, if
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th Dubai International Academy Model United Nations 2019| 11 Annual Session correctly implemented, the program will ensure that all endangered and extinct languages are available for linguists and anthropologists to study. By studying and understanding languages, anthropologists and scientist can gain a better understanding of the history of mankind, how the human brain works, and better understand human cultures. These programs also allow for the study of different syntax and linguistic structures used in different languages and their origins and modern influences.
Language Nests
Language nests are language immersion programs in which children between the ages of zero and five are placed in an environment in which language can be acquired through interaction with fluent speakers of the language, generally elders. The first, well-known language nest was developed in the early 1980s in New Zealand for the Māori language. Since then, many language nests around the world have been developed to follow a model similar to the Māori one. However, currently, many of these other programs are not correctly implemented. While they may still be beneficial to the children, some programs use the dominant language (not the target language) for communication, with some attempts to teach the children a few phrases in the target language. This may not be the fault of the program itself, factors that may cause this include childcare issues, understaffing, behavioral issues, or the availability of fluent speakers and elders, among other factors. The resource-intensive nature of language immersion programs significantly reduces their ability to revitalize languages on a large scale. However, correct implementation of language nests has led to immense successes, creating a new generation of speakers for endangered languages. Language immersion programs amongst speakers (of all ages) of endangered languages have also had the highest impact in terms of revitalization. Nonetheless, language immersion programs require an immense amount of resources, which makes it challenging and resource consuming, especially for LEDC countries, to implement such programs.
Technological Advancements
There have also been attempts to use technology in order to bring indigenous and endangered languages into the modern world. There is a discrepancy between linguistic diversity in the real world, and linguistic diversity on the Internet and in the technological world, with only 500 of the 6,000 languages spoken by mankind being used on the Internet. However, there have been attempts by the First People’s Cultural Council (FPCC) to create mobile apps and websites in endangered languages. For example, the FPCC launched a keyboard app that supports over 100 endangered languages and allows speakers to text and use the Internet in their own orthography. Furthermore, projects supported by the FPCC have begun digital dissemination and have started to bring endangered languages into the digital world. However, these programs are currently limited to certain geographical regions and need to be expanded across the world.
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Possible Solutions
There are many different possible approaches in order to preserve and prevent the extinction of endangered languages. Due to the multi-faceted nature of the problem at hand, it is essential that all solutions involve stakeholder partnership and cooperation at all levels. According to UNESCO, these stakeholders include member states, indigenous communities, NGOs, Civil society and public institutions and the private sector. Cooperation between these stakeholders will ensure that all interested parties are involved and will provide the necessary support for the implementation of solutions to the issue. All possible solutions to the issue should ensure that all stakeholders are considered and involved.
Creating Suitable Conditions for Endangered Language Speakers
In order to prevent the loss of endangered languages, states should create conditions in which the speakers of these languages can prosper and thrive without being forced to learn the culturally dominant languages. Such measures include sponsoring economic opportunities for speakers of endangered languages as well as providing quality education in threatened languages. Job creation for speakers of endangered languages will eliminate the need to learn alternative languages for economic reasons. Furthermore, by providing quality education in endangered languages, states can ensure that the languages are learnt by the younger generation. Doing so will ensure that speakers of a language are provided with an environment in which this language can be spoken. Providing education and jobs in endangered languages also eliminates any biases that people may have towards the shortcomings of their mother tongue. In order to ensure prosperity in a diverse, multicultural society, it is paramount that all members of society are given a multicultural education. This would mean that all educational institutions should provide a holistic education that does not undermine or emphasize any culture, but rather provides a complete view of all cultures.
Pedagogical measures for local communities such as the expansion of orthographies or the training of teachers and/or writers also greatly help in creating suitable conditions for endangered language speakers. These measures would allow for greater cultural stimulation within communities as well as awareness and appreciation for culture outside of the community. Additionally, psychosocial measures to stimulate communities to cultivate their own language along with any other dominant languages would also help in creating a bilingual community instead of one that abandons its native language. These measures could include the altering of biases about a certain language, such as its inability to provide economic opportunities, or could include education on the benefits of learning native
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th Dubai International Academy Model United Nations 2019| 11 Annual Session languages. However, these would need to be reinforced by other socio-economic measures like the provision of jobs.
Language Documentation Programs
The documentation of languages that are at risk of extinction can lead to the preservation of these languages for centuries. While this may not lead to the revitalization of languages, documenting and archiving preserves these languages for scientific and anthropological studies. This ensures that the cultivated knowledge and experience of generations of humans is not lost. Member states should consider supporting and funding language documentation programs, especially in countries with a large number of diverse, endangered languages. Doing so would prevent the extinction of endangered languages.
Clear Endangered Language Legislation
There is also a need for clear legislation on how endangered languages will be preserved. Most countries have vague laws that simply reaffirm the right of communities to speak whichever language they deem fit, but do not provide any protection to the speakers or languages. The issue needs to be brought to the attention of lawmakers, and legislation that creates the necessary environment for minority languages to be spoken needs to be passed. In order to effectively preserve linguistic diversity, a suitable environment encompassing all spheres of society must be created for speakers of minority languages. This includes media (both social and mass), the economy, education and all other parts of society. Doing so would greatly help in the revitalization of languages by creating a society in which all cultures and languages can be used and assimilation into dominant cultures is limited in the face of global advancements.
Using Technology to Preserve Languages
It is a common stereotype among younger people in the community that endangered and indigenous languages are unsuited for the modern world, that they are antiquated. Efforts to bring these languages into the digital world help to combat this dangerous stereotype. The development of apps that use audio, video and complex algorithms that will provide an effective learning environment for endangered languages will allow for large-scale technological revitalization, while simultaneously combatting the stereotype of endangered languages being antiquated.
Bibliography
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Appendix
I. Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.phpURL_ID=31038&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html II. United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/DRIPS_en.pdf III. Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/GuideMinoritiesDeclarationen.pdf IV. Online Version of UNESCO’s Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger http://www.unesco.org/languages-atlas/ V. UNESCO Action Plan for 2019: The Year of Indigenous Languages http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=E/C.19/2018/8 VI. UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.phpURL_ID=13179&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
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