Dying languages archived for future generations (fwd link)

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Dying languages archived for future generations

A Cambridge University project to safeguard the world's 6,000 spoken languages
has been launched after it emerged half could die out within a generation.

Published: 3:54PM BST 24 Aug 2009
UK

The World Oral Literature Project aims to help cultures under threat from
globalisation create lasting records of their native languages.

Still in its inaugural year, the project led by Cambridge University's Museum of
Archaeology and Anthropology, has already handed out around 10 grants to tribes
from Mongolia to Nigeria - and the researchers admitted traditional British
languages such as Cornish and Gaelic are also at risk.

Experts are encouraging native people and anthropologists to capture myths, folk
songs chants and poems in their dying languages through multi-media tools.

Access full article below:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/6081874/Dying-languages-archived-for-future-generations.html