David Crystal on Lang Death

Wed Nov 24 21:43:39 UTC 1999

 forwarded from SACCnet (Society for Anthropology at Community Colleges)
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From:	daily at chronicle.com <mailto:daily at chronicle.com>
> [SMTP:daily at chronicle.com] <mailto:[SMTP:daily at chronicle.com]>=20
> Sent:	Tuesday, November 23, 1999 8:00 AM
> To:	daily at chronicle.com <mailto:daily at chronicle.com>=20
> Subject:	11/23/99 Daily Report from The Chronicle of Higher Education
>
> ACADEME TODAY: The Chronicle of Higher Education's
> Daily Report for subscribers
> ______________________________________________________________
>
> [snip]_________________________________________________________________
>
> MAGAZINES & JOURNALS
> A glance at the November issue of "Prospect":
> The death of languages
> The world is experiencing "language extinction on a massive=20
> scale," writes David Crystal, a professor of linguistics at the=20
> University of Wales at Bangor. Mr. Crystal reviews the=20
> statistics on the disappearance of languages, noting that most=20
> experts expect about half of the 6,000 languages in use today to=20
> die out within the next century. Many people view this trend as=20
> a natural consequence of modernization, but Mr. Crystal argues=20
> that they fail to understand what the world risks losing. "We=20
> should care about dying languages for the same reason that we=20
> care when a species of animal or plant dies. It reduces the=20
> diversity of our planet," he writes. "In the case of language,=20
> we are talking about intellectual and cultural diversity, not=20
> biological, but the issues are the same." The diversity of=20
> languages-with their practical, intellectual, and literary=20
> offerings-helps humans survive, Mr. Crystal writes, by=20
> providing ideas and approaches that various cultures and=20
> societies have developed. He urges a greater effort to support=20
> the work of linguists, teachers, and native speakers who are=20
> trying to sustain threatened languages, but he notes the=20
> fragility of their work. Writes Mr. Crystal: "With every=20
> language that dies, another precious source of data about the=20
> nature of human language faculty is lost." The article is not=20
> available on line, but information about the magazine may be=20
> found at http://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/
> <http://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/>=20
> _________________________________________________________________
>
> You may visit The Chronicle as follows:
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> Copyright =A9 1999 The Chronicle of Higher Education, Inc.
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> <P><A NAME=3D"_MailData"><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">-----Original =
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> <BR><B><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">From:  </FONT> </B><A =
> HREF=3D"mailto:daily at chronicle.com"><B><U><FONT COLOR=3D"#0000FF" =
> SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">daily at chronicle.com</FONT></U></B></A><B><FONT =
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> <BR><B><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">Sent:  </FONT></B> <FONT =
> SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">Tuesday, November 23, 1999 8:00 AM</FONT>
> <BR><B><FONT SIZE=3D2 =
> FACE=3D"Arial">To:    </FONT></B> <A =
> HREF=3D"mailto:daily at chronicle.com"><U><FONT COLOR=3D"#0000FF" SIZE=3D2 =
> FACE=3D"Arial">daily at chronicle.com</FONT></U></A>
> <BR><B><FONT SIZE=3D2 =
> FACE=3D"Arial">Subject:       </FONT>=
> </B> <FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">11/23/99 Daily Report from The =
> Chronicle of Higher Education</FONT>
> </P>
>
> <P><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">ACADEME TODAY: The Chronicle of Higher =
> Education's</FONT>
> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">Daily Report for subscribers</FONT>
> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 =
> FACE=3D"Arial">_________________________________________________________=
> _____</FONT>
> </P>
>
> <P><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">[snip]</FONT><FONT SIZE=3D2 =
> FACE=3D"Arial">_________________________________________________________=
> ________</FONT>
> </P>
>
> <P><B><FONT SIZE=3D4 FACE=3D"Arial">MAGAZINES & JOURNALS</FONT></B>
> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">A glance at the November issue of =
> "Prospect":</FONT>
> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">The death of languages</FONT>
> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">The world is experiencing "language =
> extinction on a massive </FONT>
> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">scale," writes David Crystal, a =
> professor of linguistics at the </FONT>
> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">University of Wales at Bangor. Mr. =
> Crystal reviews the </FONT>
> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">statistics on the disappearance of =
> languages, noting that most </FONT>
> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">experts expect about half of the =
> 6,000 languages in use today to </FONT>
> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">die out within the next century. Many =
> people view this trend as </FONT>
> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">a natural consequence of =
> modernization, but Mr. Crystal argues </FONT>
> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">that they fail to understand what the =
> world risks losing. "We </FONT>
> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">should care about dying languages for =
> the same reason that we </FONT>
> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">care when a species of animal or =
> plant dies. It reduces the </FONT>
> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">diversity of our planet," he writes. =
> "In the case of language, </FONT>
> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">we are talking about intellectual and =
> cultural diversity, not </FONT>
> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">biological, but the issues are the =
> same." The diversity of </FONT>
> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">languages-with their practical, =
> intellectual, and literary </FONT>
> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">offerings-helps humans survive, Mr. =
> Crystal writes, by </FONT>
> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">providing ideas and approaches that =
> various cultures and </FONT>
> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">societies have developed. He urges a =
> greater effort to support </FONT>
> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">the work of linguists, teachers, and =
> native speakers who are </FONT>
> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">trying to sustain threatened =
> languages, but he notes the </FONT>
> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">fragility of their work. Writes Mr. =
> Crystal: "With every </FONT>
> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">language that dies, another precious =
> source of data about the </FONT>
> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">nature of human language faculty is =
> lost." The article is not </FONT>
> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">available on line, but information =
> about the magazine may be </FONT>
> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">found at</FONT> <A =
> HREF=3D"http://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/"><U><FONT COLOR=3D"#0000FF" =
> SIZE=3D2 =
> FACE=3D"Arial">http://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/</FONT></U></A>
> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 =
> FACE=3D"Arial">_________________________________________________________=
> ________</FONT>
> </P>
>
> <P><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">You may visit The Chronicle as =
> follows:</FONT>
> <UL>
> <UL><LI><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">via the World-Wide Web, at</FONT> =
> <A HREF=3D"http://chronicle.com"><U><FONT COLOR=3D"#0000FF" SIZE=3D2 =
> FACE=3D"Arial">http://chronicle.com</FONT></U></A></LI>
> <LI><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">via telnet at =
> chronicle.com</FONT></LI>
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> <P><FONT SIZE=3D2 =
> FACE=3D"Arial">_________________________________________________________=
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> </P>
>
> <P><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">If you want to change the address at =
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> <P><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">Copyright =A9 1999 The Chronicle of =
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