Page 149 - THE MELANESIA DIASPORA FILE CETAK ISI 10022017

Understanding Language Endangerment
There is widespread concern among linguists, anthropologists and others that the
loss of the world’s small, indigenous languages is accelerating. The loss of languages is
concerning for a number of reasons such as human rights, the value of diversity and the
value of local knowledge. These need to be elaborated in support of the idea of preserving
small, endangered languages (Crystal, 2000: 32ff).

• Language is a human right. It defines and is part of individual and group identity.
It reflects the uniqueness of particular societies. To deny people that goes against
human rights.
• Diversity is of value in itself. Linguistic diversity is something positive. In biology and
ecology monocultures are inherently unstable (Tu, 2000). Some economists argue that
for the sake of economic efficiency there should be only one language. This extreme
view ignores the value of language in relation to identity and to improvements in
cognition. It has also been argued that cultural diversity can have a positive effect
on economies (Harrison and Huntington, 2000). A reasonable level of diversity is
preferable to a monoculture. Monolingual societies are not better equipped than
multilingual ones to deal with the strategic problems of development, poverty
alleviation, security, sustainability and climate change. We need linguistic diversity.
• Language is a repository of human knowledge. A language with a written tradition
stores and makes available the thoughts of artists, scientists, philosophers and
others. Access to great ideas drives development and innovation. Where a society
has no written language system, its knowledge must be passed down through its
oral traditions. In oral cultures, wisdom and knowledge about a wide variety of things
can be passed down. This can reveal ways of living in particular ecosystems that have
not been previousl identified in modern societies, including sustainable agricultural
practices, the identification of plants with medicinal properties, and ways of seeing
and living in the world that offer a new perspective. This contributes to our shared
human repository of knowledge.
• Oral histories offer insights into our past. Understanding our own history can aid our
attempts to live in the present. Although oral cultures do not have written histories,
oral histories, fables, myths and other genres can offer insights into the past of a
people, its origins, its migrations, the development of its culture, and its relationship
with other groups. These histories of small communities are part of human history.

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