Module4LanguagesoftheWorldEndangeredlanguagesWhatisanendangeredlanguage
Endangeredlanguagesarelanguagesthatareonthebrinkofextinction,muchlikeendangeredspeciesofplantsoranimals
Languagesareconsideredtobenearlyextinctwhenonlyafewelderlyspeakersarestillliving
Theworldfacesenormouschallengesinmaintaininglanguagediversity(多样性).Ofthemorethan6,800languages,halfmaybeindangerofdisappearinginthenextseveraldecades
Andatleast10%oftheworld'slivinglanguagesarenowspokenbyfewerthan100people
Whydolanguagesdie
Someoftheforcesthatcontributetolanguagelossaretheimpactofurbanization(都市化),Westernization,globalcommunication,discrimination,war,disease,hungerandpopulationmovements
Theseforcesdiminishtheself-sufficiency(自负)andselfconfidenceofsmallandtraditionalcommunities
Asaresult,parentsdonotpasstheirlanguagetothe