Mythologically, the project to build the Tower of Babel, tall enough to reach heaven, laid the foundations for the modern multilingualism. Historically, languages developed though a long process of natural linguistic evolution.
And how far did we go? While the Bible, or at least some portions of it, had been translated into over 2,500 different languages, the real number of the languages – spoken today in the world – is close to 7,000.
But with half of those languages having fewer than 3,000 speakers, nearly one third – fewer than 1,000, and almost 500 languages classifies as nearly extinct (having only a few elderly speakers) – it is easy to predict that in the next century it is likely that half of today’s languages will become extinct, and that is the far positive scenario.
A 2015 study by Columbia University linguists predicts a plausible future of less than 90% of today’s languages enduring the next century, finding a 22nd century World speaking in 600 languages and most likely, in simplified versions of what we recognise today.
Globalisation will see thousands of languages wiped out, and while some might cheer up imagining a future world of united people who communicate in a universally understood language, or at least eliminating major linguistic barriers, experts warn that a language is not just a collection of words and grammar rules, but is the foundation of a given culture and when a language dies, a culture dies with it.
In an attempt to promote awareness of cultural and linguistic diversity all around the world, UNESCO and other UN agencies take part in an annual initiative, the International Mother Language Day. The worldwide annual observance is celebrated on 21st February, in memory of four Bangladeshi students who were killed while fighting to be given the right to officially use their mother language.
UNESCO will celebrate IMLD 2017 on the theme Towards Sustainable Futures through Multilingual Education, in line with the Global Education 2030 Agenda and one of its goals to ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning.
All member states are encouraged to promote the preservation and protection of all languages used by the people of the world and to provide them with awareness regarding the promotion of their mother language and culture.
Modern technology, like translation software, can be used to record rare and extinct languages, but it is not enough to keep languages alive. The linguistic diversity we have now is irreplaceable and while half of the world’s populations are bilingual or even plurilingual, which entails many advantages, those advantages shall not come at the cost of losing one’s cultural and linguistic identity.
EVS Translations, as part of an industry that facilitates multilingual communication, embraces the International Mother Language Day and all initiatives that promote linguistic diversity awareness. All our translators work exclusively in their mother tongues and every day at our offices across the Globe is a mother language day.
