Language Death

Seminar paper from the year 2007 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics, grade: 1,0, University of Trier, course: Applied Linguistics, language: English, abstract: A language dies when nobody speaks it any more. However, there are different ways languages die. In this regard, three types of language death can be identified: population loss, forced shift, and voluntary shift. One must, however, recognize that the divisions between them are not always clear. Many language deaths involve some combination of all three. Besides, there is a considerable grey area between forced and voluntary shift. The distinction between what is forced and what is voluntary is problematic, but the terms are useful as idealized ends of a continuum. 1. Language death 31.1 Types of language death 31.2 Causes of language shift 51.2.1 Economic influence 51.2.2 Cultural influence 61.2.3 Political influence 82. Linguistic equilibrium and punctuation Endangered languages under increasing threat 92.1 The Palaeolithic equilibrium 92.2 The Neolithic punctuation and aftershock 102.3 The industrial punctuation 112.4 The extent of endangerment 133. Reasons for action 143.1 Linguistic diversity and sustainable economic development 143.2 Language and identity 153.3 Language and history 163.4 Language and human knowledge 173.5 Languages and linguistic knowledge 18II. PRINCIPLES 201. The Diagnosis 201.1 Levels of endangerment 201.2 The stages of language death 202. Remedies 222.1 Reversing Language Shift (RLS) theory 222.2 Increase of prestige 252.3 Increase of wealth 262.4 The education system 262.5 Literacy 272.6 Increase of legitimate power 27III. RECOMMENDATIONS 29IV. REFERENCES 33