Linguistic diversity is associated with the existence and coexistence of different languages.
Diversity refers to the abundance of different things , variety and difference. Linguistics , for its part, is that belonging to or related to language (the communication system that allows us to abstract and communicate concepts) or language (the verbal communication system typical of human beings).
Linguistic diversity , therefore, is related to the existence and coexistence of different languages . The concept defends respect for all languages and promotes the preservation of those that are at risk of extinction due to the lack of speakers.
Disappearance of a language
A language disappears when the last member of the social group that speaks it dies. When this occurs, the intergenerational transmission through which the elderly teach their mother tongue to their children fails.
The disappearance of the language implies a very important and irrecoverable loss of knowledge. We must not forget that cultures find their main vehicle of expression in language; When a language ceases to exist, therefore, the culture in question suffers the risk of suffering the same fate, and that is why linguistic diversity is so relevant.
Linguistic diversity guarantees the survival of knowledge and cultural resources.
Linguistic diversity in different parts of the world
It is estimated that there are more than 6,000 languages in the world. Oceania is the continent with the greatest linguistic diversity since there are numerous aboriginal groups that defend their native language. In other regions of the world, however, it is more common for a dominant language to prevail over the rest. That is the case, for example, in the United States of America , where English led to the disappearance of the languages of the majority of the native inhabitants.
The path to the extinction of a language begins long before the disappearance of a people, and in many cases it is their responsibility. When it is a dialect or language not recognized as such by the country in which it is spoken, it may happen that, for various historical and political reasons, its speakers feel inhibited in some way by the rest of the population and that they do not defend your own culture with all the strength necessary to keep it alive.
The importance of conservation
It is known that human beings are resistant to change and everything we do not know, but it is also true that even the toughest and most closed beings are capable of opening up and moving forward, given the right conditions and the necessary effort . Perseverance is the key to any revolution that aims to leave its mark on its participants; This does not mean that it is enough to immobilize oneself in a position and wait for others' acceptance, but it does mean that it is thanks to patience and persistence that it is possible to modify people's mental structure .
Without going into specific cases, there are numerous regions around the world where languages, generally considered dialects, are preserved that have transcended over many decades, and it is contradictory to note that in some of these populations there are two phenomena that threaten their own culture: each generation has fewer people who learn its language, and those who do often fear using it in front of individuals who do not speak it , opting to use the main language of the country .
In an era in which technology offers us the opportunity to access information without borders, human beings seem to take advantage of it to make less effort and lock ourselves even more in our small worlds, with our friends, with our customs, with our language; A tool that should help us get closer to others and look beyond stereotypes, becomes an ecosystem plagued by hate, contempt and abuse, and separates us more and more. The Internet can be very beneficial for a culture in danger of extinction , and it is important that it is used in order to give everyone their own space to share knowledge without fear of rejection.