IDENTIFY THE DISTINCT FACTORS PROMOTING
MINORITY LANGUAGES
PRESERVATION OF ENDANGERED LANGUAGES
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CELTIC: WELSH, IRISH, BRETON,
SCOTTISH & CORNISH
• MAJOR LANGUAGE IN BRITISH ISLES
PRIOR TO INVASIONS
• CORNISH NO LONGER EXTINCT –
EUROPEAN BUREAU FOR LESSER
USED LANGUAGES (EBLUL)
• AUSTRALIA: ENGLISH AS TOOL FOR
PROMOTING CULTURAL DIVERSITY
• NEW ZEALAND: MAORI –
LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY IMPORTANT
ELEMENT OF CULTURAL DIVERSITY
• GOV’T OF N.Z. PROMOTES MAORI
LANGUAGE, 1 OF 3 OFFICIAL,
COMMISSION ESTABLISHED FOR
PRESERVATION,
• OLDER FOLKS TEND TO SPEAK
LESSER USED LANGUAGES – WHY?
WHY IS ENGLISH THE WORLD’S LINGUA FRANCA?
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COMMUNICATION ESSENTIAL
IN A GLOBAL SOCIETY
LANGUAGE OF
INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNICATION
WHY?
IT’S EVERYWHERE: 328 MILL
1ST LANG; ½ TO 1BILL FLUENT;
OFF. LANG 37 COUNTRIES;
PRED. LANG IN U.S. & AUST.
GLOBAL ECONOMY,
NECESSITY, ESL #’S, HIGHER
ED INSTITUTIONS THAT
TEACH IN ENGLISH
FAIR OR UNFAIR? WHY?
PIDGIN: A FORM OF SPEECH
THAT ADOPTS A SIMPLIFIED
GRAMMAR & LIMITED
VOCAB OF A L.F.; USED FOR
COMM AMONG SPEAKERS OF
2 DIFFERENT LANG.
ENGLISH DIFFUSION
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HISTORICALLY LINGUA FRANCA
DIFFUSED THROUGH CONQUEST &
MIGRATION
RECENT GROWTH OF ENGLISH USAGE
DUE TO EXPANSION DIFFUSION
DIFFUSION OF NEW VOCAB, SPELL.,
PRONUNCIATION
FUSION OF ENGLISH WORDS W/ THOSE
OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE
AFRICAN AMERICAN ENGLISH: EBONICS
APPALACHIAN ENGLISH
FRANGLAIS, SPANGLISH, DENGLISH
SPANISH IN THE UNITED STATES
• LINGUISTIC UNITY
• SPANISH GROWING IN
IMPORTANCE DUE TO # OF
SPEAKERS & LARGE SCALE
IMMIGRATION FROM L.A.
• SPANISH RADIO & TV,
NEWSPAPERS ETC.
• ENGLISH AS LINGUA FRANCA
BUT IMPORTANCE OF
CULTURAL IDENTITY,
PRESERVATION, HERITAGE
FRENCH IN CANADA
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FRENCH & ENGLISH OFFICIAL
CANADIAN LANGUAGES
• INUKTITUT MINORITY LANGUAGE
W/ LEGAL RECOGNITION IN PARTS
OF QUEBEC
• IMPORTANCE OF PRESERVING
TRADITIONAL LANGUAGES
• FRENCH SPEAKERS ¼ OF
POPULATION, CLUSTERED IN
QUEBEC
• SINCE 1967 FRENCH MANDATORY IN
DAILY ACTIVITIES, TOPONYMS
CHANGED
• INCREASED COOPERATION B/W
ENGLISH & FRENCH SPEAKERS
• CALLS FOR SEPARATION REJECTED
THUS FAR
• CHALLENGE: NEW IMMIGRANTS
WHO DON’T SPEAK FRENCH