Forgetting Fatherland, Maintaining Mother Tongue(s)

Hadza Tribe members laughing. Speakers of the endangered Hadza language

One of our core mandates at Kultur Mercado is to promote and preserve global languages. We understand that language is more than just a means of communication; it is a repository of culture, history, and identity. 

In an increasingly globalized world, linguistic diversity faces significant threats.

What is Linguistic Activism?

Linguistic activism is the effort to preserve, revitalize, and promote languages, particularly those at risk of extinction. It encompasses a range of activities from grassroots movements to institutional initiatives aimed at ensuring that languages continue to be spoken and transmitted to future generations. This activism can take various forms, such as creating educational programs, documenting endangered languages, advocating for language rights, and developing technology to support language use.

At its core, linguistic activism seeks to uphold linguistic diversity and protect the cultural and intellectual heritage embedded in languages. Languages often contain kernels of cultural expression in idioms, phrases, and even means of expressing our interactions with the world around us.

Linguistic activism challenges dominant languages' hegemony often reinforced or imposed by states as a crude measure of homogenizing a nation. Advocates of linguistic preservation of one or more languages, advocate for the recognition and respect of all languages, regardless of their number of speakers.

Preserving Cultural Heritage

Languages are deeply intertwined with cultural identities. They carry unique worldviews, traditions, and histories. When a language disappears, a significant part of a community’s cultural heritage is lost. By preserving languages, we safeguard the diverse cultural expressions and knowledge systems that enrich humanity.

Linguistic activism is also a matter of social justice. Many languages are spoken by marginalized communities (or communities that have been historically marginalized or oppressed) that face discrimination and exclusion. By promoting linguistic rights and the use of minority languages, activists help to empower these communities, allowing them to maintain their cultural identity and participate more fully in society.

Research shows that bilingualism and multilingualism have numerous cognitive benefits, including improved problem-solving skills, greater creativity, and better memory. Moreover, education in a child's first language has been shown to improve learning outcomes. Linguistic activism often includes efforts to promote mother-tongue education, which supports better educational and cognitive development for children. While avoiding the politics of the situation here, much of the push for monolingualism in education may be one of many reasons for declines in student test scores across much of the United States over the last twenty years.

Just as biodiversity is essential for a healthy ecosystem, linguistic diversity contributes to the richness of human culture. Every language offers a different perspective on the world, and the loss of any language diminishes our collective intellectual and cultural resources. Linguistic activism strives to maintain this diversity for future generations.

Yiddish speakers club. Image from KlezCalifornia

Who Are Some of the Organizations Working to Preserve Language?

(Note: This is a non-exhaustive list. If you know of other organizations, please share them with us by emailing info@kulturmercado.org)

SIL International

SIL International is a faith-based nonprofit organization committed to serving language communities worldwide. Their work includes linguistic research, literacy development, and translation projects. They support language preservation through comprehensive documentation and development programs.

Endangered Language Alliance

The Endangered Language Alliance is an organization that supports efforts to document and protect indigenous, minority, and endangered languages around the globe. It offers a platform for collaboration among linguists, language activists, and communities, providing tools and resources for language preservation.

Jewish Language Project

The Jewish Language Project is an organization that has grown out of Hebrew Union College (HUC) working to document, preserve, and promote languages of the Jewish diaspora. From familiar languages like Yiddish to Ladino, to lesser-known Jewish languages like Judeo-Malayam and Barzani (Judeo-Aramaic). They offer a growing list of projects and educational resources for Jewish languages.

The Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages

The Living Tongues Institute is a nonprofit organization focused on scientific research and documentation of endangered languages. They work with indigenous communities to develop resources, such as dictionaries and educational materials, to support language revitalization efforts.

How to Become a Linguistic Activist

Becoming a linguistic activist is easy! From speaking languages to supporting their communities to making stickers and materials available in a greater host of languages, there are many ways to involve yourself as a budding linguistic activist.

Learn and Use Minority Languages

One of the most direct ways to support linguistic diversity is to learn and use minority languages. This can involve taking language classes, using language learning apps, or practicing with native speakers. By learning a minority language, individuals can contribute to its vitality and encourage others to do the same.

Some of the tremendous growth in the Yiddish revival has come not only from the Jewish community but from those interested in secular Yiddish culture in particular. Yiddish language activists, or Yiddishists, like Shane Baker and Caraid O'Brien have made great strides in teaching the language, translating it for new audiences, and creating new materials.

Support Language Education Programs

Advocating for and supporting language education programs, particularly those that promote mother-tongue instruction, is another crucial step. This can involve volunteering with organizations that offer language classes, donating to educational initiatives, or advocating for policies that support bilingual education.

Individuals can contribute to linguistic documentation efforts by recording and sharing languages. This might involve interviewing native speakers, creating audio or video recordings, and collaborating with linguists and language activists to develop dictionaries and other resources.

Advocate for Linguistic Rights

Promoting linguistic rights involves advocating for policies and practices that protect and promote the use of minority languages. This can include lobbying for official recognition of minority languages, supporting legislation that ensures language rights, and raising awareness about the importance of linguistic diversity.

Many communities have local organizations or initiatives focused on preserving and revitalizing their languages. Getting involved in these efforts can be as simple as participating in language classes, cultural events, or community meetings. Supporting these local initiatives can have a significant impact on language preservation.

Maintaining our Mother Tongue(s)

For those growing up in a monolingual family or household, think about which languages your grandparents or great-grandparents might have spoken. Consider how learning new languages can open doors to other countries, cultures, and millions of worlds contained in literature, music, and film from around the globe.

There are many ways to learn a language with popular programs like Duolingo or 7000 Languages making it easier than ever to access and practice new languages.

Find an excuse to study a language before you visit another country or, if sticking closer to home, find someone who speaks another language in your community with whom you may want to interact or learn from.

There are many seniors looking for companions and someone to share their memories with. Learning to connect with them is life-changing.

By understanding what linguistic activism entails, recognizing its importance, and learning about the organizations involved, we can appreciate the value of this work.

Whether it’s learning a new language, supporting educational programs, documenting languages, advocating for linguistic rights, or engaging with local efforts, everyone has a role to play in this vital cause.

Miquela e lei Chapacans, an Occitan language psych-folk band. Their music helped to spark a revival of interest in the language by younger speakers.