• Linguistics and Language -> Sociolinguistics and Language Variation

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2. What are the implications of language contact on the maintenance of endangered languages?

Reba Spilsburie

When languages come into contact with each other, it can have big effects on the ones that are in danger of disappearing.

Sometimes, when people learn a new language, they stop using their own. This is called language shift. When this happens, the endangered language might not be spoken by anyone anymore.

But it’s not just about learning new languages. Sometimes, languages can mix together and become something else. This is called language fusion or creolization. When this happens, the endangered language might still exist, but it might be very different from how it used to be.

Another thing that can happen when languages come into contact is that people start to feel ashamed of their own language. This is called language stigma. They might feel like their language is not as good as other languages, and so they stop using it.

All of these things can make it harder for endangered languages to survive. If people stop using a language, it can eventually disappear altogether. And if a language changes too much, it might not even be recognizable as the same language anymore.

So, if we want to help endangered languages, we need to be careful when we come into contact with them. We need to make sure that people feel proud of their own languages, and that they continue to use them. We should try to support language revitalization efforts, like language classes or cultural events that celebrate endangered languages.

By doing these things, we can help make sure that endangered languages don’t disappear forever.