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The blog team here at Monterey Language Services has a special place in our thoughts for endangered languages. Whether from Africa, Mexico, USA, or any country, we believe all languages should be preserved and remembered for the special place in time when they were the means of communication for a group of people. Language is what makes us unique, as well as what brings us together.
With that being said, we are sad to see that some languages are in fact going extinct. Google is doing their part as a worldwide service to provide these languages a lifeline:
As Google sees it, documenting the 3,000-plus languages that are on the verge of extinction — about half of all languages in the world — is an important step in preserving cultural diversity, honoring the knowledge of elders and empowering youth. And Google sees technology’s role in strengthening those efforts through research and collaboration.
This collaboration is through a website www.endangeredlanguages.com where people can upload the languages and share the most up-to-date information about them. An example is seen in the Miami-Illinois language, once spoken by Native American communities throughout the region. Although the last known person who spoke this language died in 1960, a contributor to the project is teaching himself the language through old documents. Because of this, children in Miami are now learning the language and even teaching it to each other.
If you know a language that is becoming extinct, post it in the comments or through the website and we will all do our best to preserve the language. Also, check out the video below to learn more about the project.
Information from: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/06/endangered-languages-project-supporting.html
Image from: http://www.endangeredlanguages.com
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