How Interpreting Can Help Save Endangered Languages

by | Jan 21, 2022

A language holds a special significance in any culture. Not only is it a way of communicating with others, but it’s also a way of life for the native speakers. Languages represent the unique aspects of a culture. It is notable here that writing has only just recently emerged as a mode of communication in human history. This means that spoken language is far more important than written language. And if done right, interpreting can help save endangered languages!

In most cultures, language is the one medium through which a culture’s heritage, history, folklore, songs, and poems are passed on from one generation to the next. There are over 7000 languages spoken around the world and almost 40% of these are considered endangered languages.

A language is considered endangered when the native speakers start abandoning it for a more globally spoken language.

There are 2 criteria for determining whether a language is endangered or not: 

  1. The number and age of the current speakers
  2. Language fluency of the younger generation

There may be endangered languages that have thousands of speakers but they’re all from an old generation. On the other hand, there are languages that have a few hundred speakers but all of them are young.

Before we touch on how interpreting can help save endangered languages, let’s find out why languages die.

Why Do Languages Die? 

As we mentioned, a language can die if native speakers no longer use it for their primary communication.

Native speakers may abandon their language for a number of reasons:

  1. They feel the need to communicate outside their community and adopt a more universally spoken language, for example, English or Spanish.
  2. Lack of support from educational institutions like schools and colleges. In this case, the native speaker of a language has no choice but to learn another language to pursue higher education.
  3. Many cultures have abandoned their native languages to appease an oppressor. For example, the speakers of the indigenous language Lenca and Cacaopera abandoned their language to avoid being seen as Indians after a massacre.
  4. Lack of translation or interpretation services that help other people understand an indigenous language.
  5. Lack of language classes or groups that promote the use of the language in younger generations.

 

Why Is It Important to Preserve Endangered Languages?

Preserving an endangered language should be given the same urgency as saving an endangered wildlife species.

Languages hold many cultural secrets within them. Most speakers of an indigenous language come from unique topographies. And their languages hold the secrets and history of surviving in these unique conditions. When a language is lost, the human race as a whole will lose this invaluable knowledge.

Now more than ever, when globalization is on the verge of standardizing everything, endangered languages need to be saved. They need to be saved to maintain a diverse ecosystem for the human race.

 

How Can Interpreting Help Save an Endangered Language? 

One of the many reasons why a language dies out is a lack of understanding.

Indigenous people often have to leave their hometowns for higher education or to conduct business. Since their languages are unique and only spoken by them, other people have a hard time communicating with them.

This is where interpreting services come in and save the day. Interpreting simply means taking the words in one language and conveying their meaning in another language. This allows speakers of two different languages to understand each other.

It is important to understand that interpreting is different from translation. Translation typically deals with the written language. Whereas, an interpreter has to bridge a conversation between two or more people.

Here are a few crucial ways in which comprehensive interpreting services can help save endangered languages:

 

It Increases the Reach of The Language 

Most indigenous languages never leave their community. These communities are based in remote topographies which are often difficult to reach unless someone actively plans to visit them.

Interpreting services can expose these languages to people across the globe. Interpretation allows these indigenous people to confidently reach into any part of the world for studies, travel, or business.

Interpreting also allows non-native speakers of the language to access content and use these services to understand their meaning. For example, the knowledge of indigenous healers is priceless and interpreting services can give scientists easy access to it.

 

It Encourages More Usage by the Natives 

Many native speakers of a language are compelled to learn another language due to a lack of understanding.

Young people have to eventually leave their communities and geographical area for studies, employment, or business. As a result, they find it hard to survive without knowing a universal language like Spanish or English.

Readily available interpreting services can encourage them to not give up their mother tongue and converse in it. And one of the easiest ways to keep a language alive is to ensure its use in day-to-day life.

Interpreting services also open a range of teaching possibilities for native speakers. Should anyone be interested in learning the language, interpreting can make the process easier.

 

It Lays Down The Foundation For AI 

Technology has played its part in preserving languages for quite some time now. The ability to store and decode written and spoken records from different speakers has been invaluable.

However, this process requires a considerable amount of manpower and time. This is where AI has been a game-changer. AI can store and process the data at unimaginable speeds and also identify and create new patterns.

Traditional interpreters are the foundation for the information fed to these AI bots. Their knowledge of the language is stored and processed to develop records of the indigenous language for future generations.

This is one of the many reasons why interpretation services are crucial for the survival of endangered languages.

 

Summing Up 

Indigenous languages are a treasure for the human race. They’re filled with unique knowledge that can change our perspectives on life. It is crucial that these endangered languages are saved from extinction to maintain diversity in the cultural ecosystem of the world.

Interpreters can play a vital role in the survival of these languages by increasing their reach into the world and giving native speakers the confidence to keep on using them.

Myles O'Bery

Myles O’Bery

Myles writes about Business, Fitness and Finance. When he isn’t writing he’s enjoying Thailand’s laid-back lifestyle.

Myles O'Bery

Myles writes about Business, Fitness and Finance. When he isn't writing he's enjoying Thailand's laid-back lifestyle.

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