Battling memes?
Ed Weick C B C . C A N e w s -
F u l l S t o r y :
Languages in 'vicious' fight for survival: scientists Last Updated Wed Aug 20 19:48:53 2003 ITHACA, N.Y.-- Languages constantly compete with one another, and
the fight often can be fatal, according to researchers at Cornell University.
Prof. Daniel Abrams of Cornell initiated a study on how languages can be
saved, or stabilized, by education and proactive policy-making.
The study used a mathematical model to analyse the endangerment of languages
in 42 regions around the world. According to their findings, competition drives
language survival in the same way as animal survival.
"Ten or 20 years ago, French in Quebec was dropping pretty quickly compared
to today," Abrams said.
More than 20 years ago, Quebec adopted the Charter of the French Language. It
made French the common language of work, education, communication, and commerce
in Quebec.
Abrams says 90 per cent of languages are expected to disappear within the
current generation, but language decline can be prevented through education and
proactive government policy as happened in Quebec.
"Languages are vicious this way, and where there are two, one tends to wipe
out the other," said Prof. Steven Strogatz, co-author of the study.
One of the important factors in language competition is perceived status.
English, French and Spanish are all considered high-status languages that have
wiped out languages such as Alsatian and threaten others such as Scottish Gaelic
and Inuktitut.
The researchers think other cultures should follow the Quebec model of
language preservation.
"If you don't take some sort of active measures, one language will go
extinct," said Strogatz.
The study appears in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature. Written by CBC News Online staff
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- Re: [Futurework] Languages Ed Weick
- Re: [Futurework] Languages Keith Hudson
- Re: [Futurework] Languages Ed Weick
- Re: [Futurework] Languages William B Ward
- Re: [Futurework] Languages Ed Weick
- Re: [Futurework] Languages Ray Evans Harrell
- Re: [Futurework] Languages William B Ward