In the digital age, we often marvel at how technology allows us to connect across borders, communicate with people from different cultures, and access information instantly in nearly any language. But while the world grows more interconnected, something irreplaceable is quietly slipping away — our linguistic diversity.
Languages are disappearing faster than we can learn them. In fact, linguists estimate that a language dies every two weeks. By the end of this century, more than 95% of the world’s 7,000 languages could vanish forever. This alarming trend is not just a loss for linguists or historians, but for all of humanity. Every language that disappears takes with it centuries of cultural wisdom, traditional knowledge, and a unique worldview. If we don’t act now, we may find ourselves living in a world where our linguistic landscape is as impoverished as our biodiversity is becoming.
As a member of the Karay-a ethnolinguistic group in the Philippines, I see this crisis up close. Karay-a, like many indigenous languages, is endangered. Fewer young people in my community speak it fluently, preferring to adopt dominant languages like Filipino or English for their perceived economic advantages. But what is lost in that shift? The oral histories, songs, and deep cultural connections tied to Karay-a are slipping away, and with them, a rich part of our identity.
And we are not alone. In many indigenous and minority communities across the world, language loss is accelerating at a staggering pace. I recently attended Indigenous Youth Day at One Young World 2024 in Montreal, Canada, where I had the opportunity to meet youth leaders from across the globe. Most shared the same story — their languages, too, were on the brink of extinction. We spoke passionately about the cultural, social, and even psychological impacts of losing our languages. For many of us, language is more than words — it is the glue that binds our communities, the vessel for our stories, and the key to understanding ourselves.
Why Does This Matter?
The extinction of a language is more than the loss of words. Every language carries within it a unique perspective on the world. It encodes centuries of knowledge about local environments, traditional medicine, spiritual practices, and ways of life that cannot be replicated. When a language dies, this knowledge dies with it.
For indigenous communities, language loss also means a loss of autonomy. Many of the world’s marginalized groups speak endangered languages, and when their languages disappear, they lose access to essential resources, from healthcare to legal systems, which are rarely available in their native tongue. This deepens social and economic inequalities, trapping communities in cycles of poverty and disempowerment.
But the effects are not limited to the communities that speak these languages. Research has shown that language extinction often correlates with the loss of biodiversity. Indigenous communities, who have lived in harmony with their environments for millennia, possess knowledge critical to sustainable practices and environmental stewardship. As their languages disappear, so too does this ecological wisdom — just as the world faces an unprecedented climate crisis.
The Forces Behind Language Loss
Several factors are driving this alarming trend. Globalization and economic pressures are among the most significant. Smaller language communities often feel compelled to adopt dominant languages — English, Mandarin, Spanish — to participate in global economies and access education or job opportunities. Young people, in particular, are often encouraged to abandon their native languages in favor of those that offer perceived advantages in the modern world.
Urbanization also contributes to the decline of languages. As people migrate to cities in search of better economic prospects, they leave behind their rural, often linguistically rich, roots. In urban environments, the dominant languages take over, and indigenous or minority languages get pushed to the margins, becoming less relevant in daily life.
Colonial histories have further exacerbated this problem. In many regions, colonial powers imposed their languages on local populations, marginalizing or even outlawing indigenous tongues. Though many countries have gained independence, the dominance of colonial languages remains entrenched, and indigenous languages continue to struggle for recognition.
How We Can Reverse the Trend
The good news is that language extinction is not inevitable. There is still time to reverse this trend, but it will require concerted efforts from governments, communities, and technology innovators.
Technology, in particular, offers a promising solution. AI-driven platforms like NightOwlGPT are already playing a role in preserving endangered languages by providing real-time translation, language learning tools, and cultural insights. By digitizing endangered languages and integrating them into modern platforms, we can ensure that they remain accessible and relevant in today’s world. This is especially crucial for younger generations, who are growing up in a digital-first environment.
Community-led initiatives are also key. Successful language revitalization efforts, such as those for Maori in New Zealand and Hawaiian in the United States, show that when communities take the lead in preserving their languages, progress can be made. Governments must support these efforts by recognizing and protecting indigenous languages, and by implementing policies that promote multilingual education.
Educational systems play a crucial role as well. Schools should not only teach dominant languages but also encourage bilingual or multilingual education. This not only preserves languages but also fosters cognitive development and cultural empathy in children, who grow up understanding and appreciating diversity.
Time to act now
We are at a crossroads. If we do nothing, languages will continue to vanish at an alarming rate, taking with them the cultural, intellectual, and ecological richness that makes our world vibrant. But if we act now — by leveraging technology, empowering communities, and promoting inclusive policies — we can reverse this trend.
Languages are disappearing faster than we can learn them, but with the right tools and strategies, we can ensure that they are not lost forever. The time to act is now. Let’s preserve the voices of the past for the generations of the future.
