Linguistics course - - Potentially 150-300 word reply. The text mentions that many Native American languages in the United States have undergone the process of language death; that is, they are no lon

Linguistics course

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Potentially 150-300 word reply.

The text mentions that many Native American languages in the United States have undergone the process of language death; that is, they are no longer spoken. In many regions of the world, there is an effort to prevent endangered languages from dying out or even to revive dormant languages. Do you think this is a worthwhile effort? Why? For your discussion, consider the following comments from the people of the Miami tribe below:

Person: Rosa Boington Beck (1969)

Comment:  But they never allowed them to talk Indian. They couldn’t talk their Indian language out there. Everything had to be English. And sometimes I think that was kind of bad because it got them away from their Indian language, their own tongue you know. I think we ought to kind of had some of that left to us. But they didn’t. They took it away from us.

Person: Daryl Baldwyn (2003)

Comment: Because the language reflects traditional beliefs and values it begins to bring many community elements back together. The language is truly the glue that holds us together in our thoughts and in our hearts. 

Person: Scott Shoemaker (Harrison 1999)

Comment: The language is part of who we are. When you speak Miami you think of Miami. By learning the language you learn about our ancestors’ views of the world and their place in it. 

Person: A writer for the tribal newspaper (2002)

Comment: Sometimes we, the Oklahoma tribal community, question, “Does anyone speak Miami?” Then we all point with confidence, at Darrell Baldwin, his family and those members who return year after year to the summer language program, and say, “Yes, we have members who speak Miami.”