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<p>Of the some 7,000 languages currently spoken around the globe, it is estimated about half will cease as everyday spoken vernaculars by the end of this century. Indeed, many languages previously spoken are now no longer in use. Part of the issue is that historically most of the world’s languages have not been written and this intangibility hinders their preservation.</p>



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<p>“With each language that disappears, a part of human life goes away with no possibility of return,” says Guiomar Alonso Cano, the Unesco Representative in Peru. “Not only a vehicle of communication is extinguished, but also a culture, a repository of knowledge, a system of thoughts, a way of seeing the world, a system of family relationships and values, and a force of citizenship.”</p>



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<p>Unesco’s World Atlas of Languages indicates that about 250 languages have disappeared since 1950 alone. The majority of those in serious danger of vanishing now have less than 100,000 speakers – it is thought about 10,000 people is the minimum required for the intergenerational transmission of a language. Ultimately, this means some 2,500 languages could be lost out of the current international tally.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Power talks</h3>



<p>Language shifts have occurred through the ages, with smaller languages often frozen out by those that are politically dominant. Indeed, following the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century, English was hardly used for official purposes for about 350 years. Scholars suggest the sudden elevation of its status coincided with the rapid development of the written language. Other turning points in supplanting the interloping French lingo include Henry V’s shift to English in his correspondence, and the arrival of England’s first printing press in 1476, which afforded the publication of copious volumes in standard English.</p>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="576" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Guiomar-Alonso-Cano_p-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-82640" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Guiomar-Alonso-Cano_p-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Guiomar-Alonso-Cano_p-498x280.jpg 498w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Guiomar-Alonso-Cano_p-768x432.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Guiomar-Alonso-Cano_p-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Guiomar-Alonso-Cano_p-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Guiomar-Alonso-Cano_p-200x113.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Guiomar-Alonso-Cano_p-800x450.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div>


<p>Similarly, the languages of former colonial masters like Dutch in Indonesia and Portuguese in Goa are now hardly discernible as they are no longer perceived to have value.</p>



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<p>According to anthropologist Mark Turin, an Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia, minority or local languages tend to fall away by design rather than accident. “They are often steamrollered out of use by government policy, by nationalism, by colonialism,” he says. “There’s a real sense that the cultural processes of complex societies put pressure on local languages in service of global or national languages.”</p>



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<p>Turin champions the need to preserve as many languages as possible. “It’s important that we have as good a snapshot of linguistic diversity as we can to get a sense of how different languages express the human condition, what they see in the environment and things around them,” he says. “We also owe it to future generations to have a comprehensive document of the expressive range of human language.”</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Silent threats</h3>



<p>While pressures on indigenous and minority languages have been weighty for some time, Turin believes a combination of technology and supranationalism is placing them under greater threat. Often the people themselves, while living on together as a community, stop speaking their native tongue. “They shift to another language,” he says. Natural, political or cultural disasters, or even genocide and disease, have historically devastated communities.</p>



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<p>The twin but distinct forces of colonialism and capitalism have played a key part in marginalising local languages, according to Turin. Where settler colonialism was at its most pernicious – in places like North America, Australia and New Zealand – indigenous communities were uprooted, relocated or in some cases annihilated. The colonists then introduced an external language through administration and education.</p>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="626" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/TNG_map-1024x626.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-82643" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/TNG_map-1024x626.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/TNG_map-458x280.jpg 458w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/TNG_map-768x470.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/TNG_map-1536x939.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/TNG_map-2048x1252.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/TNG_map-200x122.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/TNG_map-800x489.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div>


<p>He cites his own country, Canada, which has been widely applauded for its federal commitment to English and French bilingualism, as a prime example. “[This is] great in some ways; at the same time, how curious and perverse that this country celebrates and accords a lot of resources to two languages, neither of which are from here, both of which came from somewhere else.”</p>



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<p>Capitalism has not been particularly supportive of minority languages since at its core is the need for a central language to facilitate the free flow of commerce. While most of the world has throughout history spoken more than one language, the utility afforded by an international tongue explains why people start dropping their local language. “Capitalism and colonialism often reinforce the ideology of a single language for all, promoting monolingualism,” notes Turin.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Right to speak</h3>



<p>He believes people should not have to fight for the right to speak their own language: “This is a fundamental human right, enshrined by the United Nations and many other organisations.” The UN has shown symbolic and political leadership by introducing an international decade (2022-2032) of Indigenous languages.</p>



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<p>Research in Canada has indicated that in areas where local languages are still spoken and cultural continuity is strong, the rate of indigenous youth suicide rate drops to zero. “That’s a really interesting, powerful correlation,” says the anthropologist. “What the causation is, we’re not quite sure.”</p>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Newspapers_p-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-82642" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Newspapers_p-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Newspapers_p-420x280.jpg 420w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Newspapers_p-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Newspapers_p-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Newspapers_p-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Newspapers_p-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Newspapers_p-800x533.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div>


<p>Many communities in North America have sought support for the preservation of their indigenous and minority languages, and Turin says a combination of support mechanisms is needed to turn the tide: money and resources, as well as positive public policy and governance, and systems-administration legislation.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Shout-outs of hope</h3>



<p>Although many languages remain under threat, extraordinary stories of resurgence, of languages bouncing back against all odds, give some grounds for optimism. The work of Jessie Little Doe Baird, founder of the Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project in the indigenous Wampanoag communities of Massachusetts, in particular, has been singled out for praise. Such was its success in reviving a language which had not been spoken in 150 years that Baird was named in 2020 as one of USA Today’s Women of the Century.</p>



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<p>Linguist Daryl Baldwin is also to be commended for his support of the Native American Myaamia people and their language in the Midwest. His focus has been on developing culture- and language-based educational materials to boost the numbers of native speakers in the community.</p>



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<p>As Turin has cited, successful language revitalisation programmes need the marriage of money, resources and accommodating public policy. Among the best examples of language uptick are in the US state of Hawaii and among the ethnic Māori of New Zealand. “You can do a PhD in Hawaiian and a PhD in Māori, and defend [a court case] in Māori,” he says, while highlighting the plethora of newspapers, poetry and songs in these local languages.</p>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="768" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Broadwood_Area_School2-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-82639" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Broadwood_Area_School2-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Broadwood_Area_School2-373x280.jpg 373w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Broadwood_Area_School2-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Broadwood_Area_School2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Broadwood_Area_School2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Broadwood_Area_School2-200x150.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Broadwood_Area_School2-800x600.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div>


<p>Other language revitalisation projects across the Himalayas and North America are producing amazing results. “The Mohawk community [in southeastern Canada] has done incredible work, documenting their own language and producing new generations of speakers,” he says.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Voice for change</h3>



<p>New technology such as WhatsApp and other forms of audio and video messaging can be hugely powerful in preserving and revitalising minority languages. The availability of podcasts through the radio is another formidable tool. “I’m excited by how minoritised communities and languages are making use of technology in powerful and compelling ways,” says Turin.</p>



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<p>Ongoing globalisation and its technical interconnectivity can provide opportunities for languages to flourish. A recent book, Language City by Ross Perlin, co-director of New York-based Endangered Language Alliance, spotlights how globalisation has produced diaspora communities who carry their languages with them when they move and migrate. His organisation has identified about 700 languages spoken in New York and many of these communities resist pressure to stop using their local tongue in a bid to preserve something of their culture.</p>



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<p>“There are now, in New York City, more speakers of some languages from northern Nepal than there are in the homeland villages from which they originated,” says Turin, highlighting how languages are highly mobile and can become reanimated in very different areas when a density of people settles there.</p>


Vanishing Whispers: Many thousands of minority languages have fallen silent. Can other last words be saved? 

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Netflix currently enjoys the distinction of being one of the world’s most popular streaming platforms for film enthusiasts, as well as casual binge-watchers. Providing global access to its platform, language barriers on Netflix have come down more and more, with the continuing expansion of its offerings of foreign films and TV shows. Here are five binge-worthy foreign- language worth watching on Netflix over the weekend.&nbsp; </span></p>
<p><a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/5-binge-worthy-foreign-language-shows-to-watch-on-Netflix-Dark-German.png"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-52721" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/5-binge-worthy-foreign-language-shows-to-watch-on-Netflix-Dark-German.png" alt="5 binge-worthy foreign language shows to watch on Netflix Dark German" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/5-binge-worthy-foreign-language-shows-to-watch-on-Netflix-Dark-German.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/5-binge-worthy-foreign-language-shows-to-watch-on-Netflix-Dark-German-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/5-binge-worthy-foreign-language-shows-to-watch-on-Netflix-Dark-German-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/5-binge-worthy-foreign-language-shows-to-watch-on-Netflix-Dark-German-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/5-binge-worthy-foreign-language-shows-to-watch-on-Netflix-Dark-German-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/5-binge-worthy-foreign-language-shows-to-watch-on-Netflix-Dark-German-400x266.png 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/5-binge-worthy-foreign-language-shows-to-watch-on-Netflix-Dark-German-600x399.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a></p>
<p><b>Dark (German)</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A science fiction thriller that will rattle its audience with mind-bending twists that cleverly uses time travel elements in building a story that tracks four families and their connection to one another. Netflix’s first German original series will keep their audiences on the edge of their seats throughout the entire show. </span></p>
<p><a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/5-binge-worthy-netflix-shows-that-will-make-you-smarter_money-heist.png"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-51764" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/5-binge-worthy-netflix-shows-that-will-make-you-smarter_money-heist.png" alt="5 binge worthy netflix shows that will make you smarter_money heist" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/5-binge-worthy-netflix-shows-that-will-make-you-smarter_money-heist.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/5-binge-worthy-netflix-shows-that-will-make-you-smarter_money-heist-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/5-binge-worthy-netflix-shows-that-will-make-you-smarter_money-heist-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/5-binge-worthy-netflix-shows-that-will-make-you-smarter_money-heist-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/5-binge-worthy-netflix-shows-that-will-make-you-smarter_money-heist-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/5-binge-worthy-netflix-shows-that-will-make-you-smarter_money-heist-400x266.png 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/5-binge-worthy-netflix-shows-that-will-make-you-smarter_money-heist-600x399.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a></p>
<p><b>Money Heist (Spain)</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The international Netflix phenomenon has won over fans around the world and even inspired a documentary film that carries the same name. After four well-received seasons, a fifth and final season has been confirmed. So, those who have yet to jump onto the </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Money Heist</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> bandwagon&nbsp; still have time to catch up with the lovable band of misfits before their heist ends.</span></p>
<p><a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/5-binge-worthy-foreign-language-shows-to-watch-on-Netflix-Kingdom-Korean.png"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-52723" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/5-binge-worthy-foreign-language-shows-to-watch-on-Netflix-Kingdom-Korean.png" alt="5 binge-worthy foreign language shows to watch on Netflix Kingdom Korean" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/5-binge-worthy-foreign-language-shows-to-watch-on-Netflix-Kingdom-Korean.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/5-binge-worthy-foreign-language-shows-to-watch-on-Netflix-Kingdom-Korean-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/5-binge-worthy-foreign-language-shows-to-watch-on-Netflix-Kingdom-Korean-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/5-binge-worthy-foreign-language-shows-to-watch-on-Netflix-Kingdom-Korean-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/5-binge-worthy-foreign-language-shows-to-watch-on-Netflix-Kingdom-Korean-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/5-binge-worthy-foreign-language-shows-to-watch-on-Netflix-Kingdom-Korean-400x266.png 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/5-binge-worthy-foreign-language-shows-to-watch-on-Netflix-Kingdom-Korean-600x399.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a></p>
<p><b>Kingdom (South Korea)</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Following the success of </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Train to Busan</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">#Alive</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, this horror TV series delivers another epic and gruesome zombie creation that will again provide great entertainment to international viewers. Set in Korea’s Joseon period after Japan’s invasion of the country, Crown Prince Lee Chang comes across a political conspiracy and investigates a plague that reanimates the dead. </span></p>
<p><a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/5-binge-worthy-foreign-language-shows-to-watch-on-Netflix-atelier-japanese.png"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-52719" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/5-binge-worthy-foreign-language-shows-to-watch-on-Netflix-atelier-japanese.png" alt="5 binge-worthy foreign language shows to watch on Netflix atelier japanese" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/5-binge-worthy-foreign-language-shows-to-watch-on-Netflix-atelier-japanese.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/5-binge-worthy-foreign-language-shows-to-watch-on-Netflix-atelier-japanese-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/5-binge-worthy-foreign-language-shows-to-watch-on-Netflix-atelier-japanese-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/5-binge-worthy-foreign-language-shows-to-watch-on-Netflix-atelier-japanese-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/5-binge-worthy-foreign-language-shows-to-watch-on-Netflix-atelier-japanese-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/5-binge-worthy-foreign-language-shows-to-watch-on-Netflix-atelier-japanese-400x266.png 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/5-binge-worthy-foreign-language-shows-to-watch-on-Netflix-atelier-japanese-600x399.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a></p>
<p><b>Atelier (Japan)</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Comparable to the 2006 American film </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Devil Wears Prada</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Atelier</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> follows Mayuko Tokita and her coming-of-age journey as she struggles with her relationship with her employer, Mayumi Nanjo, creator and owner of the fictional high-end lingerie design house in Tokyo, Emotion. </span></p>
<p><a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/5-binge-worthy-foreign-language-shows-to-watch-on-Netflix-call-my-agent-french.png"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-52720" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/5-binge-worthy-foreign-language-shows-to-watch-on-Netflix-call-my-agent-french.png" alt="5 binge-worthy foreign language shows to watch on Netflix call my agent french" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/5-binge-worthy-foreign-language-shows-to-watch-on-Netflix-call-my-agent-french.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/5-binge-worthy-foreign-language-shows-to-watch-on-Netflix-call-my-agent-french-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/5-binge-worthy-foreign-language-shows-to-watch-on-Netflix-call-my-agent-french-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/5-binge-worthy-foreign-language-shows-to-watch-on-Netflix-call-my-agent-french-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/5-binge-worthy-foreign-language-shows-to-watch-on-Netflix-call-my-agent-french-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/5-binge-worthy-foreign-language-shows-to-watch-on-Netflix-call-my-agent-french-400x266.png 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/5-binge-worthy-foreign-language-shows-to-watch-on-Netflix-call-my-agent-french-600x399.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a></p>
<p><b>Call My Agent! (France)</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">T</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">his show’s plot revolves around a team of agents who manage some of the top celebrities in Paris. Struggling to keep their business running smoothly amid a crisis in the entertainment industry, the characters take on a wide array of challenges, including ageism and sexism within the industry, and tackle them with humorous twists and intrigues comparable to American TV series, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Entourage</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">. </span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>


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5 binge-worthy foreign language shows to watch on Netflix now

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Vanishing Whispers: Many thousands of minority languages have fallen silent. Can other last words be saved?

5 binge-worthy foreign language shows to watch on Netflix now