Prior to the 20th century, many
languages with small numbers of speakers survived for centuries. The
increasingly interconnected modern world makes it much more difficult for small
language communities to live in relative isolation, a key factor in language
maintenance and preservation.
It remains to be seen whether the
world can maintain its linguistic and cultural diversity in the centuries ahead.
Many powerful forces appear to work against it: population growth, which pushes
migrant populations into the world’s last isolated locations; mass tourism;
global telecommunications and mass media; and the spread of gigantic global
corporations. All of these forces appear to signify a future in which the
language of advertising, popular culture, and consumer products become similar.
Already English and a few other major tongues have emerged as global languages
of commerce and communication. For many of the world’s peoples, learning one of
these languages is viewed as the key to education, economic opportunity, and a
better way of life.
Only about 3000 languages now in use are
expected to survive the coming century. Are most of the rest doomed in the
century after that
Whether most of these languages survive will
probably depend on how strongly cultural groups wish to keep their identity
alive through a native language. To do so will require an emphasis on
bilingualism (mastery of two languages). Bilingual speakers could use their own
language in smaller spheres—at home, among friends, in community settings—and a
global language at work, in dealings with government, and in commercial spheres.
In this way, many small languages could sustain their cultural and linguistic
integrity alongside global languages, rather than yield to the homogenizing
(同化的) forces of globalization.
Ironically, the trend of
technological innovation that has threatened minority languages could also help
save them. For example, some experts predict that computer software translation
tools will one day permit minority language speakers to browse the Internet
using their native tongues. Linguists are currently using computer-aided
learning tools to teach a variety of threatened languages.
For
many endangered languages, the line between revival and death is extremely thin.
Language is remarkably resilient (有活力的), however. It is not just a tool for
communicating, but also a powerful way of separating different groups, or of
demonstrating group identity. Many indigenous (原生的，土著的) communities have shown
that it is possible to live in the modern world while reclaiming their unique
identities through language. |
In the author’s view, many endangered languages are
A:remarkably well-kept in this modern world B:exceptionally powerful tools of communication C:quite possible to be revived instead of dying out D:a unique way of bringing different groups together
A．notably short man, he plays basketball with his staff several times a week.（）
A:practically B:considerably C:remarkably D:fairly
It was a question of making sure that certain needs were addressed, {{U}}notably{{/U}} in the pensions area.
A:noticeably B:remarkably C:particularly D:significantly
A notably short man, he plays basketball with his staff several times a week.
A:practically B:considerably C:remarkably D:fairly
It was a question of making sure that certain needs were addressed, notably in the pensions are
A:a. noticeably remarkably particularly significantly
A notably short man, he plays basketball with his staff several times a week.
A:tactically B:considerably C:remarkably D:completely
These goods are {{U}}essentially{{/U}} for export, though a few of them may be sold on the home market.
A:basically B:completely C:necessary D:remarkably
A {{U}}notably{{/U}} short man, he plays basketball with his staff several times a week.
A:practically B:considerably C:remarkably D:fairly
A {{U}}notably{{/U}} short man，he plays basketball with his staff several times a week.
A:practically B:considerably C:remarkably D:completely
单选题
