What is an endangered language?

Why saving dying languages is key to preserving culture, identity, and knowledge.

May 25, 2025

Firstly, apologies for the delay in sending another email - things have gotten busy in the last few months. But we’re back to share even more knowledge about languages, especially endangered ones!

Thousands of languages around the world are at risk of disappearing—and with them, entire cultures, histories, and systems of knowledge. Children no longer actively learn endangered languages or use them in daily life, often because of social, political, or economic pressures.

This email explains what it means for a language to be endangered, why preserving languages matters and how many are currently at risk.

Featured Article

What is an Endangered Language?

Explore the Timeline to German Proficiency

Explore why thousands of the world’s languages are at risk—and what that means for our global heritage.

What You'll Learn:
🔹 The true meaning of language endangerment and how it happens
🔹 Why language loss affects culture, biodiversity, and identity
🔹 How globalisation, migration, and policy fuel the decline
🔹 Real examples—from Ainu’s critical status to Māori’s revival

Preservation in Action:
Discover how communities, tech, and education are working together to revive fading tongues—and how you can be part of the movement.

Language Learning Spotlight

Best Tools and Apps to Learn French
The International Phonetic Alphabet is a standardised system of symbols used to represent the exact sounds of spoken language. Created by the International Phonetic Association in the late 19th century, it assigns a unique symbol to each sound.

News & Updates

  • Penguin language obeys same rules as human speech, researchers say: There has been evidence that shows linguistics which mix between non-primate species and humans.

Penguin language obeys same rules as human speech, researchers say

Experts believe they have found the 'first compelling evidence' for conformity to linguistic laws in non-primate species

www.independent.co.uk/news/science/penguin-science-study-language-linguistics-zipf-menzerathaltmann-torino-a9317921.html

  • Language isn't just for communication: There have been studies which show the difference and connections between visual and language processing regions in the brain.

Language isn't just for communication -- it also shapes how sensory experiences are stored in the brain

Our ability to store information about familiar objects depends on the connection between visual and language processing regions in the brain, according to a new study.

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250520161846.htm

Did You Know About These Real-World Examples?

❌ Ainu (Japan)
Once widespread among Indigenous Ainu, this critically endangered language has only a few elderly speakers left. Efforts exist, but time is limited.

✅ Māori (New Zealand)
A revitalisation success: language nests, official recognition, and media outreach have brought Māori back from near-extinction.

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