Having a second language in your verbal arsenal is an absolute joy. I was not fortunate enough to get a second language as a youngster, when it is most easily learned, but I did manage to pick up a lot of things as an adult as an English As A Second Language teacher. The key to any language is not necessarily form or structure, but the ability to communicate. We are all seeking to create a common understanding, and it will always be the case that language will be our number one tool for that. It is what separates us from the Neanderthal that wander the caves so many millennia ago.
Sadly, there remains hundreds of languages that are at risk every day on this earth because of the fact that the people that speak it are dying. When a language dies, I believe an entire history dies with it. I feel it is critical that we act to see these languages, if only because they once had power to provide understanding for a people. These languages are no more relevant than they are jewels of the past, which remind us that our future is not as secure as we may think.
I know that English remains the major language on the earth, and certainly with the power of the American media, there is very little likelihood that it dies any time soon. This is why it is more necessary than ever that we act to save the languages that are threatened. When we do, and we succeed, we will discover rewards beyond our wildest dreams.
Jessica
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