Why Do People Preserve Local Languages?
Language Chapter 5, Key Issue 4
Rubenstein, pp. 156-164
1. Complete this sentence: The ______of a language is the measure of the ______of
an ethnic group.
PRESERVING LANGUAGE DIVERSITY
2. Explain how Ethnologue defines an extinct language. How many languages are nearly extinct? How
are they defined as nearly extinct?
3. Explain what happened to the Gothic language to make it extinct.
4. How are endangered languages being preserved today?
5. How was Hebrew revived as a language after it was found to be extinct? What obstacles have
occurred during the revival efforts?
6. What are and where are the Celtic languages found today?
7. What are the main factors behind the survival of any language?
8. Name 3 recent efforts that have kept the Welsh language alive.
9. Name 2 recent efforts that has revived the extinct Cornish language.
10. On the map below, show the language differences of Belgium and explain how the language
boundary sharply divides the country in the space provided beside the map.
11. As Switzerland also has a language boundary within its borders, why is it more peaceful than
Belgium?
12. Define an isolated language. Name two examples of isolated languages.
GLOBAL DOMINANCE OF ENGLISH
13. Define lingua franca and give 5 examples. How is a lingua franca created?
14. Define a pidgin language. How is it created and why is it unique?
15. Explain expansion diffusion and how it applies to the English language.
16. Define Ebonics and characteristics of the dialect. Explain how it came to be a separate dialect of
English.
17. For each of the following languages, A) Define the mixture of languages. B) give an example of the
diffusion of the English language into the new language:
Franglais
a.
b.
Spanglish
a.
b.
Denglish
a.
b.
18. Describe French attempts to block English diffusion into its language.