Language Death

Resumen del libro

The rapid endangerment and death of many minority languages across the world is a matter of widespread concern, not only among linguists and anthropologists but among all concerned with issues of cultural identity in an increasingly globalized culture. By some counts, only 600 of the 6,000 or so languages in the world are safe' from the threat of extinction. A leading commentator and popular writer on language issues, David Crystal asks the fundamental question, Why is language death so important?', reviews the reasons for the current crisis, and investigates what is being done to reduce its impact. The book contains not only intelligent argument, but moving descriptions of the decline and demise of particular languages, and practical advice for anyone interested in pursuing the subject further.
- A quarter of the world's languages are spoken by fewer than 1,000 people
- Over the next century, something like two languages will die each week
- Language Death offers both intelligent argument and practical advice for anyone interested in pursuing this urgent subject further

Biografía del autor

Es uno de los mejores especialistas en lenguaje del mundo. Profesor honorario en la Universidad de Wales, Bangor, ha publicado muchos libros sobre la Lengua Inglesa y la Lingüística, ha editado numerosas enciclopedias generalistas y ha escrito libros de texto para la escuela. Por otra parte, participa con regularidad en programas de radio y televisión. Entre sus libros están The Stories of English (2004), Txtng: The Gr8 Db8 (2008) y Just a Phrase I'm Going Through (2009).