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Concern about language" /> <meta name="generator" content="Drupal 7 (https://www.drupal.org)" /> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.sil.org/about/endangered-languages/why-care-about-endangered-languages" /> <link rel="shortlink" href="https://www.sil.org/node/65199" /> <meta property="og:site_name" content="SIL Global" /> <meta property="og:type" content="article" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://www.sil.org/about/endangered-languages/why-care-about-endangered-languages" /> <meta property="og:title" content="Why care about endangered languages?" /> <meta property="og:description" content="Why is language endangerment a serious concern? The language that is spoken in the home while children are growing up expresses a people's culture, values, thoughts and world view. Loss of language is almost always accompanied by social and cultural disruptions. When a language disappears, the intangible heritage of all of human society is diminished. Concern about language endangerment is centered on the factors which motivate speakers to abandon their language and the social and psychological consequences of language death for the community." /> <meta property="og:updated_time" content="2015-03-13T09:53:40-05:00" /> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary" /> <meta name="twitter:url" content="https://www.sil.org/about/endangered-languages/why-care-about-endangered-languages" /> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Why care about endangered languages?" /> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Why is language endangerment a serious concern? The language that is spoken in the home while children are growing up expresses a people's culture, values, thoughts and world view. Loss of language" /> <meta property="article:published_time" content="2013-10-25T16:43:26-05:00" /> <meta property="article:modified_time" content="2015-03-13T09:53:40-05:00" /> <title>Why care about endangered languages? | SIL Global</title> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://www.sil.org/sites/default/files/css/css_lQaZfjVpwP_oGNqdtWCSpJT1EMqXdMiU84ekLLxQnc4.css" media="all" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://www.sil.org/sites/default/files/css/css_EM9PzeHZt2AxxQ3R05nXINg9akBOG66G3hxOgWtlp2E.css" media="all" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://www.sil.org/sites/default/files/css/css_y-6OGvqwgwpR259lzJYNwvxpJm3Q1qOD_DWt90goRpM.css" media="all" /> <style>.panels-flexible-new .panels-flexible-region { padding: 0; } .panels-flexible-new .panels-flexible-region-inside { padding-right: 0.5em; padding-left: 0.5em; } .panels-flexible-new .panels-flexible-region-inside-first { padding-left: 0; } .panels-flexible-new 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Loss of language is almost always accompanied by social and cultural disruptions. When a language disappears, the intangible heritage of all of human society is diminished.</p> <p>Concern about language endangerment is centered on the factors which motivate speakers to abandon their language and the social and psychological consequences of language death for the community.</p> <p>Those concerned about language endangerment recognize the implications for communities first and foremost. 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