Perhaps unsurprisingly, two of the countries where the risk is greatest are India and Brazil, which are undergoing rapid economic transformations. "[These trends] often bring about the loss of traditional ways of life and a strong pressure to speak a dominant language that is - or is perceived to be - necessary for full civic participation and economic advancement," said Unesco.
There is then a period of stultification where the few readers that are left have to be satisfied with the diminished quality of contemporary writing or seek refuge in older, higher quality works. Beyond that generation is either a void or lapse in continuity of literary tradition. There will be a few outliers that continue to read, write and teach the language but by now it has entered the museum to be preserved for posterity instead of being the vibrant and dynamic language of everyday use it once was.
No comments:
Post a Comment