Learning English at school is often seen as more important than learning local languages. If these are not taught, many are at risk of dying out.
In your opinion, is it important for everyone to learn English? Should we try to ensure the survival of local languages and, if so, how?
The English language is virtually the only lingua franca in the ever-shrinking world. Not only is it the language for international business or academia, but also it is the first foreign language most people learn at school. In this respect, the potential of English is tremendous. Speakers of languages on the verge of extinction will effectively preserve their own languages and cultures by learning English as diligently as they learn their own native tongues because it will allow them to draw more attention from the international community to the importance of ensuring the survival of their endangered languages and cultures.
It is vital that people whose languages are becoming extinct learn English as well as their native languages to communicate with those from different cultures and persuade them to cooperate with them to preserve the languages. Only when they are fluent in English can they connect with English-speaking people and teach them about their languages. Conversely, English-speaking people, native or non-native, can understand better what locals have to say in fieldwork or personal relationships, encouraging them to be more aware of the significance of language preservation.
It is also essential that native English-speaking people be given more opportunities to study one or more foreign languages. They must realize that no matter how powerful an influence their language has upon every facet of this smaller-than-ever world, there are thousands of precious languages that should be protected from dying out at any cost. They should learn that there are billions of people who talk, work, and dream in other languages, no matter how fluent they may be in English, and that based upon those languages, their unique cultures and traditions have flourished for hundreds, or even thousands of years. In this regard, some alteration to university curricula might be required to inspire students to learn foreign languages.
In conclusion, paradoxical as it might sound, the linguistic diversity in the world can only be ensured when people who speak minor languages learn English as industriously as their own. Furthermore, encouraging native English speakers to learn foreign languages will also serve this purpose.
