There are more than 5000 languages in the world, however some of them are on the edge of extinction. While a number of people think that the language diversity is crucial for a modern well-developed society, others argue that this simplification leads to better understanding between people. I, personally, believe that language preservation is the only thing which can help to preserve the connection between people and their ancestors, and this decline damages our cultural inheritance.
One of the negative consequences of language reduction is marginalization of minority groups. If young people see that their own dialect doesn’t give them any benefits, they will lose interest in studying it in favor of more common ones. The rest of the people who don’t have an opportunity to learn new language have fewer chances to find a well-paid job, lower incomes, and worse living conditions. For example, the indigenous population of the USA has an annual income per capita that 3 more times less than the average income in this country. Consequently, these people have lower life expectancy, and they are more prone to drug or alcohol addiction. The fewer people speak the language, the worse lives they have.
Another drawback is disappearance of cultural heritage. Indigenous language is sometimes the only way to save and carry unique knowledge, customs, and traditions, that native speakers have. The loss of this information causes irreparable damage to the world’s culture. For instance, the Australian government spends tens of millions of dollars every year in order to preserve their indigenous heritage. Hence, the earlier this problem will be recognized, the less money will be needed to address it.
In conclusion, I think that language diversity has significant importance for any society because it is easy to be lost but almost impossible to revive.
