The Conversation

Indigenous languages matter – but all is not lost when they change or even disappear

Author: Maïa Ponsonnet, Senior lecturer, University of Western Australia

UNESCO’s International Year of Indigenous Languages recently came to an end after a year of celebration of linguistic diversity. And with a “decade of Indigenous languages” now under consideration, it’s a good time to review what these celebrations mean.

When the media report on the crisis of endangered languages, the view...

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