Worksheet Endangered Languages, Lesson 1
On the website Endangered Languages click on lesson 1 and look at the introductory
movie.
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Many languages are spoken in the movie. Which languages did you recognize?
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The television screens turn up around a tower. To which famous language tower from
ancient times does the movie refer to?
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Theme 1 “About language”
3 In the movies and on the pictures of this theme various languages and cultures are
shown. Do you know where the languages are spoken (country/continent) or do you
even know what languages are spoken?
Movie
A woman explains
A tourist with a camera
A fieldlinguist in a hut with a woman
Calling on a cellphone in a car
A group of people enters a building
Sign language
Dancing people with spears
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Country / Language
On the page about external influences a movie with dancing Papuans is shown. In
which way have the Papuans interwoven their old culture with the external
influences?
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It is natural and understandable that language and culture change under the
influence of external factors. Unfortunately, there are also languages and cultures
that disappear. Which of the facts listed below are correct? Tick where appropriate.
....... On average every two weeks one language disappears.
....... On average every year one language disappears.
....... In 2107 there will be 6000 languages left.
....... In 2107 there will be 600 languages left.
Theme 2 “How many languages do you speak?”
1 Many languages are spoken in the movie. Which languages did you recognize?
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2 What is the mother tongue spoken in the areas listed below? Combine the areas with
the correct official language and the mother tongue.
area
Surinam
Morocco
Friesland
Republic Sakha
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official language
Arabic
Russian
Dutch
Dutch
mother tongue
Yakut
Sranan
Darija
Frisian
How can you explain that in Northeast Siberia, next to the mother tongue, Russian is
learned?
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How can you explain that in Papua, next to the mother tongue, Indonesian is
learned?
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Theme 3 “Languages of the world”
1 Indicate with a circle and number on the map below (Figure 1) in which part of the
world most languages are spoken.
2 Take an atlas. Is there a relationship between the population density and language
density?
3 Combine left and right columns in such a way that correct statements result.
97% of the world population
85% of the world’s languages
3% of the world population
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are spoken in 22 countries
speaks 96% of the languages
speaks 4% of the languages
Which statements are correct?
a. Areas where many different languages are spoken, are typically highly culturally
and economically developed areas: correct / incorrect
b. Areas where many different languages are spoken have a moderate climate:
correct / incorrect
c. With 23 million speakers, Dutch belongs to the top 50 of most spoken languages:
correct / incorrect
d. Three quarters of all languages are spoken by communities of less than a 100
people: correct / incorrect
Figure 1
Theme 4 “The origin of language”
1 Indicate in Figure 1 from where language has spread.
2 Today, the area from where language has spread has a low population and a desert
climate. Not particularly ideal to be the cultural centre of the world. Take an atlas
with a map of the tectonic plates of the world or with paleo climates, and try to find
the answer to the question why it is likely yet that this is the area from where
language has spread.
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3 Which migration pattern is correct?
a. Arabic Peninsula – Africa – Asia – North America – South America
b. Africa - Arabic Peninsula – Asia – North America – South America
c. Europe – Arabic Peninsula – Asia – North America – South America
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d. Africa - Arabic Peninsula – Europe – North America – South America
Language has spread mainly over land. The distribution of language via Asia to North
America is an exception. Explain how it was possible that some 20.000 years ago the
connection over land could be made. Tip: it was colder than nowadays.
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Theme 5 “Languages threatened with extinction”
1 In the document “Intangible Heritage Messenger” (2006) UNESCO emphasizes the
importance of biological knowledge. What is the relation between biological
knowledge, language and language maintenance?
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2 Explain using the terms language, culture, knowledge of flora, what happens if a
language community loses its language.
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Thema 6 “Language loss, maintenance and revitalization”
1 In themes 5 and 6 various reasons for language loss are discussed. Give for each
factor mentioned below an explanation or example why a language may disappear.
Military
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Economical
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Political
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Religious
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Cultural
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2 Take a close look at the picture on the first page of theme 6. Which factor from the
first question is shown? How can you see that?
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3 Watch the movie about the nurse travelling from village to village (theme 6, page 2).
In which way does she play a role in the disappearance of local languages in Papua?
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4 In Theme 6 you will find some movie fragments which are listed below. Indicate for
each of the movies what it is about: language loss, language maintenance or
language revitalization.
a. The travelling nurse in Papua
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b. The Tundra Yukagir woman telling
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c. Hunting the white reindeer
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d. Mpur people at a wedding and a funeral
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e. The tents near Yakutsk (picture)
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f. The two missionaries
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g. Nivkh people fishing and playing music
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