Donald Z. Osborn
Mon, 28 Feb 2005 07:45:00 -0800
FYI. This article was seen on http://www.culturalcommons.org/newsdetail.cfm?ID=14463 (thanks to a Google alert). It was originally published on page 4 of Pretoria News http://www.pretorianews.co.za/ on February 21, 2005 ... DZO Linguists fear loss of languages February 21 2005 at 10:33AM Almost half the world's spoken languages are dying out at a dramatic rate, the Pan South African Language Board has said. Abathwa and Seroa are only two of the African languages that have already become extinct. PanSALB believes days, such as International Mother Tongue Day being celebrated on Monday, are the last line of defence for these languages. The day, celebrated since 1999, aims to highlight the plight of dying languages. On Monday the PanSALB joins forces with the UN Education and Science Committee to celebrate its drive to promote multi-lingualism and develop the official South African languages. "The emphasis will be placed on languages that were previously marginalised," the board said. As part of the celebrations, a two-day exhibition is being held in the Pretoria city hall featuring the works of authors such as Zakes Mda who have published in their mother tongue. "Languages represent a reflection of humanity's cultural diversity," said PanSALB spokesperson Phillipine Masemola. "The Language Board aims to preserve that diversity for future generations." - Staff Reporter. -- ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> What would our lives be like without music, dance, and theater? Donate or volunteer in the arts today at Network for Good! http://us.click.yahoo.com/pkgkPB/SOnJAA/Zx0JAA/TpIolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AfricanLanguages/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/