Your Next Language Could Be Saving a World

Ever feel like our world is shrinking?

We use the same apps, watch identical Hollywood blockbusters, and learn the same handful of 'international languages'. It's convenient, certainly, but also a little dull, wouldn't you say? It's almost as if all the world's cultures have been thrown into a blender, and what we're left with is a bland, single-flavour milkshake.

Yet, behind this 'globalisation milkshake', a far more profound crisis is quietly unfolding.

Imagine all human languages as a brilliant sea of stars in the night sky. Each star represents a unique culture, a distinct way of seeing the world, a universe brimming with ancestral wisdom and stories.

English, Chinese, Spanish... these are the brightest constellations in our sky, visible to us every day. But within this celestial sea, there are also thousands of faint yet equally beautiful stars – the languages of indigenous tribes, of ethnic minorities, languages teetering on the brink of extinction.

Now, these stars are extinguishing, one by one.

When a language vanishes, we lose far more than mere words. We lose the poetry crafted in that language, the legends only it could tell, the unique wisdom passed down through generations on how to coexist with nature, how to truly understand life.

With every star that dims, our night sky grows a little darker, and the rich tapestry of human civilisation loses a vital hue.

That sounds rather melancholic, doesn't it? But the good news is, we are living in an unprecedented era. Technology, once perceived as a cultural 'blender', is now emerging as the most potent tool for safeguarding these 'stars'.

You, an ordinary individual, don't need to be a linguist or journey to far-flung lands to become a guardian of these 'stars'. All you need is a mobile phone.

This 'star chart' below presents a curated list of apps that allow you to learn and explore these invaluable languages. They're like miniature spacecraft, capable of whisking you directly into cultural universes you've never even imagined.

The Stars of North America

This land echoes with the voices of many ancient tribes.

• Hidden Gems in Mainstream Apps:

  • Memrise: You can find courses here for Cherokee, Inuktitut, Lakota, and others.
  • Drops: Offers Hawaiian language learning modules.
  • Duolingo: Has launched courses for Navajo and Hawaiian.

• Dedicated Guardians:

  • The Language Conservancy: An organisation dedicated to protecting indigenous North American languages, has developed numerous apps covering Mandan, Crow, Cheyenne, and more.
  • Ogoki Learning Systems Inc: Provides learning tools for various languages including Ojibway, Cree, Blackfeet.
  • Thornton Media Inc: Developed apps for languages such as Cree, Mohawk, Chickasaw.

The Sun of Latin America

From Maya to Inca, the languages of this land are steeped in mystery and power.

• Treasures in Mainstream Apps:

  • Memrise: Offers courses in Yucatec Maya, Guarani, Quechua, and others.
  • Duolingo: If you switch the app language to Spanish, you can learn Guarani.

• Specialised Exploration Tools:

  • Centro Cultural de España en México: Has developed excellent apps for Mexican indigenous languages such as Nahuatl and Mixteco.
  • SimiDic: A powerful dictionary app that supports translation between Aymara, Guarani, and Quechua.
  • Guaranglish: An engaging app specifically for learning Guarani.

The Waves of Australia and the Pacific

Across the vast Pacific, languages are scattered among the islands like pearls.

• Choices in Mainstream Apps:

  • uTalk: You can learn Maori, Samoan, and Fijian.
  • Drops: Also offers Maori and Samoan.
  • Master Any Language: Covers various Pacific Island languages including Maori, Samoan, Fijian, Tongan, Tahitian.

• Indigenous Voices:

  • Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages: Dedicated to protecting indigenous languages in Victoria, Australia, has released multiple related apps.
  • Wiradjuri Condobolin Corporation Limited: Focuses on preserving Australia's Wiradjuri language.

This list is merely the tip of the iceberg. Its aim isn't to tell you 'which one you should learn', but rather to show you: 'look, you have so many choices'.

Learning an endangered language might not offer the same direct career advantages as studying English. But what it can bring you is something far more precious:

• An intellectual adventure: You'll discover that the world can be described and understood in entirely different ways.
• A profound connection: You'll transition from mere tourist to an active participant and inheritor of a culture.
• A true force for good: Every bit of learning you undertake injects light into a star on the verge of dimming.

This is more than just learning; it's a form of profound communication. Imagine the profound experience of stumbling through a few phrases in an ancient language, and then being able to exchange a few words with one of its few remaining speakers in the world.

Fortunately, modern technology can even help you overcome the initial hurdles of learning. Chat apps like Lingogram, with their powerful built-in AI translation, make this possible. They allow you, even if you only know how to say "hello", to engage in meaningful conversations with people on the other side of the world, transforming language barriers into bridges of communication.

So, the next time you feel the world is a little monotonous, perhaps open your app store – not to download the latest viral game, but instead to seek out a 'star' you've never even heard of.

Try learning 'hello' in an ancient tongue, or delve into a unique concept that exists solely within a particular culture.

What you're saving might not just be a word, but an entire world. And in turn, that world will undoubtedly illuminate you.