Media: Language Death: Wall Street Journal
| Submitter: |
Doug Whalen
|
| Submitter Email: | whalen@alvin.haskins.yale.edu |
| Media Body: |
On Friday, March 8, 2002, page W13, the Wall Street Journal published an editorial by John J. Miller entitled: "How do you say 'extinct'?: Languages die, the United Nations is upset about this." Miller's basic point is that promoting minority languages entails a "careless embrace of multiculturalism" that "gives short shrift to the interests and choices of people in tiny language groups." Miller makes many mistakes, including confusing language change with language death and, by extension, the death of entire language families with language change. He is dismissive of native culture, preferring the "reality" --his word-- "that most people would rather eat a Big Mac than a fistful of beetle larvae." He says that the reason "some languages are disappearing is precisely that their native speakers don't regard them as quite so precious" as linguists make them out to be. He shows no recognition of the many factors ranged against minority languages, and even against a "decision" about abandoning a language. I have written a response, but it will probably not be published. If it is not, I may post it here. Doug Whalen DhW - Doug Whalen (whalen@haskins.yale.edu) Haskins Laboratories 270 Crown St. New Haven, CT 06511 203-865-6163, ext. 234 FAX: 203-865-8963 http://www.haskins.yale.edu/ </body> |
| Issue Number: | 13.816 |
| Date Posted: | March 25, 2002 |
