Posted on: September 22, 2026 by admin
Our world is culturally rich and linguistically diverse. Across the globe, there are more than 7000 languages spanning 195 countries, with each holding crucial archives and cultural information. Concerningly, more than 40% of the world’s languages are endangered.
Whilst globalisation has brought many benefits to our modern world and global economies, it has also enforced a cultural hegemony. This concept addresses how power plays out under capitalism, creating a dominant group or language. In order to partake in international relations, different language groups and ethnic minorities have been further marginalised by their governing country. This, in conjunction with the rise of online translation tools, has had adverse effects on smaller languages. To preserve endangered languages, professional translation services have become essential.
At Speak Your Language, our translation experts understand the imperative nature of their work and are committed to accuracy. We understand that our job simply cannot be overtaken by Artificial Intelligence. Vulnerable language translation requires nuance and human touch. We unpacked the ways translation services work to protect endangered languages and why they are crucial in a digital age.
UNESCO has stated that on average, a language goes extinct every two weeks, and with this is an erasure of cultural memory, ideas, and intellect. That linguistic group’s traditional medicines and history are then inaccessible to the rest of the world. It would be like if the last Mandarin speaker died and the language went extinct; we’d lose access to a vast pool of knowledge on Traditional Chinese Medicine. Whilst this is incredibly unlikely, considering Mandarin is the second most spoken language, behind English, it paints a very clear picture of what linguistic minorities are facing.
Historically, marginalised communities have faced linguistic discrimination and pressure to assimilate. Within Australia, Indigenous languages were largely erased through practices of colonisation and genocide. Indigenous Australians once spoke over 250 different languages, but today only 40 are still spoken, and as few as 12 are being actively taught to children. Abroad, China’s Mandarin-first policy has marginalised Chinese languages like Tibetan and Uyghur in minority regions. As fewer children are learning these languages, communication barriers have arisen between generations. These cases highlight the linguistic discrimination minorities face, pressuring them to assimilate.
Another contributor to language loss has been globalisation. Consider the number of global conflicts occurring and the number of people displaced at any given time. Currently, there are more than 117 million people displaced, which threatens the long-term teaching of their language.
Language endangerment is categorised based on the number of people who speak the language, where it’s spoken, and intergenerational speaking trends. It also explores community sentiments towards a language and whether it’s officially recognised by the national government. By understanding these factors, experts can predict which languages will face decline in the future. The scale is as follows:
The classifications focus on the younger generations to determine whether a language is likely to remain prominent or decline in the years to come.
A skilled translator is crucial for preserving culturally sensitive knowledge. They’ll consider the context and cultural artifacts behind a text, looking beyond direct translation to negate meaning.
By translating an endangered language into a more common language that is still connected to the minority group, their teachings and values can still be passed on or understood by future generations.
When children aren’t taught the language spoken by their grandparents, it can be difficult to share information about family heritage or elder knowledge. A quality translation ensures that children have a physical record of these in a language that is accessible to them and vice versa.
Translating can help build online resources and raise awareness about certain vulnerable languages. Global communities and migrant diasporas will be able to research information on the linguistic community and feel connected without knowing the language.
Professional translators will help generate data that AI needs to represent linguistic minorities. Increased data helps train AI systems, creating greater access to resources for minorities.
SYL offers a range of different services for declining and vulnerable languages. These languages include:
Assyrian (Neo-Aramaic): Endangered indigenous language of Iraq. Declining and not taught in schools.
Dinka: Primarily spoken in South Sudan, declining due to conflict and displacement.
Nuer: Spoken in South Sudan and Ethiopia, is also declining due to conflict and displacement.
Tetum: From Timor-Leste, it is listed as endangered and typically not taught to children.
Tigre: Spoken in Eritrea and Sudan by minorities. It’s facing pressures from dominant languages.
All our translators are NAATI-approved and committed to delivering text accuracy. Working with endangered languages is often complex and requires someone who can translate more than just words. Rest assured, SYL’s translators will unpack the cultural context and hidden hierarchies to gauge the meaning in English.
If you are looking to translate a family document to preserve its meaning for generations, reach out to our experts at Speak Your Language.
