In his essay “Death by Monoculture,” Stephen Pax Leonard discusses the devastating impact that consumerism and globalization are having on linguistic diversity around the world. Leonard focuses specifically on the dual role played by technology: on the one hand, certain forms of technology are endangering minority languages; on the other hand, the Internet has the potential to preserve linguistic diversity.

To promote multilingualism and cultural diversity and to honor the men who gave their lives on February 21, 1952 in defense of Bengali language and culture, UNESCO declared February 21st “International Mother Language Day” in 1999, and it has been celebrated annually throughout the world since the year 2000. Please watch this 6-minute-long video about International Mother Language Day, produced by UNESCO, and then leave a comment in which you respond to the following 2 questions before class on Monday, 10/29 (*Note: You do not need to connect to another Globalization essay in this response!):

1. What role do you feel technology plays in the extinction and preservation of minority languages around the world? Do you agree with Leonard’s point of view?

2. Do you feel as though your own mother tongue is currently endangered? Why or why not? Are there minority languages or regional dialects in your home country that are in danger of extinction? How are you affected (or not affected) by the risk to linguistic diversity in your home country and/or around the world?

Refer to the “Blog Response Evaluation Criteria” handout distributed in class (also available on BB > Handouts > Unit 2) for guidelines and expectations in your response.