Arts & Culture
The Role of Multilingualism in Preserving Endangered Languages and Indigenous Knowledge
Quick fact
Around 40% of the world's 7,000 languages are endangered, yet they hold over 80% of the world's unclassified biodiversity knowledge—and multilingualism can significantly slow the rate of loss.
Why this is interesting
You probably know that thousands of languages are on the brink of disappearing, but did you know that multilingualism is one of the most powerful tools we have to stop that?
Read the full explanation
Understanding The Role of Multilingualism in Preserving Endangered Languages and Indigenous Knowledge
Think of a multilingual community as a thriving garden with many species. Each language is a unique species, carrying distinct knowledge of the local environment, traditions, and ways of seeing the world. When a community speaks only one dominant language, it's like letting one species overrun the garden—other plants wither. Multilingualism keeps many linguistic traditions alive by ensuring that no single language replaces the others entirely. In practical terms, this means children grow up learning both a national or global language (like English or Spanish) and their heritage language. This allows them to function in the wider world while still maintaining a vital connection to their cultural roots. When knowledge is shared in multiple languages, it becomes more resilient because it isn't locked in only one way of speaking.
A deeper explanation
The mechanism behind multilingualism's protective role is rooted in knowledge transmission. Indigenous knowledge is often encoded in ways that are deeply tied to a specific language—such as names for local plants, weather patterns, or spiritual concepts that have no exact equivalent in another language. When a community is multilingual, elders can share this knowledge in the heritage language, while younger generations can still access it even if they are more comfortable in the dominant language. This dual-channel transmission ensures that knowledge survives even as the community's linguistic landscape changes. Moreover, multilingualism encourages cultural flexibility and cognitive benefits, such as better executive function, which can support learning and memory—essential for passing on complex traditions. By keeping multiple languages active, communities maintain the full complexity of their knowledge system, because each language offers a unique lens for interpreting the world. Without this, the knowledge system shrinks, losing nuances and depth, much like a painting would if all its colors were replaced by one shade.