Background Information

Resources for Minority Languages

Fast Facts

The online publication Ethnologue lists 6912 living languages in the world today

80% of the world's languages may vanish within the next century

Definition of Endangered Language: Endangered languages are languages that are on the brink of extinction, much like endangered species of plants or animals. Languages are considered to be endangered when parents are no longer teaching the language to their children and are not using it actively in everyday life. A language is considered to be nearly extinct when it is spoken by only a few elderly native speakers.

Definition of Minority Language: Languages traditionally used by part of the population of a state that are not dialects of official languages of the state.

Numbers of native speakers

Chinese: 937,132,000
Spanish: 332,000,000
English: 322,000,000
Quechua: 10,000,000
Aymara: 2,200,00
K'iche': 1,900,00

Third-Party Publications

Council of Europe (1992) European Charter for Regional or Minority languages

Gordon, Raymond (2005) Ethnologue: Languages of the World

Hornberger, Nancy (2007) Encyclopedia of Language and Education

King, Kendall (2008) Sustaining Linguistic Diversity

UNESCO (2003) Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage

Links about Minority Languages

Eurolang (specialist news agency for linguistic diversity)
Wikipedia list of endangered languages
European Commission: Promoting and safeguarding regional and minority languages and cultures
European Bureau for Lesser-Used Languages
Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger of Disappearing

Resources for Education in Virtual Worlds

Fast Facts

Today’s average college graduate has spent:

10,000 hours playing video games - Interactive Videogames, Mediascope, 1996
10,000 hours talking on cellphones - Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants
20,000 hours watching television - Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants

70% of 4-6 year-olds in USA have used a computer – Kaiser Family Foundation, 2003

68% of children under 2 years old in USA will use a screen media for an average of just over 2 hours on any given day – Kaiser Family Foundation, 2003

“These teens were born into a digital world where they expect to be able to create, consume, remix, and share material with each other” Lee Rainie, Director, Pew Internet and American Life Project

“When I go to school I have to ‘power down’.” – High School student in USA, as quoted by T4 – Jordan School District