Does the number of speakers of a language determine its fate?

“My Language is Like My Mother”: Aspects of Language Attitudes in a Bilingual Farsi-Azerbaijani Context in Iran

“…At least within the scope of this early exploratory research in an urban center, one may understand that the Azerbaijani language is well respected despite the apparently all-influencing processes of globalization and standardization accompanied by the effects of modernization, a monolingual educational system, and mass media. At the same time, in light of the understanding that the number of speakers alone is not the most important element in gaging the safe status of a language, and considering the vital role of the intergenerational transmission of language in this regard (Barrena et al 2007), there appears to be a need for not taking the safety of the language for granted. More profound explorations and understandings of the life of the Azerbaijani language may be needed in an age of rapid erosion of language varieties to create more awareness on the part of the bilingual community of Azerbaijani speakers in Iran to continue to cherish and live their language.…”

“…Therefore, to probe some aspects of the hitherto under-investigated situation of Azerbaijani in Iran, this study explores the attitude of a group of Iranian Azerbaijani speakers towards their language in their bilingual Farsi-Azerbaijani community and investigates their emotional attitudinal stance towards Azerbaijani as well as their positions regarding its application in some practical domains of language use. In addition to the contribution of the study to understanding aspects of this specific research setting, it may also contribute to the current knowledge of language status in the case of widely-spoken languages that happen to be unofficial (Barrena et al 2007). …”

Language Shift Among Speakers of Kalhuri Kurdish in Iran

“…Extensive scholarly contributions to different aspects of language ideologies such as social class, language revival and bilingualism have fueled hot debates and discussions on minority language rights, language planning and language policies (Brubaker, 2004;Chakrani, 2013;Kalan & Skutnabb-Kangas, 2016;Lai, 2010;Santello, 2015)). The main concern comes from the current status of many very widely-spoken languages that happen to be unofficial (Barrena et al, 2007). In spite of having hundreds or even thousands of speakers, they are subject to severe vulnerability, critical endangerment and even gradual extinction.…”

Nahuatl and Spanish in Contact: Language Practices in Mexico

“…Indigenous languages are often associated with backwardness, poverty, and racism (Knockwood 2015;Haboud et al 2016). Furthermore, speakers of Indigenous languages and other threatened languages face enormous pressure to switch to the dominant languages because of the numerous political, social and cultural advantages that the latter have (Barreña et al 2007;Skutnabb-Kangas 2015). Languages such as Spanish in the Latin American context are used at international levels in trade, exchange of ideas, and policy and at national levels in education, mass media, work, and official and government-related matters (Eberhard et al 2021) while most Indigenous languages are limited to informal use.…”

“…Even when there is legislation that mandates that Indigenous languages be used in schools, they are rarely used as the language of instruction (Haboud et al 2016;Sullivan 2014, 2016). In addition to repressive assimilationist policies, negative attitudes, and social and economic motivations, other factors facilitating language endangerment include lack of official support, insufficient funding and infrastructure, lack of interest or commitment, intergenerational trauma or shame, natural disasters, and man-made disasters, such as war and genocide (Nettle and Romaine 2000;Crystal 2000; Barreña et al 2007;McCarty et al 2006;Jenni et al 2017;Chambers 2014;Delaine 2010;McIvor 2015;McIvor and Anisman 2018).…”