13.Languages

Q1 Will minority languages disappear in the future?

Ans- No doubt, they will, and it seems to me that it will happen in the near future. The first reason why it will happen is that more and more speakers of minority languages around the world are facing unprecedented pressure to adopt the common languages used in government, commerce, technology, entertainment and diplomacy, which pushes them to seek to learn more prestigious languages in order to gain social and economic advantages or avoid discrimination. Well, the second reason why languages of the few will die is climate-and war-related migration which we are experiencing these days, as it will be hard enough to try to settle in a new place without learning the language spoken by a majority of the population in the area.

Q2 Does one's age affect their language learning?

Ans- In my opinion, age is an important but not a prime factor in learning languages. All people, irrespective of age or gender, perceive a language learning process in their own fashion. Though there are some advantages of learning a second language in childhood. Children are more flexible, spontaneous and tolerant to new experiences, they have a greater learning and memory capacity. More importantly, they are curious and are not afraid to make mistakes. Yet, this doesn't exclude efficient language learning in adults. Everyone can reach an excellent language level under favourable circumstances having a good motivation and a positive attitude to learning.