UNESCO warns in its most recent survey of indigenous languages that nearly half
of the world’s existing 6,000 languages are endangered. The study found
that 65 indigenous languages in Colombia alone are on the verge of extinction,
including the languages of two northern groups, Tamas and Dujos. Ninety-six percent
of the world's languages are spoken by four percent of the world's population,
according to UNESCO. Thousands of languages that are passed on orally are threatened
because younger generations are not learning them. The loss of language also
signifies the loss of cultures, the study said.
