Speaking in Tongues: The History of Language

Currently there are more than 6,000 languages spoken around the world. This five-part series traces the history and evolution of language and attendant theories and controversies while evaluating the scope of linguistic diversity, the dissemination of language, the expansion of language into written form, and the life cycle of language.

Overview Seasons Similar

Created By
Status	Ended
Original Name	Speaking in Tongues: The History of Language
First Air Date	April 4, 2008
Last Air Date	May 2, 2008
Seasons	1
Episodes	5
Episode Runtime	50min
Language	English
Original Language	English
Production Countries	—
Production Companies
Networks

S01E05

Life and Death

It is predicted that within a century more than half of the worlds languages will become extinct, but as languages are lost, new ones emerge naturally or are constructed. In this program, Noam Chomsky; Esperantist Thomas Eccard; endangered languages researcher Peter Ladefoged, and others provide insights into the language life cycle. Topics include constructed languages such as Esperanto, language endangerment and preservation, and the role of globalization in language obsolescence. The experts also discuss current language trends and offer their opinions on which languages may emerge as front-runners in the future.

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