Globalization- Taking No Prisoners

After reading Russ Rymer's call for attention of these disappearing languages in his piece "Vanishing Voices", I was left in a little bit of a inner conflict on whether I support his cause or not. Yes, all of these tragic stories of cultural uniqueness through languages dying is a depressing situation that deserves some sympathy, but I do not think it is all terribly bad. These languages are losing its speakers due to globalization, which is basically the movement towards a common culture or way of life that is shared throughout everyone on earth. Between television, the internet, and many other technological advances, globalization is a very fast paced movement and the seemingly irreversible movement is making people like Russ Rymer and the speakers of endangered languages worried. However, is this something to worry about? I believe it is not. If all of these people learn the more dominant langages in the world, I believe their chances toward a better more developed life rises drastically. The more developed societies can influence these people who live in desolate parts of the world to improve their way of life. Whether it be diet, medicine, judicial, or cultural improvements, globalization can only better the life of the people it affects. If these isolated people were to learn the more commonly spoken languages, they could adopt the other benefits of the culture that speaks this common language. In addition, they do not even really have to let go of their sacred language, but it will be hard to control not losing it once the children of the group learns the more dominant languages. Globalization is a powerful movement and whether many of these small language groups like it or not, globalization will get to them. It is up to these small groups whether the peacefully accept it and just try extra hard to keep their future generations educated on their sacred languages or try to fight globalization and eventually lose because, in the end, the fate of a language lies in the hands of the children born in the language. The children have the fate of language in their hands and it is only a matter of time until globalization reaches them too.