Our catch phrase is on its way.

Dear Fellow Earthlings,

In Installment 21 I mentioned how nationalism is not “conducive to effective global planning regarding the preservation of species.” The same holds true for languages. A case in point is the Rapa Nui language of Easter Island. It is not being supported enough by the Chilean government. Evidence of this is that Rapa Nui children are now learning Spanish even before they have a chance to develop native speaker expertise in Rapa Nui. While it is true that there are “only” 4,000 native speakers of Rapa Nui, their language is nevertheless a thing of beauty (merely because it exists, for ALL human languages are beautiful!). I ask the Chilean government to protect the culture of the Rapa Nui. Those people offer no threat to Chile, located some 2,000 miles to the east of Easter Island. But, as Great Britain now takes care of the people on the Falkland Islands, so too should Chile take care of the people on Rapa Nui – and that includes protecting the Polynesian heritage of the indigenous people of Rapa Nui, just as Great Britain protects the Anglo-Saxon heritage of the Falklanders. We are losing languages at the rate of about 30 or 40 a year. And although the list of extant languages is still 6000, in 20 years it could be 5300 and in 20 more down to, perhaps, 4500. These languages are here because Earth has provided us with the means to develop them. What a pity it is to see them – and the cultures they represent – vanish forever!

Steve Walker

Earthsaver and Jingles Creator

© 2013 Steve Walker, The Jingles-The Japan Foundation for English Pronunciation, Summit Enterprises.