With languages such as English and Mandarin Chinese dominating the world, 2540 out of an estimated 6000 languages — such as Lepcha, Awadhi, Newari, Kusunda — around the globe are slowly dying out. The number of fluent speakers in these languages are rapidly decreasing, changing the status of the language from vulnerable, to critically endangered, to extinct. Contrary to the belief that having fewer languages is a positive result of globalization, the homogenization of language is in fact a grave issue, as loss of a language inevitably leads to loss of culture, identity, diversity and even knowledge native to specific regions. In countries like Nepal, homogenization of language has caused unprecedented damage to the nation’s diverse ethnic and tribal cultures.

Although there are 123 languages spoken across the nation, Nepal only recognizes Nepali as the official language of the country. This was a result of the unification campaign by Prithvi Narayan Shah in the 1700s, which led Nepal, under the Rana-Shah rule, to adopt the “one language, one culture, one religion” policy, thereby declaring Nepali as the official language of Nepal, while suppressing the native languages of the minorities.

Not only is Nepali the language used for official government business, but it is also the medium of education in public schools. Furthermore, most private schools have adopted the English language as their medium, pushing native languages even further back in society. As Nepali is used predominantly in government matters, banks, media and education, people have no choice but to conform to the monolingual demands of the nation. It is also the only language acceptable for documentation and evidence in court, which further compels people to have knowledge of Nepali over their native languages. Additionally, as private education, including studying and working abroad as well as the need to keep up with globalization is growing, Nepalese people now place English on a higher pedestal than Nepali.

As a result, many parents do not even bother to pass down their language to their children, as they would rather have them speaking fluent English and Nepali than a dying language. The situation is like a survival of the fittest scenario, where fluency in English and Nepali is vital in order to secure a good education and employment in Nepal.

While it is true that it is essential to speak both Nepali and English in order to be globally competitive today, we cannot simply discard the languages that represent the diversity of the region. These languages are an integral part of the identity of many ethnic groups, and contribute to culture. Furthermore, when ethnic groups are unique to some geographical region, losing the language leads to a loss of invaluable information of the flora, fauna and the environment which is native to a certain group. For instance, the estimated 30,000 people living in eastern Nepal have a vast vocabulary in their language, Thami, for the medicinal herbs in their local region. This knowledge cannot possibly be fully translated into Nepali or any other language, and as the language dies out, so will invaluable knowledge regarding the herbs of the region. The extinction of a language also makes ancient manuscripts, carvings, historical accounts and literature illegible, making us lose yet another chunk of culture and history.

Language serves as a medium to understand the history, environment, culture and worldview of the people who speak it. It ultimately allows us to understand different lifestyles across the globe. For this reason, it is the duty of both the government and the people who speak their native languages to preserve the language and everything tied to it. While people belonging to ethnic groups should encourage each others to speak in their native language and be willing to pass it down to the next generation, the government should implement policies which have a wider impact on the community. They should conduct surveys to find out what languages are endangered, and conduct studies to understand and preserve them.

Additionally, by providing at least a primary education in the native languages of people, it can encourage people to teach their children their mother tongue, while also giving them a path to later transition into Nepali and English. In this way, they can both preserve their own language and master the languages that will help them survive in the ever-so-competitive world. The government can also support production of media, such as news, TV shows, radio programs, songs and films in endangered languages, while encouraging the private sector to produce more such content.

The case of Nepal is only one example of the international endangerment and extinction of languages, posing a threat to indigenous cultures worldwide. People all around the globe are slowly beginning to realize the importance of their native languages as a part of their culture and identity, and have started to make efforts to preserve them. Such initiatives must be supported both by the people of the community and by the government in order to preserve the diversity, history and culture that comes with language.