Experts say there are about 6,500 languages spoken throughout the world. But the United Nations estimates that about half of these languages are in danger of disappearing. The U.N. cultural agency, or UNESCO, lists languages it considers endangered on its Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger. UNESCO collects information on the languages and then increases efforts meant to prevent them from dying out. One non-profit organization seeking to save world languages is a New York-based group called Wikitongues. Officials from Wikitongues say the organization has a simple goal: to provide the tools and support that people need to save their languages. Daniel Bogre Udell is the co-founder of Wikitongues. He told VOA that when a language disappears, many other things can go away as well. For example, parts of a community’s culture, knowledge and identity can also be lost.
