With that being said, we are sad to see that some languages are in fact going extinct. Google is doing their part as a worldwide service to provide these languages a lifeline:

As Google sees it, documenting the 3,000-plus languages that are on the verge of extinction — about half of all languages in the world — is an important step in preserving cultural diversity, honoring the knowledge of elders and empowering youth. And Google sees technology’s role in strengthening those efforts through research and collaboration.

This collaboration is through a website www.endangeredlanguages.com where people can upload the languages and share the most up-to-date information about them. An example is seen in the Miami-Illinois language, once spoken by Native American communities throughout the region. Although the last known person who spoke this language died in 1960, a contributor to the project is teaching himself the language through old documents. Because of this, children in Miami are now learning the language and even teaching it to each other.

If you know a language that is becoming extinct, post it in the comments or through the website and we will all do our best to preserve the language. Also, check out the video below to learn more about the project.

Information from: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/06/endangered-languages-project-supporting.html

Image from: http://www.endangeredlanguages.com

Marina, Calif. – October 17, 2011 – Monterey Language Services (http://www.montereylanguages.com) today announced that it has served 50 new clients in the last 15 months, as the interpretation and translation company continues rapid growth in a sluggish economy.

Through its contracts, Monterey Language Services, located in the Marina Technology Cluster, Marina’s business incubator, has provided interpretation services to many people in the county who have limited English proficiency.

“Just through our contract with Natividad Medical Center alone, we have served hundreds of patients whose first languages are Spanish, Chinese, Korean or other indigenous languages such as Mixteco, Triqui, Zapoteco, and Chatino,” said CEO Mei-Ling Chen.  “We have also been able to assist persons who communicate through American Sign Language.”

Monterey Language Services’ ability to provide interpretation for over 175 languages and dialects is the key to their rapid growth, according to Chen.  In one day, the company handled 19 languages through several contracts.  The largest number of different languages translated on a single project was 18.  The company has access to 2,000 translators world wide and has contracted with nearly 100 so far.

Chen, a graduate of the Monterey Institute of International Studies, attributes the company’s success to the high quality of their translation and interpretation services.  In a bad economy, says Chen, what is needed is to be resourceful, dynamic, flexible and efficient.  Chen is pro-active in reaching out to researchers, community leaders, and people in indigenous towns around the world to get to know interpreters speaking different kinds of languages.

The clients of Monterey Language Services include embassies who help citizens conduct business in the area, law offices who hold depositions, and corporations such as Hewlett-Packard who want to find the best language interpretation support for their most important foreign customers.

“And they found us here right in Monterey,” said Chen, “the language capital of the world.”