LANGUAGE ENDANGERMENT, PRESERVATION AND REVITALIZATION STRATEGIES

Abstract

Abstract Language endangerment poses a significant threat to global cultural heritage, especially in multilingual societies affected by long-term migration. This study explores how migration contributes to linguistic underestimation and the consequent loss of confidence in mother tongues. Anchored on Fishman’s theory of reversing language shift, it adopts a qualitative descriptive design based on secondary data from global and African contexts. Findings reveal that migration, poor policy implementation, and limited cultural awareness accelerate language loss and weaken intergenerational transmission. The study recommends community-driven revitalisation, integration of indigenous languages in education, digital documentation, and inclusive cultural policies. It further emphasises the need to restore identity, dignity, and confidence among native speakers. By merging heoretical perspectives with practical strategies, the paper contributes to the broader and detailed discourse on language preservation and revitalisation as essential tools for sustaining linguistic and cultural diversity in this evolving globalised world.