Final answer:
Approximately 40 percent of the world's languages are at risk of extinction largely due to globalization. Indigenous languages are especially endangered, with 2,680 at risk. Efforts to revitalize these languages aim to preserve cultural heritage and knowledge.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to experts referenced by LibreTexts™, roughly 40 percent of the world's languages are at risk of extinction. The process of globalization has led to the decline of many languages as communities abandon their native tongues in favor of more widely spoken languages. Language not only facilitates communication but also perpetuates cultural identity and wisdom.
Indigenous languages are particularly vulnerable. The United Nations reports that 2,680 Indigenous languages are at risk. This loss amounts to not just the silencing of unique human voices but also the eradication of diverse perspectives on life and nature embedded in these languages.
Efforts such as language revitalization are important to preserve these endangered languages, where communities work to reinvigorate and modernize languages that have fallen out of regular use. Bringing a language back from dormancy requires strategic programs to spread knowledge and practice of the language among community members.