Final answer:
A language becomes endangered when it is no longer passed down from one generation to the next, especially when parents cease to teach it to their children. This decline can result from societal pressures or the pursuit of opportunities linked to dominant languages. However, languages can be revitalized through dedicated cultural efforts.
Step-by-step explanation:
Language starts to become endangered when it is no longer actively spoken or transmitted from one generation to another, particularly when parents no longer teach their native language to their children. This may occur under social and political pressures, where communities face the threat of cultural assimilation or economic marginalization. Parents may consciously or subconsciously encourage their children to adopt a more dominant language in pursuit of perceived benefits such as better educational and employment opportunities.
The decline of a language often signifies not just the loss of words but also the erosion of cultural identity, history, and unique ways of thinking and describing the world. Actions such as forced assimilation in schools, as seen in historical contexts with Indigenous populations around the world, have directly led to the decline of numerous languages. This has been documented in Australia, New Zealand, North America, and numerous other regions globally.
However, language extinction is not an absolute end; there are efforts of language revitalization where communities work to bring languages back into use. This includes teaching new generations and creating environments where the language is actively spoken. As a species with a biological predisposition for language acquisition, efforts to revitalize languages can strengthen cultural resilience and reaffirm identity.