The Linguistic Situations and the Preservation Measures of Endangered Minority Languages in Russia and China: Focusing on Turk Belt

Abstract

countries has been highlighted. The Turkic countries of the Eurasian continent are resource-rich regions and are becoming a political and economic emerging power in the international arena that is being restructured in the 21st century. Moreover, the relationship between Korea and Turk Belt region in Russia & China becomes even more important in the energy era. Then, to advance Turk Belt not only political and economic studies but also linguistic approach acts as a core element since the language represents the identity and culture of a people as well as a means of the communication. Therefore, it is a good starting point to research the situation of the minority languages in Turk Belt such as Bashkir and Chulym (Tatar) when dealing with the region. Unfortunately, ‘UNESCO Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger’ presents a depressing picture that many of the world’s languages have been extinct or are on the verge of extinction. The fates of Bashkir and Chulym (Tatar) languages seem to be doomed to fade away. According to ‘UNESCO Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger’, ‘UNESCO Red Book on Endangered Languages’ and Vachtin, Bashkir and Chulym (Tatar) belong to the categories of ‘endangered’ or ‘Critically endangered’. For the reason of preservation and the protection of endangered minority languages, I emphasize the importance of linguistic diversity in human life. When it comes to the necessity of the linguistic diversity, I am concerned with the idea that linguistic diversity is important to human intellectual life – not only in the context of scientific linguistic inquiry, but also in relation to the class of human activities belonging to the realms of culture and art. Language is also crucial to such basic mental processes such as thinking, understanding and even dreaming. Arguments for preserving linguistic diversity in terms of protecting and promoting languages and providing linguistic rights can be classified into three broad streams, viz. identity-based, justice-based and diversity-based arguments. Concerning the support program of the minority language in Turk Belt, Russian and Chinese governments have not taken an active and constrictive role in accepting and promoting linguistic diversity as a critical value of life. Rather, the governments tend to push for monolingualism in the national languages, putting forth misguided arguments, such as that multilingualism threatens national unity or that language programs are too costly. To stimulate the government in the wrong track like Russia and China and enlighten the issue of the crisis of linguistic diversity in Turk Belt, scholars need to study and maintain the researches in two categories; those aiming to document languages and preserve a record of them in grammars, dictionaries and texts, and those aiming to support and promote linguistic diversity as such as a key component of the diversity of life. Linguistic diversity is, therefore, essential to the human heritage with each and every language embodying the unique cultural and historical wisdom of a people. We have to remember that the loss of any language is an irrevocable loss for all humanity.