How Do We Know a Language Is ‘Alive’?

A language is alive when people use it every day. Imagine if you and your friends only spoke a special secret language, that’s like an alive language! But if no one uses it anymore, it's like the language is sleeping or even dead.

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Examples

A child learning to speak Spanish from their parents is like a seed growing into a tree.
If no one speaks Gaelic anymore, it’s like the language has gone to sleep.
English is alive because people use it in movies, songs, and even text messages.

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Categories: Culture · language,culture,linguistics