Endangered Languages Project

[UserNameGoesHere]

So on google today they have a link to this http://www.endangeredlanguages.com/
Basically, they're trying to record, preserve, and teach various endangered languages.

Now, I understand the historical, cultural, anthropological value in making records and general data-gathering and storage. But I disagree with some of their goals -- namely, I don't see the extinction of languages as a bad thing, and I don't think people should spend time trying to learn languages that, IMO, have very little value.

Many of their claims seem truth-stretching to me. For example, they claim the loss of such languages causes great loss of scientific knowledge. But if such cultures were such powerhouses of scientific knowledge, surely they would have already contributed this to the greater scientific world at large, and at the very least would have vast archives of scientific literature in said languages; but if that were the case, I hardly think they would be endangered as there would be a great interest in those languages in at least the scientific communities.

They also compare the loss of languages to the loss of entire species. Come on. Really? Really!?

Also, there are already far too many languages as there are. If the languages we are losing are ones which don't have a written system (or, if they do, very few written works), were never widely used to begin with, did not contribute much to the greater world at large in any meaningful way, then I think it's good if they go. It is unfortunate for the remaining speakers, but a language which has outlived its usefulness does not need to be propagated "just because" IMO.

I'd love to hear reasoning which differs from mine. Give me good reasons why dying languages with little value outside of their tiny places in space/time should be actively, livingly preserved rather than merely recorded for posterity. I say let them die out, but do collect historical and cultural data before they do.