ISLAMABAD, Sep 25 (APP):AIOU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Nasir Mahmood on Wednesday stressed that practical steps should be taken to document endangered languages for their preservation.
It would be a great contribution to education and research for future generations, he said while addressing the inaugural session of the three-day 28th Conference of Foundation for Endangered Languages.
Scholars and intellectuals from 22 countries are participating in the conference organized by the Allama Iqbal Open University in collaboration with the Forum for Language Initiatives (FLI). Some 42 national and international scholars will present their research papers.
Dr Nasir Mahmood said the AIOU had an annual enrolment of over one million students, with 54 regional campuses across Pakistan.
“Students at this institution come from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds, including those from remote areas, and they all are provided with equal educational opportunities,” he added.
The VC expressed the hope that the conference would help devise a comprehensive strategy to safeguard endangered languages.
Forum for Language Initiatives (FLI) Chairman Rozi Khan Burki, in his address, said over 70 languages were spoken in Pakistan and many of them were at risk of extinction.
He stressed that the government should take concrete measures to ensure their survival.
Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences Professor Abdul Aziz Sahir said,”No language is small or large; each has its own culture and history.”
A language with literature, stories, and poetry could not become extinct, he added. “As long as mothers are alive in society, so too will their mother tongues survive.”
He emphasized the importance of oral traditions in preserving languages.
Dr Hakim Elnazarov, Board Member of the Foundation for Endangered Languages (FEL), pointed out that over 7,000 languages were spoken worldwide, but a recent research indicated that “one language disappears every week”.
He stressed that safeguarding the languages must be a top priority.
The opening ceremony was hosted by Dr Rashida Imran, Assistant Professor of the English Department, while Dr. Muhammad Kamal Khan, Head of the English Department, delivered the welcome address.
Throughout the three days, national and international linguistics experts, some through online, will present their research papers.
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