"Are Ethnic or Minority Languages a Collateral Damage of Globalization?"

In order to trail trends, the language policies often become an issue of economic rights and integration tool that welcomes globalization in order to prevent stereotypes and negative traits in communities. What seems to be forgotten in this context is that languages are not only diversity tools that promote social and economical stability or integration but are also the main carrier of cultural heritage and identity. In this strive for integration, multiculturalism and globalization the collateral damage are the ethnic or the minority languages. They seem to not fit in this aggressive economic race and are lacking vitality and policy mechanisms to survive. The Endangered Language Alliance (ELA), an independent non-profit organization based in New York City and the only organization in the world focused on the immense linguistic diversity of urban areas states as many as 800 languages are highly endangered in urban areas. These languages are whitewashed by not being a factor in the economic impels and as a result they first lose their importance and attractiveness and unfortunately later-on they lose their chance for revitalization. European language policies need to provide more solidarity toward minority or ethnic languages in urban Europe in order to create basic survival conditions. This paper aims to explore possibilities to promote multilingualism and multiculturalism with prudence by making sure that ethnic or minority languages do not loose they role or value and not be considered a collateral damage of the globalization.

Keywords: Endangered languages, language policy, globalization, urban usage of languages.