Of the 6,900 languages left on earth today, 3,000 are likely to be lost by the year 2100. There are many reasons why languages fall out of use, among them colonialism, globalization, nationalism, and mass media such as television and the internet. Language is one of the main defining characteristics of a culture. When a language dies, an entire culture often dies with it. Inherited knowledge is lost, literature is lost, myths and legends are forgotten, and our world becomes a more homogenous place.
One of the promises of the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity is “safeguarding the linguistic heritage of humanity.” The film “The Alphabet Book” tells the story of a young man from the Kalash Valleys of Northern Pakistan who takes this imperative into his own hands.