ONE LANGUAGE BECOMES EXTINCT EVERY TWO WEEKS, SAYS UNESCO

KOTA KINABALU (Malaysia), Sept 26 (Bernama) -- One language disappears at a rapid pace of every two weeks on average, a representative of the Asia-Pacific
Cultural Centre for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organisation (Unesco) said.

Masanori Kono, who spoke at the launch of the 11 Children's Storybooks
through the Moyog Family Literacy Project here today, said Unesco feared that
nearly 50 per cent of the 6,700 languages still being spoken in the world were
in danger of extinction.

"This alarming situation is posing threats to local wisdom embedded
in each unique language.
"This is why Unesco has always prioritised the importance and promotion of
literacy and cultural diversity across the region," he said.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Bernard Dompok, who
launched the 11 books, said serious attention must be given to preserving
the languages of the indigenous people.

"A language holds the people together. It also preserves the
prosperity of
the people, especially in a multi-racial country like Malaysia," he
said.

The books, an effort by the Kadazandusun Language Foundation (KLF), were
written in the Kadazandusun language to serve as practising tools of the
language and to educate children on the importance of preserving culture and the
environment through stories and illustrations.

KLF hopes the books will also be used as learning tools in schools.

-- BERNAMA