Dying languages: can they be saved?

"Took away our native tongue/And taught their English to our young..."

— from "Indian Reservation," by John D. Loudermilk.

According to the United Nations, there are about 6,500 distinct languages (not just dialects) spoken throughout the world. And HALF of those languages are in danger of disappearing by the next century.

That's right: one language becomes extinct every two weeks! Which mea...