Paul Cichon World Geography Power of Place and Endangered Languages At present, there are about 7,000 languages

still in existence, with half of them being classified by linguists as endangered. In chapter two, De Blij explains that the endangered languages are quickly becoming extinct. He attests this process to the event when the elders in villages die, and they take with them the last of their indigenous language. De Blij describes that, youngsters in the community will be using a tongue with wider circulation, and no passionate campaign to save the fading language is mounted by locals. Overall, languages are dying off because of globalization and it is becoming impossible to avoid or prevent this extinction even with efforts to document the endangered languages. In a Forbes.com article entitled, A New International Business Language: Globish, the author, Frederick E. Allen, explains the development of a new universal language called Globish. Jean-Paul Nerriere, past international vice president of marketing at IBM, noticed a threatening vice to international business. English is the global language of business, yet English is also the native tongue of relatively few people, and it is notoriously hard to learn. Nerriere has attempted to develop a solution to this conundrum-a new language, Globish. Globish is a kind of simplified English that is easier to use and easier to work with in conducting business. Globish strips down the naturally complicated vocabulary of English, and instead instill a more simple language by avoiding all figurative language and never telling jokes. Nerriere developed a list of 1,500 English words that he believes are the best to use to communicate just about anything. Globalization reinforces the need for a global language, and the fact that the English language will remain a dominant global force suggests that the global language should be shaped around English. The power of language is becoming a significant force in society around the world. As De Blij suggests, the path to connectivity lies in bilingualism and multilingualism. A person who is bilingual, or at least fluent in the global lingua franca has an enormous advantage over a large portion of society. "In countries where modernization has brought opportunities requiring facility in English, for example, the high-tech and outsourced industries of India, mobals who find employment are those who have the "language advantage" and are thus able to climb the first rung of the globalizing ladder." So would a universal global language benefit society and help decrease the rate of language extinction? De Blij and Nerriere would both agree. Responding to a question regarding the significance of the new language-Globish-Nerriere says, I am helping the rescue of French, and of all the languages that are threatened by English today but which will not be at all endangered by Globish. It is in the best interests of non-Anglophone countries to support Globish, especially if you like your culture and its language. In essence, by implementing a global language like Globish, we can save the endangered languages from becoming extinct. Globish will help reinforce the significance of multilinguism, and will ultimately be the key to surmounting the power of place.