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What if you could learn a language spoken by just a handful of people—one that holds centuries of culture, knowledge, and memory, yet exists nowhere online? That’s the question behind 500 Languages Online by 2030. This bold campaign aims to bring the world’s most endangered and under-resourced languages into the digital age.
Around 40% of the world’s languages are at risk of disappearing, many without a single digital resource available. This campaign aims to change that by digitising, promoting, and teaching 500 of these languages by the year 2030.
In this article, we’ll walk you through the mission, vision, and impact of the campaign. This includes why it matters, who it’s for, and how you can be part of the movement to keep the world’s languages alive and online.
Our Mission: Why We’re Digitising 500 Languages by 2030
Our mission is to digitise, promote, and teach 500 endangered or under-resourced languages by the year 2030. Around the world, thousands of languages are at risk of disappearing, many with only a handful of speakers. By creating accessible online resources, we aim to preserve these languages. Anyone who wants to learn can access these resources.
Digitising a language means more than just recording vocabulary. It involves capturing grammar, pronunciation, cultural context, and everyday use. Through open-access lessons and digital dictionaries, we work to ensure that these languages are not only preserved. They are also actively used and shared.
Our goal is to keep linguistic diversity alive and empower communities to reconnect with their heritage. We also offer learners around the world a chance to discover and support languages.
The Vision: Bringing 500 Endangered Languages Online by 2030
The vision of “500 Languages Online by 2030” is to build a future where endangered and under-resourced languages are no longer excluded from the digital world. Too many communities speak languages that aren’t represented online. This means younger generations grow up without access to learning materials, media, or tools in their heritage language.
This campaign aims to change that by creating a space where these languages can thrive. By 2030, learners, educators, and communities will be able to explore hundreds of lesser-known languages through meaningful, culturally informed content. It’s not just about preservation—it’s about creating opportunities for reconnection, education, and long-term visibility.
What Does the ‘500 Languages’ Campaign Actually Do
The ‘500 Languages’ campaign focuses on turning underrepresented languages into accessible digital experiences. This includes building entry-level learning tools such as phrasebooks, pronunciation guides, and beginner lessons. All are designed to be easy to use and freely available.
Beyond language content, the campaign also works closely with communities and contributors to document oral traditions, everyday expressions, and cultural context. It supports collaboration between native speakers, linguists, educators, and volunteers. This ensures each resource is accurate, respectful, and meaningful. By combining modern technology with community knowledge, the campaign creates a living, evolving space for languages that might otherwise fade from public reach.
Who This Campaign Is For (Hint: It Includes You)
This campaign is for anyone who believes in the power of language to connect, preserve, and inspire. Whether you’re starting your first steps into language learning or looking to reconnect with ancestral roots, there’s a place for you here.
It’s for learners who want to explore something rare and meaningful:
- Native speakers and elders who carry knowledge that deserves to be shared.
- Teachers and students, bringing diversity into their classrooms.
- Researchers, NGOs, and volunteers are committed to cultural preservation.
- And for diaspora communities seeking to reclaim a part of their identity.
- Anyone who is interested in languages, especially ones that are endangered.
Why Saving Endangered Languages Matters Now More Than Ever
Saving endangered languages matters more than ever. As globalisation accelerates, thousands of languages face extinction within a few generations. This isn’t just a linguistic issue, it’s a loss of cultural identity, traditional knowledge, and worldviews that have shaped communities.
Endangered languages hold unique ways of understanding the environment, medicine, relationships, and storytelling. When a language disappears, so does the wisdom it carries. At the same time, many younger speakers are eager to reconnect with their roots but lack access to the tools and support they need.
Preserving and sharing these languages is a powerful act of resilience. It gives people the chance to reclaim their heritage, strengthen community bonds, and ensure their voices remain part of our global future.
How You Can Join the 500 Languages Movement Today
Joining the Global 500 Languages movement is easier and more impactful than you might think. Whether you have five minutes or five hours, there’s something you can do to help keep the world’s endangered languages alive.
Start by learning a word or phrase in a language you’ve never heard of. Share it with a friend. Explore our growing library of digital resources of endangered languages. If you speak or know about a language at risk, contribute your knowledge — every recording, phrase, or story counts.
This isn’t just about saving words—it’s about building a future where every voice matters. However, you choose to get involved, you become part of a global movement to celebrate and protect humanity’s most diverse form of expression: language.
Tracking Our Progress: From 1 to 500 Languages Online
Tracking our progress is at the heart of the 500 Languages Online by 2030 campaign. Every language we add represents a community, a culture, and a step forward in preserving global linguistic diversity.
We’re starting with just a few, but each one brings us closer to our goal of 500. You’ll be able to follow our journey through an interactive map, regular updates, and featured language spotlights. From newly digitised resources to collaborative projects with local speakers, we’re documenting the milestones that mark real impact.
As the campaign grows, so does the movement—more contributors, more learners, and more languages brought back into everyday use. This is a living, evolving archive of languages that were once at risk and are now finding new life online.