Two Thousand Tongues To Go

For those interested in practical field linguistics, and who are open minded, this book is fascinating. While quite dated, this book is a powerful documentary about the need of literally thousands of languages without a single written word - these are verbal languages amongst the more primitive groups of people (for the most part), most of whom don't even have a written alphabet. The number of known languages today, without any body of literature, is closer to 5,000. Written from a Christian perspective, secular linguists and anthropologists may not share my enthusiasm, but for me, it was a life-changing book. We took our family to live and work in Papua New Guinea, then later in The Philippines, taking the written Word and literacy to people who were, in some cases, cannibals in living memory. While these people can buy and sell in the markets in the national trade languages, they think and love and worry and dream in the language of their hearts. A great introduction to the work of translation itself, and to the work of Wycliffe Bible Translators around the world.