We are often asked to explain why our languages are important to the world as a whole, and our answers become repetitive and pointless after a while; this is because the question in itself misses the point entirely.
In order to revitalise a language, we should not be asked to justify its worth to others, but to think critically about what it means to ourselves.
When you’re asked to explain why your language is important to everyone else but your own community, focus is shifted from the act of speaking it to a point where we’re too busy defending the use of it to non-speakers from outwith our own communities to actually use it.
If, instead, the question we ask each other is why a language is important to ourselves, we’re forced to think critically about our own personal relationship and commitment to our languages, rather than to spend time on defending a language's right to exist in the first place.
Being asked why your language is important, period, is taxing, and a micro-aggression.
If, instead, you ask yourself why your language is important to you, you engage in an act of empowerment. It gives you a clear idea of what role your language plays in your own life, and without knowing this, any attempt at reclaiming or revitalising your language will be futile.
