Why Learn an Endangered Language?

Every language carries within it a unique way of seeing the world. A distinct way of naming seasons, emotions and kinship ties. When a language disappears, it is not merely a communication system that falls silent: it is an entire library of knowledge, stories and ways of thinking that vanishes.

According to UNESCO, nearly 3,000 languages are currently threatened with extinction worldwide. Every two weeks, a language dies for good. But this trajectory is not inevitable. Across the planet, communities, teachers and passionate individuals are mobilising to keep these languages alive.

Here are seven endangered languages you can still learn in 2026. For each one, you will find the number of speakers, the reasons for its fragility, the revitalisation programmes underway and practical ways to begin learning.

1. Nahuatl (Mexico)

An Imperial Language Turned Minority

Nahuatl was the language of the Aztec Empire, spoken by millions across Mesoamerica before the arrival of the Spanish. It is the language that gave us the words "chocolate", "tomato", "avocado" and "coyote".

Today, according to Ethnologue (26th edition, SIL International), Nahuatl still has approximately 1.7 million speakers spread across several states of central Mexico (Puebla, Veracruz, Hidalgo, Guerrero, San Luis Potosi). But this figure masks a troubling reality: intergenerational transmission is crumbling. UNESCO classifies most Nahuatl variants as "endangered" or "severely endangered" in its Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger.

Why Nahuatl Is in Danger

The pressure from Spanish is immense. The Mexican education system operates almost exclusively in Spanish. Social stigma pushes many parents not to pass Nahuatl on to their children, as the language is associated with poverty and marginalisation. Rural migration to large cities accelerates linguistic erosion.

INALI (Instituto Nacional de Lenguas Indigenas) recognises Nahuatl as a national language, but this legal recognition does not always translate into concrete resources on the ground.

Revitalisation Programmes

Several initiatives are bearing fruit. The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) offers Nahuatl courses. The Nahuatl IDIEZ project (Instituto de Docencia e Investigacion Etnologica de Zacatecas) trains teachers and produces teaching materials. Online communities like "Nahuatl en linea" offer free courses.

On a cultural level, contemporary poets like Natalio Hernandez and Mardonio Carballo write and publish in Nahuatl, giving the language new media visibility.

How to Learn It

You can start with IDIEZ online courses, manuals published by UNAM, or resources from the Mexica Project. For structured learning with a native teacher, discover Nahuatl courses on Targumi. Private or small group lessons allow you to progress at your own pace with a native speaker who knows the subtleties of the language.

2. Breton (France)

The Celtic Language of the West

Breton is the only Celtic language still spoken on mainland Europe. Close to Welsh and Cornish, it has been spoken in western Brittany (Lower Brittany) for over 1,500 years.

According to a TMO Regions survey from 2018, around 200,000 Breton speakers remain, the vast majority of whom are over 60 years old. Ethnologue classifies Breton as "severely endangered". UNESCO places it in the "severely endangered" category.

Why Breton Is in Danger

The history of Breton is one of repressive language policy. From the Third Republic onwards, French public schools systematically banned Breton in classrooms. The phrase "It is forbidden to spit on the ground and to speak Breton" remains in collective memory. In a century, the number of speakers dropped from over one million to 200,000.

The Deixonne Act of 1951 allowed a timid return of Breton to education, but the demographic decline of elderly speakers remains faster than the training of new ones.

Revitalisation Programmes

The Diwan network, founded in 1977, offers immersive Breton education from nursery to secondary school. Nearly 4,000 pupils attend Diwan schools. Bilingual Div Yezh classes in the public system and Dihun streams in the Catholic system complement the offering. The University of Rennes 2 offers a Breton degree.

The cultural movement is vibrant: festivals (Festival Interceltique de Lorient), music (Alan Stivell, Denez Prigent), literature and media (France 3 Bretagne, Radio Breizh). The Office public de la langue bretonne coordinates regional language policy.

How to Learn It

Intensive courses (Stumdi, Roudour) can bring you to conversational level within a few months. Apps like "Skol" and online courses are available. On Targumi, Breton courses with certified native teachers offer a structured framework, in private or small group lessons via video call.

3. Scottish Gaelic (Scotland)

The Voice of the Highlands

Scottish Gaelic (Gaidhlig) is a Goidelic Celtic language, a cousin of Irish and Manx. Once spoken throughout Scotland, it is now concentrated in the Highlands and the Hebrides.

According to the 2022 Scottish census, approximately 57,000 people report speaking Gaelic, or 1.1% of the Scottish population. This figure has been declining steadily for decades. UNESCO classifies Scottish Gaelic as "definitely endangered".

Why It Is in Danger

The Highland Clearances of the 18th and 19th centuries caused the mass exodus of Gaelic-speaking populations to cities and colonies. English became the language of administration, education and social advancement. The cultural prestige of Gaelic collapsed.

The Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act of 2005 gave Gaelic official status and created Bord na Gaidhlig, the body responsible for its promotion. But the communities where Gaelic is still the language of daily life are shrinking year by year.

Revitalisation Programmes

The Gaelic Medium Education (GME) system offers primary education entirely in Gaelic in around twenty schools. Sabhal Mor Ostaig, the Gaelic university on the Isle of Skye, trains students and teachers. The BBC Alba television channel has broadcast exclusively in Gaelic since 2008.

The SpeakGaelic programme, launched in 2021 by MG ALBA and the BBC, offers a complete free online learning pathway from beginner to advanced level.

How to Learn It

SpeakGaelic (speakgaelic.scot) is the go-to resource for beginners. Duolingo has offered a Scottish Gaelic course since 2019, attracting over 500,000 learners. For personalised learning, Scottish Gaelic courses on Targumi connect you with native speakers from the Highlands and Hebrides.

4. Ainu (Japan)

The Indigenous Language of the Archipelago

Ainu is the language of the indigenous people of northern Japan, historically present in Hokkaido, southern Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. It is a language isolate: it is related to no other known language family, making it a unique scientific treasure.

The exact number of speakers is difficult to establish. UNESCO classifies Ainu as "critically endangered". Estimates range from 2 to 10 remaining native speakers, all over 80 years old. Ethnologue confirms this critical status.

Why Ainu Is in Danger

The colonisation of Hokkaido by the Japanese government in the 19th century was devastating. The Hokkaido Former Aborigines Protection Act of 1899 imposed forced assimilation: language prohibition, community displacement, land confiscation. The Ainu were compelled to adopt Japanese and abandon their culture.

It was not until 2008 that the Japanese parliament officially recognised the Ainu as an indigenous people. The 2019 Ainu Culture Promotion Act marked a turning point, but the number of speakers remains critical.

Revitalisation Programmes

The Upopoy cultural centre ("singing together" in Ainu), inaugurated in 2020 in Shiraoi (Hokkaido), is the first national museum and cultural centre dedicated to the Ainu. It offers linguistic and cultural workshops.

The Foundation for Research and Promotion of Ainu Culture (FRPAC) produces teaching materials, dictionaries and audio recordings of native speakers. Hokkaido University conducts linguistic research and offers courses.

Community initiatives like the Kayano Shigeru Nibutani Ainu Language Classroom continue the transmission.

How to Learn It

Resources are rare but they exist. The FRPAC website offers online courses. Manuals like "Ainu Shin-yoshu" (Chiri Mashiho) and the work of Anna Bugaeva provide an academic foundation. For supported learning, explore rare language courses on Targumi where our team can guide you to available resources.

5. Guarani (Paraguay)

The South American Exception

Guarani is unique among indigenous languages of the Americas: it is the only Amerindian language spoken by a majority of the national population. In Paraguay, roughly 90% of the population speaks Guarani, and it has been co-official with Spanish since the 1992 Constitution.

Ethnologue estimates the number of Paraguayan Guarani speakers at approximately 6 million. But this reassuring figure hides a fragility: UNESCO classifies Guarani as "vulnerable" in its Atlas, because the language is losing ground to Spanish in urban settings, media and higher education.

Why It Is in Danger Despite Its Status

Guarani suffers from marked diglossia: Spanish dominates in formal registers (administration, law, universities, business), while Guarani is confined to informal registers (family, market, everyday conversation). This implicit hierarchy weakens the language over time.

Jopara, a blend of Guarani and Spanish spoken by the majority of Paraguayans, worries some linguists who see it as a sign of erosion of "pure" Guarani.

Revitalisation Programmes

Paraguay's Secretaria de Politicas Linguisticas coordinates national language policy. The 2010 language law mandates bilingual Guarani-Spanish education in the school system. The Ateneo de Lengua y Cultura Guarani produces dictionaries, grammars and teaching materials.

MERCOSUR recognised Guarani as an official language of the bloc in 2006, giving it regional reach. Culturally, Guarani music (polkas, guaranias) and contemporary literature in Guarani contribute to its prestige.

How to Learn It

Platforms like Guaranime and the Ateneo's courses are accessible online. The Alliance Francaise in Asuncion offers Guarani courses for French speakers. On Targumi, Guarani courses with native Paraguayan teachers let you practise the language in a living, current context.

6. Hawaiian (Hawaii)

The Pacific Language That Nearly Went Extinct

Hawaiian (olelo Hawai'i) is a Polynesian language, a cousin of Tahitian, Maori and Samoan. The language of the Kingdom of Hawaii until the US annexation in 1898, it was systematically removed from education and public life in the 20th century.

In the 1980s, only 50 native speakers remained, nearly all elderly. UNESCO classified Hawaiian as "critically endangered". Today, thanks to one of the most successful revitalisation programmes in the world, an estimated 24,000 people speak Hawaiian (according to the 2020 US Census and University of Hawaii data).

Why It Was in Danger

After the 1898 annexation, English became the sole language of instruction. Hawaiian was banned in schools in 1896. Within two generations, family transmission had almost completely stopped. Hawaiian became a language of grandparents, then a language of ceremonies.

Revitalisation Programmes

The Aha Punana Leo programme, launched in 1983, created Hawaiian immersion schools for children starting in nursery. This model, inspired by New Zealand's Maori Kohanga Reo, produced a new generation of speakers. Today, over 3,000 pupils attend the Hawaiian immersion system (Kula Kaiapuni).

The University of Hawaii at Hilo offers a master's degree entirely in Hawaiian. The Ka Haka Ula O Ke'elikolani (College of Hawaiian Language) trains teachers and translators. The radio station KAPA FM broadcasts in Hawaiian.

Hawaiian is the world's greatest success story in language revitalisation. The number of speakers has been multiplied by 480 in 40 years.

How to Learn It

The University of Hawaii offers distance courses. Apps like "Drops" include Hawaiian. The Niuolahiki website offers online courses. For learning with a native speaker, explore Hawaiian courses on Targumi in private or small group settings.

7. Romani (Europe)

The Nomadic Language of Europe

Romani is an Indo-Aryan language, genetically related to Hindi and Rajasthani. Spoken by Roma communities across Europe since their migration from the Indian subcontinent in the Middle Ages, it is the only Indo-Aryan language born in Europe.

Ethnologue records approximately 3.5 million speakers of Romani in its various dialects (Vlax, Balkan, Sinte, Kalo, etc.). UNESCO classifies most variants as "definitely endangered" or "severely endangered".

Why Romani Is in Danger

The history of the Roma in Europe is marked by persecution, slavery (in Romania until 1856) and the Nazi genocide (the Porajmos, which exterminated between 250,000 and 500,000 Roma). This historical marginalisation has had direct linguistic consequences: Romani has never had a territory, a state or institutions to support it.

Today, pressure from dominant languages (Romanian, Hungarian, Spanish, French, German) erodes Romani. Many young Roma no longer speak the language of their grandparents. Social stigma remains a powerful barrier to transmission.

Revitalisation Programmes

The Council of Europe has recognised Romani as a minority language under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. The University of Graz (Austria) houses the Romano Centro and offers Romani courses. The University of Paris-Descartes long offered Romani instruction (the work of Marcel Courthiade).

Standardisation of Romani is progressing: the Romani Morpho-Syntax Database (University of Manchester) and the work of the International Romani Union aim to create a common written standard. The European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture (ERIAC) promotes Roma culture and language.

How to Learn It

Resources are scattered but growing. Romlex (the online lexicon from the University of Graz) covers several dialects. Manuals like "Romano Lil" and INALCO courses provide a foundation. For learning with a native speaker, explore Romani courses on Targumi or contact our team to find a teacher suited to the variant that interests you.

What You Can Do

Learning an endangered language, even at a beginner level, is a concrete act of preservation. Every new speaker counts. Every conversation in that language is a victory against oblivion.

You do not need to reach perfection. Simply showing interest, practising a few phrases, supporting the communities fighting for their language, makes a real difference.

If one of these seven languages spoke to you, do not wait. The native speakers who can teach them will not be here forever.

Learn With a Native Teacher on Targumi

Targumi offers courses for several of the languages featured in this article: Breton, Scottish Gaelic, Guarani, Hawaiian, Nahuatl and many more. Private or small group lessons, via video call, at your own pace.

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