My background is in foreign languages.  I find words and their various usages, applications, and meanings very interesting, throw in another language and culture and I'm hooked.  The New York Times has an article that I find fascinating.  Reportedly, because New York City is home to as many as 800+ languages, there is a growing effort to systematically record and catalog some of the endangered languages of the world. What a worthy undertaking!  Language is a window, like no other, into a specific culture.  Once a language becomes extinct the window closes and the culture remains obscure or misunderstood.  I find it very interesting that as our global awareness is raised that the desire to remain distinct and culturally different diminishes. Linguists and native speakers are teaming together to record these languages.  Unfortunately the appeal and pressure to assimilate into the culture is so great that many folks forget there roots or deny those roots which results in the loss of language.  What a great combined effort to preserve history, culture and heritage.