Topic > How language is shared and preserved: analyzing the influence of radio

There are many positive effects that radio has on cultures around the world. One of these concerns the preservation of culture, especially the preservation of native languages. In Native American communities, for example, originally English-language media have been replaced with more traditional forms of media such as storytelling. These changes have caused a shift in the language of young people in these Native American communities. Over the past twenty years, radio has also allowed indigenous languages ​​to expand into other countries such as the United States and Canada. The audience of a radio broadcast is essential for the standardization of a language. Broadcasts in the language of the Navajo Indians, for example, are aimed at an older, monolingual audience. This can have a negative impact on the future of the language as it can cause a shortage of younger listeners who do not engage with these broadcasts. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Language preservation through media such as radio is also evident in countries such as Zimbabwe, a multilingual and multicultural nation. Although English is the official language, there are more than fifteen indigenous languages ​​in Zimbabwe. Radio broadcasts are important in the life-preserving role because not only is language “created by society, but it also creates or recreates society.”[1] Radio is powerful in Zimbabwe because, although other forms of media such as television and the Internet are technology based, they are published in English and are not accessible to many, especially in rural areas. Radio also has an influence on development. Ways in which a country becomes more developed through radio include the diffusion of norms and expectations of more Westernized cultures: for example, the modernization of a nation may be promoted. Radio also has an effect on the educational development of a rural society. For example, radio can educate people, especially women, about various health risks and factors. Fictional radio soap operas are able to educate audiences on various issues regarding sexual and reproductive health and relationships between children and parents. According to a study analyzed by Dr. Mary Myers, 85% of people who listened to a program similar to this were able to make changes in their lives based on the knowledge gained from the radio program.