IS FADA an teangeolaí David Crystal ag plé le cúrsaí teanga agus is iomaí leabhar tábhachtach a scríobh sé ar an téama. Is é A Little Book of Language (Yale) an ceann is nuaí óna pheann.
Bíodh is gur duine acadúil é Crystal, ní leabhar acadúil atá anseo, is é sin, leabhar é a bhfuil saineolas ar chúrsaí teanga fud fad na cruinne ann ach leabhar é a d’fhéadfá a léamh ar do phléisiúr.
Tosaíonn Crystal a aistear teanga sa chliabhán agus leanann leis go dtí an chill. I measc mórán rudaí spéisiúla atá le rá aige, tá an méid seo: “I hope you will care about the fact that so many languages in the world are dying … Half the languages of the world are likely to die out during this century. If their speakers want them saved, are there ways in which you can help? Yes, there are.
“Saving a language is possible if the public cares enough, and if the politicians care enough. It’s the politicians who control the purse-strings that can provide money to help languages survive. And who will vote in those politicians? You will. So: make them realize the importance of language diversity.”