That's the way the world works...

The dieing out of languages is a symptom of globalization. I do think that language is important to cultural identity, in that every sound and syllable can distinguish you from other similar cultures, and language is the backbone of gesture. And gesture can sometimes define a culture (look at the Italians).

The idea of losing so many languages is a tad depressing, but that's just the route we've taken. With the advent of accessible, long-distance travel, we're slowly heading to what America started off as; a gigantic mixing pot of culture and language. You can make a good argument for weather this is a good or a bad thing, but either way, it is what's happening and there's no way to really stop it. Preserving language by writing it down could be a useful historical record for future generations; but beyond that, there's nothing we can really do. I say ride with the flow and see what happens.