What we lose when a language dies | Ritu Jain | TEDxNTU

In this thought-provoking talk, Ritu Jain examines how language shapes identity, belonging, and the way we connect with one another in a globalized world. Through stories of multilingualism and linguistic diversity in Singapore and beyond, she reveals how the echoes of language carry our histories, emotions, and cultural memory.  In this talk, Ritu invites us to rethink language not merely as a tool for communication, but as a bridge that unites and sometimes divides communities. Her insights show how embracing linguistic diversity can strengthen social cohesion and personal empowerment in multicultural societies. A sociolinguist by doctoral training, Dr Ritu Jain is interested in the intersection of language management and language practices. She is particularly fascinated by upstream causes such as language policies for downstream effects of language use/disuse and implications for community and individual identity, culture and tradition, and societal multilingualism. Dr Jain has extensively researched the role of language education policy in the promotion and maintenance of minority languages and the inexorable shift away from community languages towards English. Currently, she is investigating language practices and ideologies in Singapore as part of a multi-sited study on intergenerational language transmission. Dr Jain is editor of Multilingual Singapore: Language Policies and Linguistic Realities (2021) and has published in journals such as Language Policy and Current Issues in Language Planning. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.

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