Living Tongues

The Living Tongues Institute documents some of the world's endangered languages. Empowering language activists by providing them with equipment and training to document these languages, the Living Tongues Institute brings you closer to the people determined to preserve their languages. Language featured: Foe

Meet Marat Damdyn, a Tuvan musician who demonstrates Tuvan throat singing with a banjo accompaniment. Tuva is a federal subject of Russia and is located in southern Siberia. Language featured: Tuvan

Shoydak-Ool, a traditional Tuvan storyteller, tells the epic tale of Boktu Kirish. Tuva is a federal subject of Russia and is located in southern Siberia. Language featured: Tuvan

Anthony Degio, a speaker of Koro-Aka from Yangse, a small village located 3 km from Bana in Arunachal Pradesh, India, talks about why the Koro language is going extinct and what can be done to save it. Featured language: Koro-Aka

A hidden language in India, Koro was first documented by National Geographic Fellows Greg Anderson and David Harrison, with Indian linguist Ganesh Murmu. Language featured: Koro-Aka

Kalmyk virtuoso musicians, Viktor Batyrovich Okchayev and Dmitriy Sharayev, perform a musical duel on the topshur or dombura, a two-stringed wooden instrument. Kalmyk is spoken by people in the Republic of Kalmykia, Russia, and the video was shot in the city of Elista. Language featured: Kalmyk