Should we actively try to preserve local/regional dialects that are at-risk of dying out in future generations?

[Thedosius]

First, regional accents aren't necessarily diminishing despite mass culture and globalization. A lot of linguists have considerable evidence that they are becoming stronger.

https://hmcurrentevents.com/how-amer...live-and-well/

Second, language and culture are constantly in flux, constantly changing. Therefore it is impossible to preserve them because freezing something that is essentially always in flux changes it. By freezing it you change its fundamental character. We can certainly record current regional accents for posterity - similar to how anthropologists early recordings of folk music in the early 1900's- but we can't freeze language.

Finally, there's no way to impose a way of talking on people...and that's what 'maintaining a regional accent' would entail. Regional accents come about naturally from people's day-to-day lives. We can't freeze-dry that.

[Minervah]

It's very difficult to consciously change the way one speaks. Actors struggle with dialects constantly. Sometimes when someone relocates to a new area they will pick up a little of the manner in which those around them are speaking but usually do not lose their own native accent unless they make a very conscious effort.

Their children will pick up the local accent though. The influence their is school and their peers. It's just as immigrants from other countries learning English as a second language and their kids also learning English as a second language but once the kids are immersed in Society they quickly lose their accent but the parents don't. Kids keep learning.

There is no way possible you can stifle something as fluid as language.

[SunGrins]

Regional dialects will survive and evolve as long as they are used. I'm more interested in preserving the non-English languages that are dying out. Some Indian languages have only a handful of speakers. Then there are the Gullah and similar languages. Pawpaw French has only a few speakers. There are some efforts underway to increase the usage of Indian languages.