**3. Language as a cultural heritage to be safeguarded**

Language is the natural, inherent, and universal ability of human beings to construct systems for communication. Language is that system belonging to each community that is used for communication.

Language is the natural, inherent and universal faculty of human beings to build systems for communication; its study is divided into two parts, one dealing with language (the code) and the other with speech (the use of the code). F. de Saussure.

Language is a system of vocal signs specific to members of the same community; it is an instrument of communication within that same community and, from a sociolinguistic point of view, a symbol of identity and cultural belonging. As a code, language remains a social convention, a priori independent of individual variations. F. de Saussure.

As a result, every language has its own way of thinking, its own identity, and its own culture. These three concepts are part of the tangible and intangible heritage of a given community insofar as they represent a certain wealth and contribute to the socioeconomic development of individuals. To know and understand a language is to know how the society functions, that is, its resources and its biodiversity in general. And this is how the preservation of cultural heritage will be effective.

Cultural heritage is, in its broadest sense, both a product and a process that provides societies with a set of resources inherited from the past, created in the present and made available for the benefit of future generations. It includes not only tangible heritage but also natural and intangible heritage. Nevertheless, as noted in "Our Creative Diversity", these resources constitute "fragile wealth" and as such require policies and development models that preserve and respect the diversity and uniqueness of cultural heritage, because once lost, they are not renewable ([6], p. 132).

It is therefore time that every language, whatever it may be, be preserved, since the loss of a language is equal to the loss of a cultural heritage to be protected. Concepts, expressions, and objects, in some languages, cannot be easily translated into other languages just by words or phrases because they are full of meaning. A single word or phrase cannot translate them. One must use either phrases or images to do so. It is in this sense that each language has its importance to play in the conservation of cultural heritage.

The notion of heritage is important for culture and development as it constitutes the "cultural capital" of contemporary societies. Heritage contributes to the ongoing revaluation of cultures and identities and is a significant vehicle for the transmission of expertise, skills, and knowledge between generations. It also provides a source of inspiration for creativity and innovation, resulting in contemporary and future cultural products. Cultural heritage has the potential to foster access to and enjoyment of cultural diversity. Through the development of an individual and collective sense of belonging, it can also enrich social capital and contribute to supporting social and territorial cohesion. Furthermore, cultural heritage has acquired great economic importance for the tourism sector in many countries while, at the same time, creating new challenges for its conservation ([6], p. 132).

To preserve non-codified local languages, it is necessary to go into the field to study them.

### **4. The concept of the field**

Field cannot be defined ex nihilo. "Terrain is not a thing, it is not a place, nor is it a social category, an ethnic group or an institution" ([7], p. 35). It must be associated with the researcher. This is why researchers who have already worked on the issue speak of "doing the field." In this expression, we understand that there is an idea of interaction; that is, the researcher must not go into the field and work alone. He or she must be surrounded by informants of all ages and academic levels and must be a field rat, that is, go wherever there is information to be gathered.

Doing fieldwork refers, *de facto*, to a dynamic aspect. For the researcher, it is a question of going to the field, being accepted there, staying there, interacting, observing,

*Perspective Chapter: The Transmission of National Languages and the Conservation... DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.109713*

noting, discussing, weaving links, trying to understand… this research tool—fieldwork therefore presupposes a commitment of the body, a common experience, a sharing. p. 56.

Fieldwork is an eternal restart, a perpetual questioning to avoid failures. This is why it is necessary to train in the field in order to know its intricacies so as to be able to transmit.
