Read the passage below carefully and answer the question that follows.
Over the past two decades, the rapid expansion of global digital infrastructure has posed both a grave threat and a transformative opportunity for indigenous West African languages. Historically sustained through oral traditions, local proverbs, and intergenerational storytelling, scores of minority languages across the region face gradual extinction. As younger demographics increasingly prioritize international and national lingua francas for formal education, commercial transactions, and online interaction, native linguistic diversity is rapidly eroding.
To counter this decline, digital humanities initiatives across Africa are utilizing artificial intelligence and open-source audio databases to preserve endangered spoken heritage. By recording native speakers, annotating phonetic nuances, and training natural language processing models on indigenous speech patterns, researchers are assembling resilient digital repositories. These archives do more than merely store vocabulary; they integrate minority languages into modern software tools, automated translation systems, and interactive educational applications, making them functional in contemporary digital spaces.
Admittedly, some sociolinguists argue that technological intervention cannot substitute for vibrant, daily usage within physical speech communities. They contend that a language only truly lives when spoken in markets, homes, and civic gatherings. Nevertheless, digital archiving provides an essential safeguard by preventing complete erasure and creating accessible records for future educational revival. Consequently, while grassroots community usage remains indispensable, digital preservation constitutes the primary bulwark for protecting West Africa's rich linguistic heritage against the overwhelming pressures of global homogenization.
Which of the following statements best synthesizes the central argument of the passage?
- AArtificial intelligence models and audio databases are currently being used to record phonetic nuances and oral narratives of minority languages.
- While active community usage remains necessary, digital preservation serves as a vital safeguard for protecting and integrating indigenous West African languages into modern society.Answer
- CDigital preservation initiatives will completely eliminate the need for spoken communication in local markets and traditional community gatherings.
- DSociolinguists oppose digital archiving because technological intervention inherently accelerates the extinction rate of endangered languages.