Based on my own personal experience of living in different countries where dialects are under threat, I applaud the Beijing Linguistics Committee's plan announced last Thursday to preserve the old Beijing dialect.

 Many languages and sub-dialects have disappeared, and we're the poorer because of this.

In my native land, it began several hundred years ago when the dominant English sought to eliminate regional differences through linguistic uniformity, in some cases to subjugate rebellious peoples like the Scots.

In England, ancient dialects of areas like rural Yorkshire and Cornwall - with its great inheritance of Celtic culture - disappeared from the linguistic map.

Unfortunately, we live in a streamlined age that demands we all use the same words and speak in exactly the same way in the interests of good communication.

However, dialects are more than just a way of speaking; they are communicators of culture and history.

Singapore's government has long sought to persuade the entire Chinese community to speak standardized Putonghua by incorporating it into the national education policy. In the process, this has meant weakening and, now, virtually eliminating the Hakka dialect spoken by past generations.

But it was the Hakka immigrants, especially those from Guangdong and Fujian provinces, who laid the foundations for today's rich, cosmopolitan city-state. As someone who lived in Singapore for some years, I would be very sad if this distinctive cultural and historic link was lost. 

Preservation of dialects is not only worthwhile on a symbolic level but also for practical reasons.

Knowledge of them can allow us to access and understand recorded stories or oral traditions that should be part of the cultural memory bank for future generations.

Dialects also have an identity function, allowing speakers to show they share similarities and belong to the same group.

This feeling has been strengthened in many countries lately by a fear among some segments of the population that they are being marginalized politically, economically and culturally.

Therefore, they seek a common bond through language to fight for their rights, such as the Bretons in France, Basques in Spain and the Australian aborigines.

We may well live in a "global village" today, but that doesn't mean we should mindlessly pursue linguistic and cultural homogenization. It would be an awfully dull world if we did.

Dialects have greatly enriched the English language over the centuries, especially the contributions made by immigrants from former British colonies.

The same applies to distinctive regional accents that are sometimes hard to follow by outsiders.

For decades, the BBC insisted all its announcers had to speak with the "plummy" accent of a Cambridge University graduate. In the 1980s, it encouraged staff at regional radio stations to bond with their communities by speaking just like their listeners. 

We should by all means promote a standardized language for essential communication, but let's do everything to preserve knowledge of local dialects that allow us to stay in touch with and be proud of our cultural roots and have a sense of belonging.