> it certainly saddens me to be witnessing probably the largest scale mass extinction of one of the defining features of human evolution, as the world trends towards easier communication for the masses.

It saddens you that more people can communicate? As a fellow language fan, I appreciate languages as much as anyone else, but I would definitely have the whole world speaking one language fluently and be on a level playing field than have people unable to participate in global society because they didn't happen to be raised speaking the language (or don't have resources/motivation to learn as an adult).