Language Subordination - Report Example

Lаnguаgе Subоrdinаtiоn Student’s Name Institution Date Lаnguаgе Subоrdinаtiоn Language subordination is the act of forcing people to abandon their native language and forcing them to adopt or use the same language as the majority group. It is telling an individual to forget their accent and instead learn a new one mostly as everyone else. Majority language refers to the one spoken by the majority of a country’s population, while the minority language stands for the language spoken by the minority of a country’s population. There are many reasons why people practice this act. In some cases, at an individual level, there is a believe that one will have a higher chance of job opportunities if they practice the act. This is common thing over the world that learning some languages like English and French puts at an upper hand in the job market. The purpose of this paper is to address the issue of language subordination in any given community or country. By using the appropriate examples, the paper looks at the extent to which the practice is justifiable. (McLaughlin, 2013) One of the grounds taken to justify the adoption of a majority language is the way that it strengthens communication. Language subordination is sometimes carried out to enhance communication in a country. Barriers of communication can be a serious hindrance to the social economic life of the country. Without a good flow of information, it is hard to carry out trade among the citizens both at the local and international level. A good example to consider is China. The nation has over 56 nations with Han being the majority one. In the country, individuals are forced to speak Mandarin language. (Pan, & Block, 2011) The reason as to why the nation took this step is because China has so many dialects to a point where the Citizens used to have a problem communicating among them. Despite there being language subordination in China, the minority nations are not completely done away with. These minorities always have the freedom to learn their languages at school and even select the languages that they would wish to use more in some circumstances. There is an acceptance that these minorities may want to move to other cities and have new lives. This ensures that the languages are not killed. (Haiyan, & Yeqin, 2011) Another issue is that since the majority language is spoken by a large proportion of the population, it is easier to spread and as well easier to implement. The government does not need to spend a lot of resources hiring language experts to teach the language but has to hire local talents in teaching the language to the minority groups. It equally receives an overwhelming support from the majority. (McLaughlin, 2013) The Majority Language Play a unifying factor to the nation in question. Taking language ensures national pride. Unlike cases where countries take a foreign language like it happen with use of English by many countries, selecting the majority language unites a nation through promoting local heritage. The country retains its culture in a big way and does not lose its identity to a foreign language. This way, the language becomes one of the symbols of unity of a nation. The common language is essential in the facilitation of deliberative dimension of democracy. The process is not just a voting exercise but also involve the activities of discussion and deliberation mostly in the civil society place. At these avenues, the free and equal citizens get the chance to exchange reasons and are at times moved by them to change their preferences and opinions. Too much ethnical and linguistic diversity without a common language would be a barrier to the flourishing of the informal process of democracy. (Pennycook, 2014). If the citizens cannot understand each other, if at all the effort is about seeking to deliberate with co linguistics only, then the country’s democratic politics ends up being compromised. The state monolingialism is very critical in dealing with this challenge through encouraging the establishment of a common language for democratic dialogue. (Hobsbawm, 2012) The country’s institutions work well when there is a common language. With this, there is no need of translators, saving the tax payers’ money. Once these institutions are saved these costs, they can be able to devote the resources to successfully fulfilling the aim for which they were created. The argument for the unity of a nation through a majority language is very valid. The language serves to integrate the entire population into one common national framework. The language is used as a common identity in communication in public places, creating a sense of attachment to the country political and social matters (Pennycook, 2014). A common language is essential if all the citizens are to have fair and an equal opportunity to work and cooperate in the modern society. On the other hand, the minority language will under normal circumstance be marginalized if its members are not willing to master the majority language in a country In addition to that, the common national language help in the generation of increased solidarity needed in any democratic nation required in provision of public goods reliably and effectively. The citizens gets to the position of tolerating each other, have differences to the need of public reason and even go to the point of accepting sacrifices and burdens all for the sake of common good. In the cases where the citizens of a state do not share in some of these national common identities, the mentioned virtues may be weakened or absent. (Hobsbawm, 2012) In some cases, even if the country does not uphold the majority language as the national language, the minority speaking group stands to be disadvantaged. In the instances where the majority group holds most of the resources, the issue of language barriers happens to be to the disadvantage of the minority. Their economic opportunity will restrained to the jobs or work available in their own language and more so have encounter trouble accessing the broader culture of the society and participating in its political life. (Valdés, 2011) Despite the many benefits that come with language subordination, there are many issues of great concern that come with the act. In most part of African countries, language issues are one of the causes of the conflicts. This has resulted to great instability and suffering of many. The other issue is that of the threat of the minority languages. Most of these are in rapid decline and face the threat. The endangering of these languages gives a good reason for their protection given the importance of language. It is worth noting that there are international laws that protect linguistic protection. (Hobsbawm, 2012) Most of the nations practice language subordination in order to promote their political and economic lives. For example, most of the Asian nations promote the use of English with an aim of maintain these two goals. English is in this case used as a medium of instruction. An important thing to note is that some states like Britain, United States and France have experienced a long history of political stability and economic success due to a long time economic prosperity due to the existence of a national language. There are also other developing nations that serve as a good example. Some of these include Tanzania and Indonesia, countries that had a very great ethnic diversity. (Pennycook, 2014) In conclusion, though the practice of language subordination comes with many challenges, there are a number of factors that justifies the process. Some of these includes strengthening the economic and political life of a country, uniting a nation, it is easier to implement and strengthening communication. Further to that, the existence of a common language among the citizens comes with some benefits. One of the best examples is China. Despite the country having about 56 nations, the country has been able to select one language, a factor that has united the entire nation. There are good examples of countries that have been able to successfully implement the exercise. There are other countries that have experienced a long time political stability due to initiation of a common national language. Among the developed nations we have United States, France and Britain. Indonesia and Tanzania are two developing countries that have a diversity that has been well handled by a national language Refererences Haiyan, Q. I. A. N. G., & Yeqin, K. A. N. G. (2011). English immersion in China as a case of educational transfer. Frontiers of Education in China, 6(1), 8-36. Hobsbawm, E. J. (2012). Nations and nationalism since 1780: Programme, myth, reality. Cambridge University Press. McLaughlin, B. (Ed.). (2013). Second language acquisition in childhood: Volume 2: School-age Children. Psychology Press Pan, L., & Block, D. (2011). English as a “global language” in China: An investigation into learners’ and teachers’ language beliefs. System, 39(3), 391-402. Pennycook, A. (2014). The cultural politics of English as an international language. Routledge. Valdés, G. (2011). Dual-language immersion programs: A cautionary note concerning the education of language minority students. Research and Practice in Immersion Education. Read More