LIN 201

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LIN 201

• Fall 2007
• Lecture XXIII (24)
• Multilingual Societies II

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Reminder

• Quiz 3 will be given in Recitation the week after
  Thanksgiving.

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Agenda

• 1. Videotape on Canada. Reconquering the
  Conquest
• 2. Other cases of multinational states.
• 3. The status of language varieties.
• 4. Official English in the U. S.

4
Agenda

• 1. Video Reconquering the Conquest.
  Questions -- Course Reader, pp. 145-148.

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Reconquering.. Subsequent outcome

• Referendum of 1980 in Quebec on separation of
  Quebec from the rest of Canada (shown late in the
  tape) 60 against separation.
• Referendum of 1995 (not shown) 51 against
  separation.
• Now The separation movement has since died down.
  

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Agenda

• 2. Additional cases of multinational states.

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Multinational state (1)

• A multinational state is a political entity that
  includes more than one nation.
• Example Canada (Anglo-Canada, French Canada,
  Native American nations)

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Multinational state (2)

• In a multinational state there is usually
• (1) a cultural/linguistic majority group and
• (2) a cultural/linguistic mainority group

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Multinational state (3)

• In the usual case the cultural/linguistic
  majority considers its culture and language to be
  the culture and language of the state.

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Multinational state (4)

• The cultural/linguistic majority in a state often
  considers the minority to be a threat to the
  unity of the state and adopts policies that
  restrict the culture of the minority.

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A multinational state Spain

• Most of Spain Spanish -speaking. Most of
  France French-speaking.
• Northeastern Spain and southwestern France
  Basque-speaking.

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Basque speakers (1)
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Basque speakers (2)
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Basque speakers (3)

• Between 1939 and 1955 in Spain, use of the Basque
  language was forbidden by law
• 1. in the schools.
• 2. in the media.
• 2. in church ceremonies.
• 4. in all public places.

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Basque speakers (4)

• By 1990, all of these laws had been rescinded and
  are therefore no longer in force.

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A group of multinational states

• Three additional multinational states Turkey
  (national language Turkish), Iraq (Arabic), and
  Iran (Persian).
• All three have sizable numbers
• of speakers of Kurdish (the Kurds) -- members of
  a nation (that is, an ethnic group that inhabits
  an identifiable territory) referred to as
  Kurdistan.

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Kurdish speakers (1)
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Kurdish speakers (2)

• Between 1985 and 1995 in Turkey, use of the
  Kurdish language was forbidden by law
• 1. in the schools.
• 2. in the media.
• 3. in religious ceremonies.
• 4. in all public places.

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Multinational states Sum

• In attempting to reduce the perceived threat to
  state unity posed by minority groups, majority
  groups often target the language of the minority
  group.

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Agenda

• 3. The status of language varieties.

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Social functions of language varieties (1)

• Language of wider communication (LWC) ( lingua
  franca). Any language used among people who do
  not share a native language.
• World-wide The languages of the UN.
• Within a political area Modern Standard Arabic
  in North Africa and the Middle East the national
  languages of India (English and Hindi).

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National language

• National language A language that is used
  within a political entity for public discourse
  (news media, etc.) often associated with
  national identity.
• Nearly monolingual states Iceland (Icelandic),
  Poland (Polish), Japan (Standard Japanese).
• Mildly multilingual states France (French), the
  U. S. (English), the U. K (English).

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Official language

• Official language A language legislated for
  certain public uses (usually government, media,
  etc.).
• Highly multilingual states India (English and
  Hindi are official), the Philippines (English and
  Tagalog), Senegal (French and Wolof) many other
  former colonies of European powers also have an
  indigenous (local) language and the colonial
  language as official languages.

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Regional language

• Regional language A language (official or not)
  used only in part of a larger political entity.
• Regional languages of India (official).
• Basque and Catalan in Spain (official).
• Kurdish in Iraq, Turkey, and Iran (not official
  in any of these states).

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Agenda

• 4. Official English in the U.S.
• National language
• Official language
• Official English

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Official English (1)

• English is indisputably the national language of
  the U.S. but has never been legislated as the
  official language of the U.S.

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Official English (2)

• The Official English Movement
• Make English the official language of the U.S.
  (English is now the official language of some
  states and cities in the U.S.)

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Official English (3)

• Arguments for Official English
• English as a symbol of unity of the country
  (state, city).
• Induce immigrants to learn English.
• Saving of expenses for translating documents, etc.

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Official English (4)

• Against Official English
• Already universally recognized that English is
  the national language no need to make it
  official.
• Would symbolically exclude other languages, hence
  ethnic groups.
• Immigrants want to learn.
• Expense of translating is very small.