The existence of more than one language in a country brings
about numerous difficulties that can be difficult to overcome. The essay will
focus on the challenges and difficulties that arise from the presence of
multiple languages in a country, without proposing any solutions.
The first challenge is deciding on a court language or state language, in
addition to the language used for international communication. When multiple
languages are spoken in a country, choosing one of them as the state language
can lead to conflict, as seen in some countries. The best solution may be to
have all the languages recognized as court or state languages, but this
arrangement comes with its own difficulties. More forms will need to be printed,
more officials will need to be appointed, and proficiency in multiple languages
may be required. This can lead to individuals who are better at learning
languages to be favored in offices, to the detriment of others. Furthermore, all
records will need to be kept in all languages, leading to increased paperwork
and the spending of valuable time on translation.
In official business, each language may claim superiority, leading to
controversies in legislatures that can harm the unity of the country. Although
simultaneous translation has made this easier, it still has its limitations as
the idioms and nuances of a language may be lost in translation.
The greatest difficulty may be with regards to linguistic minorities. In any
area, the people speaking different languages may not be proportional in number,
leading to tensions and even language riots. Keeping people who speak different
languages living harmoniously can be a challenge, and linguistic chauvinism
remains a present issue.
Education also presents a challenge in a multilingual country. The government
cannot deny a section of the population the right to educate their children in
their mother tongue, leading to the need for more schools, teachers, and
textbooks in different languages. The language used in public examinations also
becomes an issue, adding to the administrative burden.
Travel and communication also become difficult in a multilingual country, as
someone from one area may struggle to do business in another area where a
different language is predominantly spoken. The study of literature also becomes
challenging, as each language may have its own rich literature that may not grow
without proper recognition.
When all these difficulties are considered, it is clear that having a single
national language can be beneficial. Although purists may disagree, a national
language can absorb good words and idioms from other languages, offering a way
out of language difficulties. |