Archive for the 'Languages' Category

In Spain, a debate has been raging that extends beyond the subject to the language/s being used to propel it.   The subject is the language/s of education in Catalonia, the autonomous region of Spain whose official languages include both Catalan and Spanish.

Flags from  Spain and Catalonia

The factions are not as distinct as the languages, and the genesis of the debate is lengthy.  Although it has undoubtedly intensified in recent years, its roots go back to the late 70s, when Catalan was first introduced in the elementary and high schools in non-intensive/-exclusive way.  Since then, Catalan’s influence in education continued to grow, culminating in its 1992 ratification as the official language of instruction in all non-university schools and institutes in Catalonia.  The standard was reinforced by the Linguistic Policy Law of 1998 and again in 2006.  Soon after, a small group of Catalonians began to criticize the lack of Spanish in education, catalyzing several efforts (of varying degrees of success) to further include the language.

Although Spaniards are divided on the issue, with monolingual education—whether in Catalan or Spanish—being supported by some, and bilingual education by others, there does seem to be an aspect on which the factions almost unanimously agree: that the issue has become (or perhaps always was) excessively political, and that those who actually implement the policies, who educate, have had little say in the formation of such policies.

The voices of these individuals are beginning to emerge in various forums, but the debate continues still, a polemic most affecting those who have even smaller say than educators—the students themselves.

Particularities aside, the situation is representative of an important problem that all education systems, regardless of the region, state, or nation they correspond to, must face: that is, determining the best methodology with respect to language education (i.e. its policies and goals), and who should be made responsible for implementing it.

Private education might be considered a preemptory avoidance of the problem, although with its high cost and selectivity it may also be said to simply rearrange the imposition of specific, exclusive standards.  The fact that it is optional seems to be its only irrefutable point of exoneration.

However, that is assuming the students and others generally not involved in the formation of political and educational policy best know how to shape the educational system and, by extent, the future linguistic makeup of a place.  Most would grant that the majority of educators and politicians wielding power and influence likely wield knowledge and experience as well.

So, what’s the best way to handle the issue—in Catalonia, specifically, or more generally?  In another way: whose influence is best, most valid, true, etc., and how should it be promoted above the others?

Free image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

For most former, current or potential foreign language learners, one of the most important motivations for doing so involves the language’s future relevance—both as the language is being learned and afterward; in other words, the question of What will learning this language do for me?.  Of course, this varies from person to person—as do the more general, unintended circumstances of learning—, but some of the most common motivations include business competitiveness, immigration, travel, and personal study/improvement, among others.

Recent language growth trends shed some light on these motivations, i.e. who they propel to learn foreign languages—or, more importantly, which languages appeal most inclusively to the myriad relevancies and learning circumstances. Currently, the three most widely spoken languages are Chinese, Spanish and English, at 1.2 billion, 329 million and 328 million speakers, respectively.  Trends of the Internet, perhaps the most inclusive global communication device, are most useful to contextualizing the figures.  In 2000, there were roughly 34, 187 and 20 million online users of Chinese, English and Spanish, whereas in 2011 these numbers had risen to 509, 565 and 164 million.

Given its monumental rise in popularity, it seems that Chinese will likely be one language of the future—perhaps the language, i.e. that which comes to dwarf all others.  This is, of course, assuming that the Internet’s influence will continue to rise—to blur geographic boundaries—; for as it stands, Chinese’s geographic reach is far smaller than that of English and Spanish.

Related to this is the fact that traditional methods of language spread have been basically unaffected by the Internet—chief among them, immigration.  The United States is a prominent example: each year, 700 thousand to one million people legally migrate to the country, and over half of these come from Spanish-speaking countries.  Of the estimated 300 thousand undocumented immigrants that arrive each year, the percentage is even higher.  Whether intentional or not, this results in a massive rise of both English and Spanish in the U.S., a process not matched by Chinese beyond its originating region.  Besides, the process inevitably transfers and acquires more than just language: there is the speakers’ community and culture too, which further motivates and gives relevance to the learners’ efforts.

Because of nations such as the U.S., with their large populations of native Spanish speakers, native English speakers, and bilingual speakers living closely together, some believe that one language of the future might be more fully developed variant of Spanglish.  Considering this alongside the Internet’s seemingly indefinite growth, it’s not difficult to imagine a sort of mutant world language combining not only English and Spanish, but also Chinese, among others.

What do you think? Will the Internet, immigration, and other forces ultimately homogenize languages, or will the majority of popular languages maintain their numbers and continue to thrive independently?