One Nation, Indivisible – United by its Language
By Mel Copen December 19, 1999
© Mel Copen, December, 1999
Six thousand seven hundred and three (6703). A sizable number regardless of the point of reference – but a number quite astonishing when linked to language. Six thousand seven hundred and three is the number of languages currently spoken on this planet as reported by Ethnologue (a publication of the Summer Institute of Linguistics).
One thousand of those languages come from the Americas (176 from the United States). The largest number, 2165, comes from Asia. Africa contributes 2011. Thirteen hundred and two come from the Pacific and the smallest number, 225, represents those languages which were born in Europe.
The major languages (1996 figures) are: Chinese (Mandarin) spoken by 885 million, Spanish spoken by 332 million, English, with 322 million speakers, followed by Bengali (189 million), Hindi (182 million), Russian (179 million), Portuguese (170 million) and Japanese (125 million). Of these, clearly English has become the dominant language for business and science, and for international communication in general.
Some of these languages are related and form families (the romance languages, for example). Many are distinct and have no close relatives among all the others. All evolved to allow people to communicate with one another about the things that were most important to them and their daily lives. Since conditions, values and activities were different in different parts of the world, most of these languages differ in sounds, concepts, structures and emphases.
Despite the difficulties they create for global communication, they are also a storehouse of the rich cultural heritages to which they are linked and most of the native speakers of these languages take great pride in what they represent. In this respect, clearly, language is a unifying factor. A common language facilitates (though certainly does not assure) the sharing of thoughts and values. Despite Winston Churchill’s comment, “two peoples separated by a common language,” it is clear that English has been a significant part of the bond that has lasted for centuries between the US and the UK, despite stormy times in the past. Similarly, this pattern is echoed between the UK and her other former colonies; between France, Spain and their former territories; etc.
But because it unifies, language also divides. Throughout history language has been one of the most divisive forces in the world – as one group of speakers has attempted to avoid or impose domination or assimilation. In Europe, Asia and Africa, wars have resulted between nations, between states within nations and between ethnic groups living side by side. Language differences continue to contribute to tensions around the globe. Even as close to home as our northern border, a language-based separatist movement threatens to tear French-speaking Canada from the English-speaking part of the nation.
The United States has been fortunate to avoid most of these problems. In one way, this is surprising, since it is a nation based on immigration, probably including people who speak every one of those 6703 living languages. But for the millions of immigrants who came here, becoming part of their “new land” as quickly as possible was a key driving force. Many arrived with little or no knowledge of English. They found support groups to help them adjust. They took pride in assimilating and in seeing their children become “American.” But they did not abandon what they brought with them. To the contrary, as they accepted their new environment as primary, they added the richness of their former cultures as a secondary factor. And today we see Americans taking great pride in their heritages. But first and foremost, they became “Americans.”
The problem of an immigrant coming to a new country, not knowing its laws or its customs, is compounded dramatically if one does not know its language. The ability to learn is severely curtailed. One who travels abroad to a land where the language is unknown can only begin to sense the hardship. Difficulty in making hotel reservations or ordering food is merely a shadow compared to the challenge of building a life without the ability to communicate – or parents’ fears of losing touch with their children who rapidly learn the new language and adjust to the new environment. (I can personally vouch for the fact that learning a new language becomes much more difficult with each passing year).
In 1994, the US Census Bureau counted 261 million people living in the United States. Data for the previous year identifies 8,400,000 residents who lived in families where no one 14 or older was fluent in English. (Of these individuals, 50% were Spanish-speaking, 18% spoke Asian languages and 28% spoke a language from Europe.) Since then the continued inflow of immigrants has increased this figure substantially. Obviously, the issue is not trivial. Today, pressure is coming from many sources to solve the problem by making “second languages” official – in schools, on government forms and in government communications and in daily interactions.
Teaching the public school curriculum in Spanish as well as English or issuing government forms in multiple languages will eliminate much of the tension and make life simpler for those who are not fluent in English. But this short-term solution has some very dire long-term consequences because it lowers the desire (and need) to learn our common language – a part of the glue that has bound this nation together and helped avoid the problems that other nations have faced.
We lack of a tradition of multi-lingualism. In Europe so many languages are spoken within relatively close geographic proximity that there is strong incentive to go beyond one’s native tongue and learn several others. Until recently, we haven’t had that need in the US, and the schools have been deficient in stimulating a desire for students to learn other languages (let alone proper English). Learning a new language does more than open the ability to communicate with speakers of that language. It is a mind-expanding experience that shapes new thought patterns and adds enjoyment and personal satisfaction to life. This is not inconsistent with the argument to maintain English as the nation’s sole primary language. The key is that there be a common way to communicate, and that everyone living in the United States have the ability to do so in English.
A common language has been one of the great strengths of this nation. If we destroy this bond we weaken one of the basic elements that has made this a great nation. The melting pot will no longer be that. Instead, we will start to create linguistic islands, with all the emotional tensions that come with them – as so many other nations have sadly learned.
The solution is not to ignore the problem and force people to “sink or swim.” There are many creative programs that have been devised to help people learn; and for those who have difficulty, programs to help them around those difficulties. We need to put more effort (and funds) into teaching English effectively to those who need it, and to help people fill out forms who cannot do so – rather than undermine what we have achieved. The other alternative, although providing short-term relief, creates second-class citizens who will be limited in their opportunities for growth and in their ability to contribute to the continued development of this nation and, sadly, who may eventually become very disenchanted with their lot in life.
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