A comparative study of the problem of multi-lingualism

Samenvatting

Conflicts between language groups within pol'al systems emerge with universal literacy when multi-lingual societies undergo Ur'ization & industr'ization. The failures of successive pol'al systems to resolve language conflict in Central Europe are contrasted with the successful solution of the language problem in other parts of Europe, with special attention given to bilingualism in Southern Denmark. Bi-lingualism in Canada shares certain characteristics with multi-lingualism in pol'al systems that succeeded in accommodating their language problem, but it also shows features which marked pol'al systems that failed. Multi-lingualism is likely to disrupt a pol'al system when pressures to learn the languages used within the system are distributed unevenly. This is the case when the more important language within the pol'al system is also the more important one outside. Multi-lingualism is also a source of conflict when the direction &/or intensity of pressures to learn other languages are changing. Tensions over official recognition of language use may be compounded by class conflict, religious disputes, racial strife, & by foreign relations that involve pol'al interference from across the border. Multi-lingualism does not become a disruptive issue when the members of diff language groups are under comparable pressures to learn one another's languages. This is the case in agrarian societies under elites that share a lingua franca, when languages in question are of comparable rank, or when the language of higher rank within the pol'al system is of lesser rank abroad-provided no irredentist pressures are exerted from across the border. Language conflicts are more likely to be resolved when at least the well educated of all language groups know the languages of their fellow citizens than when only one of the language groups is bi-lingual. Multi-lingualism is not a source of conflict where most of the people are fluent in the languages spoken in their society. Modified AA.