Language Barrier or Culture Preserver?
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Remember the old rhyme "Columbus sailed the ocean blue in fourteen hundred ninety two?" Well Christopher Columbus was actually called Cristóbal Colón and sailed from Spain (thanks Señora Sampedro, Woodbridge Senior High School Spanish teacher). The man credited with discovering America did not come from an English speaking country and did not even speak English. He was actually an Italian who spoke Spanish and sailed for the country of Spain.
The earliest settlers prior to England taking over did not all speak English. This continued for the majority of America's early life even after England began acquiring land. For instance, in 1803, Thomas Jefferson made the Louisiana Purchase from France. That meant that the majority of the settlers living in that region west of the Mississippi River spoke French. The same goes for the southwestern region of America that was originally owned by Mexico, it was (and still is) a major Spanish speaking region in America. Also, don't forget about the millions of immigrants who came through Ellis Island in the early 1900's.
Being that everyone in America comes from all over the world, America couldn't possibly have an official language. While it would be incredibly helpful in ensuring everyone can communicate with one another, it would also be detrimental. When these different cultures came over seas and across borders into America, they rooted their culture into America's garden. If an official language was established, a piece of these Americanized cultures would be lost.
Imagine if everyone spoke the same exact way. There wouldn't be any individuality between the different types of people. Everyone would be the same, and it would kill many of the cultural traditions that create this individuality.
Culture and language go hand in hand. According to research by the Linguistic Society of America, the English language usually groups words together. Where in some languages dark blue and light blue have two completely different words, the English language groups them together. Time in the English language is broken into groups of days, hours, minutes, etc. This is why in English speaking culture, time can be seen as saved, wasted, or lost. In many other languages, it is a smooth unbroken stream, and those cultures see time as a continuous cycle. If everyone spoke English, the individuality in how these cultures see various things wouldn't exist.
So, is the fact that there is no official language for America a language barrier or a culture preserver? While it is a slight language barrier, there are other ways around that barrier. For example, people could learn other languages. It is definitely a culture preserver! For the above stated reasons, it is imperative for America to continue on without an official language.
You're right that he was multilingual, too... I think that in many parts of the world, both historically and currently, multilingualism is normal, expected, and means one wants to be able to move more freely both economically and socially.
ReplyDeleteJust remember that an official language probably cannot (unless we turn into Orwell's 1984) control the language spoken in the home, or at a restaurant table, or at the beach. But it can control how one operates in an official capacity: filling out FAFSA paperwork or going to court, for example.
I like how you shift from historical to linguistic considerations. Understanding the variety of languages does seem to help one get a better glimpse of different cultures' ways of seeing the world. Much of that is rooted in language use.
I agree on what you are saying about there are so many ways around that barrier. America not having an official language reflects on the many different cultures we have here. Many children end up being bilingual due the language they speak at school is different than the one they speak at home.
ReplyDeleteI guess to add on to what I said before, since America does not have an official language do you think they should instill learning a different language as early as elementary school? I think it is so easier for native English speakers to rely on and speak English because it was taught at young age and it is constantly being spoken. If the opportunity was there to learn different languages(like French and Spanish) at young age, do you think there would still be a debate for an official language?
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