By Carmen Chang,
After presenting the reasons why linguistic diversity and multilingualism should be safeguarded and protected, due to the numerous benefits they provide to the speakers of a given linguistic community, people, or nation, it is relevant to include the perspective shared by Hildebrando Fuentes (1881: 5). Firstly, we will address the case of classical and more ancient languages, which form a linguistic tradition and the basis of modern languages:
“Subject to different physical and moral laws, peoples, without losing fundamental equality, are also different. The climate, the geographical position of their territories, material objects, traditions, and memories have influenced them, making their tastes, habits, genius, and, ultimately, their language unique. With this language, they have formed their literatures, which are the greatest monuments of pride for their people. The ancients formed literatures with Latin and Greek, languages of perfect structure, enriched with the songs of Homer, the passions of Sophocles, the eclogues of Virgil, and Cicero’s eloquent sonnets. With these same languages, Leonidas answered the haughty challenge of a dispute, Themistocles proclaimed to the Athenians, Regulus bid a final farewell to his beloved country, and Caesar recounted his victories to the Senate” (Hildebrando Fuentes, 1881: 5).
Finally, we will focus on the case of modern languages, which have also undergone a linguistic evolution and are part of the culture and traditions of the nations of the world, and whose contributions are undeniable in the academic, literary, and scientific fields:
“Among modern peoples: with Spanish, beautiful and varied, Cervantes, Calderón, and Moreto expressed themselves; with Italian, sweet and sentimental, Ariosto made Orlando and Tasso wrote about Jerusalem; with the masculine English and German languages, Milton pulled harmonious notes from the lyre to sing about the fall of man, while Goethe described the properties of the human heart; with French, flexible and admired, Bossuet’s angels were astonished, Fénelon’s charity was revered, and the stormy Mirabeau struck his rays to topple a throne and raise a republic over its ruins” (Hildebrando Fuentes, 1881: 6).
It does not seem that these people intend to abandon their mother tongue, which ties them to their historical past and the treasures of their tradition, in favor of another language with no sentimental or cultural connection to them:
“France will not want to forget the sublime proclamations of its first Emperor, which inflamed the hearts of its soldiers and sent them to the bayonet, to conquer the world. It will not give up that energetic phrase of General Leabrone, stating that the French know how to be heroes and giant heroes; and we ourselves would not be satisfied if we did not have in our memory, in all its purity and fire, the words of Colonel Bolognesi, which so perfectly depict our heroism on the dry and barren rock of Arica” (Hildebrando Fuentes, 1881: 6).
In connection with the above, a particular case is that of regional languages in France, which is currently generating a great deal of debate. This involves Alsatian, Breton, Catalan, Corsican, Occitan, and Basque. Until now, in the bilingual areas where these languages are spoken, both languages were taught in schools without controversy: “We have proven in a few decades that we can create speakers [of regional languages] without ever encroaching on French achievements“, said Peio Jorajuria to Franceinfo. Until today, around 14,000 students benefited from immersive education, but these circumstances may be about to change. In recent weeks, a heated debate has emerged about whether students in regional areas should continue studying in both languages. The Molac Law, proposed in 2019 and adopted in 2021, aimed to preserve and promote regional languages by going a step further, introducing immersive education into the French education law, but not everyone agreed:
“A few weeks after the adoption of the Molac law, a cold shower for regional language advocates. After being brought before the Constitutional Council by several MPs supported by the Ministry of Education, Jean-Michel Blanquer’s office, the Council censored part of the text on May 21. According to the Council, immersive education violates Article 2 of the Constitution, which establishes that ‘the language of the Republic is French’ (Pierre-Louis Caron, 2021).”
Teaching in a regional language is common in France, as since 1994, associative schools, in collaboration with National Education, can teach almost all of their courses in a regional language, and “since 1995, a circular allows these schools to be directly financed by local authorities, who see it as a good way to safeguard the country’s linguistic heritage“, but now, the situation is uncertain for the upcoming academic year, and schools are unsure of what they will need to adhere to, despite President Macron’s public support for regional language rights. In defense of immersive education, and in line with what we have seen in this work, bilingual education should not be a problem. Peio Jorajuria stated: “It is a centralized, Jacobin vision. We have speakers who are on the same French level as the national average, and sometimes even above. What is the minister afraid of? “
Another related case is that of regional languages in Spain: Catalan, Galician, and Basque. The difference is that these languages are official in their respective speaking areas, and their autonomous communities, Catalonia, Galicia, and the Basque Country, have full freedom in deciding the language of instruction. In Catalonia, for example, courses are taught entirely in Catalan, with Spanish studied as a subject, just like French or English. However:
“In Galicia, the acquisition of linguistic competence in both official languages is guaranteed at each stage and educational level, respecting the equal treatment of both languages and the criteria for balance established for multilingualism in non-university education. In the Balearic Islands, the Basque Country, and Navarra, families express their respect for the educational project of the center by enrolling their children (Balearic Islands) or by choosing the schooling model (Basque Country and Navarra).” (Ministry of Education and Vocational Training – Government of Spain, 2021).
In conclusion, the protection and defense of natural languages and multilingualism is a matter of great importance, and given examples such as the linguistic situations in France and Spain, the adoption of a universal language does not seem possible.
References
- Proyecto de una lengua universal, Tesis para optar el Grado de Bachiller, Facultad de Letras y Ciencias Humanas, Lima: Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos. Cyberthesis. Available here
- GÁNDARA FERNÁNDEZ Leticia. “Origen y evolución de las lenguas artificiales”. Revista Tonos Digital. Volume 33, 24.
- Langues régionales : on vous traduit le débat sur l’enseignement immersif, menacé par une décision du Conseil constitutionnel. France Télévisions. Available here
- La enseñanza de lenguas cooficiales, regionales o minoritarias en las administraciones educativas. Gobierno de España. Available here
