National Language and Official Language Selection Essay

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

The paper provides a practical example of the national and official language selection, which is based on a model of the fictitious country Lopogno. Before choosing a single and extensively used language in the state, it is crucial to refer to some particular distinctive features, which define the official tongue. Specifically, one should take into consideration that there are three fundamental principles, according to which the language should be overtaken. First, it should identify the legislation of the country.

Therefore, the language must be statutory and has to reflect the constitution of the state. Second, it is important to outline the scopes of the tongue recognition so that to ensure the national character of the specific language. Finally, it is critical making sure that the language shows the national identity of the country and complies with the ethnic values and history of the state (Lewis par. 5).

The citizens of Lopogno speak several languages, depending on the territory, two of which are mutually intelligible. These are Lapugna and Lapagavi. In other words, such tongues, which can be recognized by the non-residents of the particular country (“Linguists’ Definition: Mutual Intelligibility” par. 2). The other three languages, which include Tonakaki, Dimanga, and Soloso bear a status of local dialects since they are popular only among the citizens of separate parts of Lopogno.

The official language must be selected out of the mutually intelligible tongues, for the state already possesses a range of legislator documents in these languages. Moreover, they are spread in the spheres of education as well as represent the country on the international scale. It is doubtful whether the government should accept Lapugna, Lapagavi or French, which is a high-rank tongue of literacy in Lopogno. In this context, it is significant to operate the interests of the country.

Mainly, one should follow the example of the Great Britain, which discarded the influence of French in the 13th century (“A Brief History of the English Language” par. 12). According to the definition of the national language, it is the compilation of signs that symbolize ethnic heritage (Lecomte par. 7). Therefore, loaning a foreign tongue as an official language might result in the eradication of traditional culture.

The final selection of the formal and national language must be based on the principle of literacy improvement and striving for the general prosperity of the state (Barcon par. 6). Therefore, since Lapugna is the language of the central part of the country and is spoken by the educated population, it is easy to spread the speaking type to the other districts of Lopogno so that to promote social improvements throughout the country.

Moreover, the name of the tongue is highly conformable with the behalf of the state. Consequently, the congruity might make the state recognizable in the international space. Despite the fact that Lapugna language has to become a uniform tongue of the legal documents and official communication, it is important to protect Lapagavi tongue from extinction since the latter is used by the prevailing part of the ethnic population. Therefore, this variant of speech possesses some national identity and should be preserved in the history of the country. The anti-example for the act is the experience of the USA, which included strict Americanization as a precondition for raising new populations in the 20th century (McWhorter par. 1).

Works Cited

. 2010. Web.

Barcon, Lincoln. The Importance of Culture and National Identity in the Society. 2014. Web.

Lecomte, Lucie. Official Languages or National Languages? Canada’s Decision. 2015. Web.

Lewis, Paul. Functions of Languages in Countries. 2013. Web.

Linguists’ Definition: Mutual Intelligibility 2006. Web.

McWhorter, John. How Americans Have Reshaped Language. 2012. Web.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2020, June 30). National Language and Official Language Selection. https://ivypanda.com/essays/national-language-and-official-language-selection/

Work Cited

"National Language and Official Language Selection." IvyPanda, 30 June 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/national-language-and-official-language-selection/.

References

IvyPanda. (2020) 'National Language and Official Language Selection'. 30 June.

References

IvyPanda. 2020. "National Language and Official Language Selection." June 30, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/national-language-and-official-language-selection/.

1. IvyPanda. "National Language and Official Language Selection." June 30, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/national-language-and-official-language-selection/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "National Language and Official Language Selection." June 30, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/national-language-and-official-language-selection/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1