Faculty of Economics, Communication and IT (Karlstad University)
The language is the key tool used by the speakers as their identity in a region. The identity is a long historical, social and political process trough history. We have discussed about our topic Urdu language in Pakistan and India and Spanish language. We studied the problems with minority languages and majority languages in these countries. The problem in Pakistan is the fight of government to promote Urdu language as the main language of Pakistan. Urdu language is spoken specially by Muslim people in Pakistan and India but in Pakistan speaking Urdu means to be Pakistani while in India it means to be Muslim. Urdu is in Pakistan a language of unity but in India is a minority language. The other case of study is Spanish problem. In this country historical and political cause made that Spanish was a language related to repression of minority language like Catalan, Basque and Galician. Basically, Spanish languages have been used like a tool of nationalist reasons and it make a division between speakers. Some regions use their own languages as one of the reason that justify the independence. We find that language is an important tool for communication and a vital unity element to be able to understand the others and to solve common problems among nations and countries. So one wrong use of them could destroy the cohesion in one territory and can be the root of many conflicts. However, we think that minor languages don’t have to be in conflict with one official or national language that allows people to communicate between them. It is important to have a main way of communication to solve problems and to reach the progress for a country. The problem is that sometimes the government neglects the minor language, and we think that it ought to work for promotion and protection of these languages, because they form part of the historical richness of the country and humanity.
In the case of Spain problem, people have not feel Spanish like an oppression language but a language of cohesion always respecting all other languages and speakers. Languages are used like a tool, by political and economical reasons, all over the world. We have also found that, despite of culture differences, in many countries, authorities manipulate people trough the language, to reach their goals. Language is used like an identity symbol, due to historical, religious, political and economic reason. The presence of the different language has been a long process with many historical and political facts trough the time. Languages have come into being because of different nation ruled over different countries in the world. Different people with different cultures and language have influenced the current nations to have a main or more languages, so current identity is a long process where language has plays a crucial role.
We suggest that it is obvious that the basic thing that needs to be achieved for the defense of any language is a considerable increase in the numbers of people who have a command of it, not simply colloquial speech, but the language which enables one to read and appreciate literature. Anyone who is concerned with increasing the numbers of people who are competent in a language can do something practical about it without any external support at all and Governments have to promote languages as an asset of the country.
