Item: Understanding linguistic diversity
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Author: Jon

why linguistic diversity matters and how to promote it.

Table of Content

Explain Linguistic Diversity in simple words

Linguistic diversity means that there are many different ways that people can speak and communicate with each other. Just like there are many different colors, shapes, and sizes of toys, there are also many different languages and ways of speaking. Some people speak Spanish, some people speak Chinese, some people speak English, and many other languages too! When we learn about linguistic diversity, we can learn to appreciate and respect all the different ways that people can speak and communicate.

Introduction

All of us are as diverse as we can be, owing to differences due to biology, environment, education, nationality, ethnicity, and all other factors. But the need to tolerate diversity is the mark of a truly egalitarian society. Social institutions must ensure that their members practice tolerance of diversity in words and deeds.

Tolerance of differences is a significant step towards achieving social justice and equality, eventually leading to social harmony. Much as we need to practice it because it is ethical, it can also lead to practical benefits, which is better for all of its members.

But in the fight for tolerance, diversity, and social justice, some are given more emphasis than others. The result is that we neglect others, and if not addressed, it can have lethal consequences and severely setback the overall fight for diversity, equality, and social justice.

An example would be linguistic diversity ( a type of diversity). With many speaking the same language in the community, linguistic diversity and the need to encourage it mostly fly under the radar. The result is less encouragement and, in some cases, less tolerance, which could offset our gains in the fight for equality.

What is linguistic diversity, and why is it important to know about and encourage it? We will discuss it and its impact on the fight for social justice. We will also discuss how to encourage linguistic diversity in our society.

What is linguistic diversity?

Linguistic diversity definition usually connotes differences concerning language, and they are usually right. The most basic definition is that of difference concerning the language used by people from different cultures and backgrounds.

Linguistic or language differences, of course, can mean many things. It can mean a difference in the language used or employed or the difference in how a particular language is employed. It can also mean how frequently they use a particular language and the density of language use in a particular area.

Language diversity can mean all those things, but the critical thing to consider is that people use languages that may differ. As such, every language must blossom, and its use must be allowed for people exhibiting different customs and cultures.

Linguistic diversity entails cultural differences but differs from what we call cultural diversity. But what is the difference between linguistic diversity and cultural diversity? The difference lies in the specific context from which culture and language emerge in particular communities and societies.

Culture encompasses a whole way of life and involves not only language but all other aspects of our life, like food, tradition, religion, beliefs, and everything else. A particular individual behaves due to a particular acculturation that one receives, either from society or the community.

Culture then will dictate one’s way of life, even the language used. How one moves according to the dictates of culture and how one differs in the movement and way of life makes for cultural diversity.

Although linguistic diversity implies cultural diversity, it is far more specific but suggests more than what meets the eye. Since language is what we use to express ourselves and communicate linguistic differences, it implies how we fundamentally differ from our fellows.

Linguistic diversity underpins many other differences, ranging from cultural to social ones.

Language encompasses all cultural aspects, whether religion, food, upbringing, and everything else. Therefore, the way we deploy language already presupposes the cultural background to which we belong. Linguistic diversity, then, underpins cultural diversity in all of its forms.

Linguistic diversity is essential in that this suggests, ultimately, that we are different from others, especially in culture. It is the factor that will ultimately determine how near or far we are from others talking about history, politics, culture, etc.

As every student of anthropology and history will tell you, close affinity in history, politics, and culture will show close affinity in language. For this reason, those who live in close proximity to one another and have a shared history for whatever reason use nearly the same language.

And it is for this reason that those who want to make others of the same culture will employ language education to ensure everyone is on the same page, talking about culture and history. Using language, they will try to mold others like their society and culture mold them.

And for the same reason, language education is resisted by those who want to preserve their identity and culture. It should be evident by now: those who will learn a different language and learn the world’s ways through a foreign language are under threat of being uprooted from their culture.

As such, it is equivalent to losing the sense of self and identity. That is why minorities and those belonging to minorities and nationalities would want to fight for linguistic diversity. There is far more at stake than what meets the eye.

One way to promote linguistic diversity is actively promoting the mother tongue through its use such as reading and writing.

And it is for this reason, too, that we need to fight for linguistic diversity. Our calling and duty are to preserve all cultures, including their language. For this reason, we need to preserve and maintain linguistic diversity.

Fighting for linguistic diversity because it is a matter of duty and because it is ethical makes it all worthwhile in its own right. But aside from those considerations, there are some practical reasons why we should ensure linguistic diversity exists.

That, of course, does not minimize nor trivialize the ethical reasons for fighting for linguistic diversity.

Why Linguistic Diversity is Important?

We must allow others to use their language; that is the most ethical thing to do. We must never put limits or restrictions on others regarding their beliefs, customs, traditions, and culture. For this reason alone, we must promote linguistic diversity.

But aside from ethical considerations, there are practical reasons why we must not only tolerate but also pursue and encourage linguistic diversity. The practical reasons concern both the individual and society and have tremendous effects on both of them.

One reason we should encourage linguistic diversity is the need to have a language with which one is comfortable. We should not force anyone to learn a language or speak the language to which one is uncomfortable or unaccustomed. It is unethical but, at the same time, genuinely impractical.

Using their language will make them learn more quickly. That is why experts and academics push linguistic diversity in schools. They know that students quickly learn when they speak in their mother tongue.

Children learn quicker when using their mother tongue, but the issue of linguistic diversity is far broader than questions of utility.

Language, though acquired through learning, is as natural as skin color, ethnicity, or race. For this reason, the learning process is less complex when we employ language which is never alien to the students. Students effortlessly learn using language with which they are familiar.

Allowing them to use language with which they are familiar will facilitate learning. Mathematics and Science, two disciplines for which concentration, rigor, and self-discipline are essential, can best be understood by students when taught in a language all too familiar.

Learning, therefore, must never be denied just because of the need to make others acculturated to a particular culture or way of life. More so if a particular community, society, or nation stands to benefit from students learning them.

And that students can learn easily and quickly when using their mother tongue is established by Science and for which there is a lot of evidence. Society stands to benefit when students learn those disciplines, and they learn better using their indigenous language.

But aside from issues of utility and purpose, there are far more reasons why linguistic diversity is essential. It is crucial to preserve cultures and traditions, for they are part of our human heritage.

That is also why linguistic diversity matters; losing those languages and traditions is comparable to the extinction of a particular species; you cannot bring them back.

That is why countries that try to promote one culture or promote dominant cultural forms trying to undermine other cultures come under fire. By promoting a dominant language and ignoring the need for linguistic diversity, they threaten the very existence of another language and, by implication, cultures and traditions.

Promoting linguistic diversity is vital in preserving cultures and traditions.

Homogenizing tendencies exist in countries with ethnic conflicts due to differences in language and culture. Examples would be the former Yugoslavia and ethnic conflicts in Asia, such as in Sri Lanka and Burma.

But other countries, like ours in the United States, and several European countries, promote inclusivity and integration of other people while still allowing them to retain their own culture and language.

How To Encourage Linguistic Diversity In Schools

Schools have always been at the forefront of educating people and, as such, very much implicated in preserving or disappearing cherished beliefs and values. If there is any institution that by far is the most important in promoting and encouraging linguistic diversity, it must be the educational institution.

Language use is very much a part of educational discourse. Outside of families, schools are the most critical institutions in shaping children’s minds and, by implication, the general public. Schools can lend legitimacy to specific cultural practices and delegitimize those promoting social injustice and discrimination.

Therefore, encouraging linguistic diversity in schools is essential if we want to promote wholesale linguistic diversity in society. Schools are ideal for propagating linguistic diversity because of their reach and influence in educating the general public, particularly children.

Employ Diversity And Inclusivity In The Hiring Of Teachers

Practice will beat theory anytime, talking about education. No matter the talk of having diversity, whether linguistic diversity or other types, if we do not practice what we preach, that defeats its very purpose. We must walk the talk and do it where it matters most: having employment as diverse as possible.

Schools must practice what they preach, and must have diversity and inclusivity in hiring faculty members and staff.

Teachers from different ethnicities, nationalities, gender, age, and class, can diversify the educational system, making the environment ideal for promoting linguistic diversity. It makes change and new ideas acceptable and can make the promotion of linguistic diversity easier.

Employ Diverse Teaching Strategies

Pedagogy itself must be well-rounded and receptive to changes, especially those involving cultural practices and tradition. They must contribute to knowledge but at the same time must also contribute to positive social change, that is, in the fight for social justice and equality.

For two reasons, teaching methods and strategies need to be inclusive and diversified. One is that this will help nurture in students the need to tolerate differences between themselves. The second is that it will help those minorities of different cultures and traditions to adapt quickly, thus facilitating learning and knowledge production.

An example would be providing teacher resources for teaching English language learners. They must use techniques that allow students to learn English without sacrificing their language. And teachers must be sensitive to the issue so as not to make an imposition concerning education in language.

Other English as second language teaching strategies can include accommodating differences among students, employment of different aptitude and cognitive tests concerning language understanding, and the like. Everything, however, must be geared toward the idea of preserving the native language and employment of English for utility.

Creating An Inclusive Environment

Linguistic diversity can only blossom in an environment that accepts diversity and promotes inclusivity. Therefore, the overall environment is crucial to nurture acceptance of linguistic diversity and promote the inclusiveness of members from different backgrounds and cultures.

Having an inclusive environment in schools can go a long way in promoting linguistic diversity.

Examples are celebrating their culture and traditions and allowing them to practice them within the confines of schools or educational institutions. Employing teachers who can educate people about diversity, inclusivity, and the need for it will also go a long way in creating an inclusive environment for all.

Educate The Public About Linguistic Diversity

An essential part of building an inclusive environment would be dismantling social practices that promote discrimination and exclusivity. Schools can significantly contribute to this aspect because they educate people and mold children’s minds.

Schools being what they are, they can help teach in people’s minds the need for linguistic diversity, even as they wage battle against discrimination, oppression, and exclusivity. They have the tools, the human resources, and the logistics to make it work, and they are in the best position, being the institution responsible for education.

So they must be at the forefront and lead by promoting inclusivity, diversity, social justice, and tolerance. In this way, they can create an inclusive environment in the school, which will encourage linguistic diversity.

Work With Other Members Of the Society

We cannot overestimate the importance of schools, but essential as they may be, schools and academics must recognize they need help and cannot do it alone.

They must work with others, such as parents, which, aside from teachers, must be the most influential individuals in every child. They can also work with people from other sectors, like media personalities and celebrities, to promote linguistic diversity.

Schools can ask the help of celebrities and influencers in promoting linguistic diversity.

Ultimately, in promoting linguistic diversity, everyone must do their part and contribute, even in a small way. Those little things can help us make great strides in the fight for social justice and equality.

UNESCO emphasized the need for multiculturalism and diversity, for which linguist diversity serves as an essential corollary. Why does linguistic diversity matter? Because we need to preserve other cultures, and the disappearance of language will ultimately lead to the disappearance of cultures, UNESCO and others have emphasized that.

Experts worried about disappearing cultures, and many blamed the non-use of specific languages. Since language is the bearer of cultural knowledge and important in cultural exchange, non-use will gradually lead to the disappearance of cultural heritage, which is the product of human civilization.

According to National Geographic, nearly 230 languages have disappeared since 1950 through various causes, but primarily through the non-use and promotion of other languages. We will lose our heritage as humans if we lose many more languages.

Therefore, multilingualism and promoting linguistic diversity are imperative and go beyond language benefits. We tend to lose our cultural heritage as humanity if we never promote linguistic diversity. Use and utility are the means to preserve the language; therefore, we must do everything necessary to preserve all the existing languages.

No less than UNESCO emphasized the need to promote linguistic diversity as a way of preserving cultures and traditions.

Conclusion

Linguistic diversity must be on the agenda of many social justice advocates. It is as important as the fight for women’s rights, gender rights, and the rights of minorities and ethnic groups. Linguistic diversity underpins those struggles, for they can only make their fight using discourse, of which language reigns supreme.

So the need for linguistic diversity is imperative if only to make the struggle for social justice and equality for all more meaningful and successful.