Across the world, 178 countries recognize an official language and 101 of them have more than one. So, what exactly is an official language?
As per the dictionary, an official language is a language that is accepted by a country’s government, is taught in schools, used in the courts of law etc.
An official language is given a special status in a particular country, region, state or jurisdiction. It is the language used by the government of a state or a country. It may not necessarily be the language that is spoken by the people of the region or country.
Many countries have multiple official languages, especially countries with diverse and heterogeneous language communities. Bolivia with 37 recognized official languages has the highest number of official languages in the world, India is second with 23 languages and South Africa has 11 official languages.
In a country like India, where states are formed on a linguistic basis, most states use English and Hindi or English and the regional language as an official language.
Now let us understand the pros and cons of having an official language
To begin with, let us look at the pros
A common language helps in binding the people of a country together
A common language in countries with diverse languages and cultures can help bring people together and also ensure most people can understand the language. This ensures that the majority of the population is able to communicate among themselves across the country and with the government officials as well.
A common language can make curriculum designing easy
Usually, it is the official language that is used as a medium of instruction in most schools. Thus, with a recognized official language, schools would find it easy to design a curriculum at the national level. Also, students can benefit with equal opportunities as they grow up.
Reduce cost for the government
With an official language, the cost incurred in translation and other related services to ensure all the government services reach the public can be reduced to a great extent. This can save a lot of money which can be diverted to other development activities.
May help in social and economic mobility
An official language can help in promoting literacy in a common language which is usually the de facto language and thus provide opportunities to grow economically outside a particular linguistic community on a larger platform.
May help dissolve social and economic hierarchies
As a common language helps in economic growth beyond a particular linguistic community, it helps people dissolve social and economic hierarchies in many ways and thus can help in a progressive community that grows together.
Can be instrumental in a bilingual or a multilingual community
There are many countries with more than one language. In such countries children from a young age learn both their mother tongue and the official language at school which promotes bilingualism or multilingualism. This can help them grow personally with better cognitive abilities, better multi-tasking abilities, logical thinking and even becoming a more tolerant and open-minded person.
Now let us look at some of the cons of having an official language
Minority language communities may feel undervalued
With an official language that is prominently used by the government, schools and jurisdiction, it is possible that minority language speaking communities may feel undervalued and even lose opportunities if they do not have access to learn the official language which can create a further social divide among people.
The urban and rural divide based on language may increase
When compared to rural areas of a country where usually the native language is used, people in urban areas may have an advantage not only with respect to social and economic growth but also in dealing with bureaucracy and other government servants.
How as an individual can you benefit with an official language?
If you are someone whose native language is different from the official language of the country, you have the advantage of learning more than one language which is your native language and the official language.
This not only helps acquire the many skills associated with learning multiple languages but also allows you to learn and understand cultural diversity which can play a crucial role in becoming open minded and tolerant. Individuals with these qualities can play a pivotal role in developing harmony and peace in a diverse nation.
There are many options online that can help you learn a second or a third language easily.
You can book a free demo session with Multibhashi to improve your linguistic abilities.