![]() Moreover, there are numerous examples of nations where policies of monolingualism have increased cost-effectiveness. This potential benefit might seem extremely appealing to many African nations attempting to build their economic systems. Since English is the most spoken language in the world, learning this language enables the developing nations to maximize their production and trade power by being able to communicate with other regions around the globe. Rational choice theorist Francois Grin suggests that societies will choose to speak a language that maximizes their economic wealth, balancing the benefits of knowing the language with the costs of integrating the language into their culture (Grin 34). Many African countries are moving towards monolingualism in English in order to accelerate economic growth by allowing native people to communicate more effectively with other nations and transnational corporations (Brock-Utne 70). One example of how monolingualism leads to economic growth comes from the field of development economics. A single language also helps companies in service industries (anything from food service to technology consulting) more easily communicate with their customers, and helps industrial and commercial firms better communicate with those who buy their products. In multilingual countries, workers learn the national language or lingua franca in order to increase their marketability to employers (Grin). Just as monolingualism in education makes the educational process more efficient, monolingualism in the workforce benefits the economy by allowing employers to use only a single language to communicate more efficiently with their workers. ![]() A common global language would also facilitate intercultural understanding in education and allow for a free exchange of ideas from around the globe. In many non-Anglophone European countries, English is already the medium of instruction for science and mathematics courses in secondary schools and universities (Coleman 6). Learning a national or international language instead of an ethnic or regional one opens students up to a wider world of experiences, and also increases their opportunities for future employment. Students will be more likely to understand a commonly spoken language and there will be a greater abundance of teachers able to teach in more major languages. Therefore, for educational purposes, it is beneficial to teach students national or international standard languages. Currently, eighty percent of people speak just one percent of the world’s languages (Erard), and by the turn of the century, half of the languages in the world will most likely be extinct (Anderson). The world is transitioning from a multitude of languages to domination by just a few large international languages, such as English, Chinese, and Arabic. This paper will demonstrate that monolingualism benefits society by strengthening education, increasing economic efficiency, and creating a sense of common identity.įirst of all, the trend towards monolingualism can be beneficial in education, as major languages are used almost universally to teach people around the world. ![]() ![]() As language is the primary means of communication between humans, the adoption of a common language is central to cooperation between ethnic groups in the domestic sphere, and between nations in the international sphere. The global trend towards the adoption of a single language is pervasive on both the national and international levels and has occurred in tandem with economic development and the political consolidation of unified nation-states. Awards in the Public Humanities: Research & Engagement (2022-2023)īy Bryan Pinsky | Considering Another Side EssaysĪrthur Schopenhauer, the eminent German philosopher, once stated, “One should use common words to say uncommon things.” Schopenhauer is describing how communication works best: when it takes place in a medium that both people can understand.Center for Literary and Comparative Studies.
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