How are you with languages? Other than your own native tongue that is. I’m rubbish. Efforts were made to teach me French, Spanish and even Latin at school. I think I scraped a pass in French having opted for it as my one compulsory language. But even now, living within sight of the shores of Normandy, that language is a mystery to me. Like generations of Brits before me I have most success when shouting at the natives and waving and pointing a lot. They understand eventually and smile and bow apologetically. Or maybe not.
Why can’t everyone speak English? Do you know that, in the British Isles alone, there are no fewer than 11 recognised languages? That’s not counting the regional dialects, some of which (like Geordie) are virtually indecipherable. Of those eleven, ten are kept alive by artificial means.
Here in Jersey a small band of dedicated enthusiasts keep Jèrriais alive. Up until the 19th century this was the native tongue. I recall the tongue being spoken by old chaps in the late 1970s in the bar of the Royal Hotel, St Martin. Now it is no longer spoken, even in the rural parishes. This hasn’t stopped the admirable enthusiasts, Geraint Thomas and Tony Scott-Warren pre-eminent among them, from making the old language accessible to all, especially within schools. I have the greatest admiration for them but it will only ever be an interesting academic exercise.
Guernsey and even Sark have their own, differing, French-based native equivalents. Our fellow islanders in the Isle of Man have Manx. There is Scots, Ulster Scots and Scottish Gaelic. The Welsh have a significant population of speakers, those of Cornish somewhat fewer.
Which inevitably brings one back to Ireland. It is still compulsory to learn Irish in secondary school and it is the bane of many a scholar. Consequently it is not looked upon with fondness by many. Times past you needed to demonstrate competency in the language to land a job in the Civil Service, and teaching – maybe you still do. It is an official language of the European Commission. And yet, for all the claims to the contrary, hardly anyone speaks Irish in their daily lives. The areas of the Gaeltacht are mainly in the west with enclaves in Cork and Waterford. I’ve yet to hear the native language spoken in any of those places – shops, bars, anywhere. Oh I’ve no doubt there are many that are able to speak it fluently, and even more that have a few phrases. It’s a beautiful language but again kept alive by artificial means.
I read that the aforementioned European Commission spend US$1.4billion per annum in translating all of their business into more than 20 languages. Just how many people do you suspect ever pick up and read the documents produced in Irish?
Blogger and writer colleague Julie Israel is (unwittingly I think) slowly compiling her own (8,001st) language so inventive is she.
Would the world be a happier place, a more peaceful place if we all understood what everyone else was saying? There’s an idea, maybe no one thought of that before. But if that was the prize I’d certainly be willing to try a bit harder at the French, or Esperanto or whatever. Wouldn’t you? But no, all the efforts are going the other way.
Time we ditched minority languages and reaped the rewards? Throw away richness and diversity in favour of mutual understanding and harmony? What do you think.
Back On The Rock 
Your post is very interesting, Roy. I’ve never been a fan of learning a foreign language. I do admire people who are fluent in several languages, as Spanish was my nemesis in college. I did fine until I got to the conversational level, but at that point, I became perplexed.
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Hi Jill – ah Spanish! Paella, cerveza, buenas dias, helado, naranja. Those and a bit of shouting got me through a couple of holidays 🙂
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LOL! You forgot bano…bathroom. 🙂
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When a language dies, part of a culture has gone as well. Now maybe we need to let the patient go in peace – artificially keeping languages going when there is no one left to speak them does seem a tad impractical. In Canada we have no end of language debates, for sure – with our official bilingual French and English status to say nothing of the many Aboriginal languages – then of course there are the non-official languages. Whew. It’s a complicated issue, but I can’t imagine the answer is to all become unilingual. It wouldn’t guarantee mutual understanding and harmony – what would? Your post really got me thinking and that’s a good thing.
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Certainly there are many facets to the issue Francis. I’m all for culture, heritage, a sense of one’s history. But when US$1.4 BILLION per annum is spent on tons of print that no one will ever read then it’s gone too far. When tourists in Ireland get lost because every sign for Dingle Town has been replaced by ones saying An Daingean it’s gone too far.Too much circling of the wagons by doomed minorities at far too much cost.
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I’m terrible at learning languages too. It would be nice to have a universal language, but I don’t necessarily think that should be English. Maybe a combination of different languages that everyone learns from a young age so no languages “die out”. I love the fact that people around the globe have different ways of writing and expressing themselves because they speak different languages though – eg the Italians and French tend to be perceived as more expressive, which arguably is better for their mental health
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Thanks Laura! I’m sure that I’d have been better at languages had they been introduced at primary level. It was just another chore by the time it came around. I suppose a universal language is wishful thinking but better to expend our energy along those lines than desperately fending off extinction like the final group of dinosaurs.
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Interesting topic. I love learning languages, though I’m not as good at it as I’d like to be. For me, the interest is practical (to communicate with clients and to travel). My children have been learning Spanish since they were 3, and when they’re in middle school, my guess is that they’ll probably take French (my sister will probably teach them Latin). As for the loss of language diversity, I think it’s sad, but if those languages aren’t serving a practical purpose, then that’s just nature taking its course. I wouldn’t go to great lengths to artificially perpetuate a language, but I would want to document it for historical purposes.
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Latin! I’m impressed – is your sister a lawyer as well? I learnt the basics as my English grammar school still believed in delivering somewhat of a classical education. With my Catholic upbringing I find I’ve retained more Latin than any modern language. Spanish I guess is the first language of many of your pro bono cases? (I’m guessing there a bit.)
We’re on the same page as regards dying languages. Leave them to be loved by those that care (and I might include myself to a degree), not the majority of people who couldn’t give a hoot.
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My sister is actually a middle school and upper school Latin teacher (she got her masters in Classical Studies). She would prefer to teach both Latin and Ancient Greek, but right now, she’s only teaching Latin, which serves as a good basis for other languages. She has taught my girls bits and pieces of Latin, but they are interested in learning more. They love Spanish class (and Rosetta Stone is their favorite iPad app). As for me, the most useful languages are Spanish, Cantonese, and Mandarin.
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Gosh I actually didn’t realise that there were still Latin teachers out there – I still have this image of a gowned, chalky old chap writing ‘Amo, amas, amat’ on the blackboard 🙂 I’m pleased that I retain some of it to this day. It’s brilliant that your girls are receptive to languages and they will have richer lives because of it.
Do you yourself study Cantonese and Mandarin? And do you find it useful generally or professionally? I’m fascinated as I’m so hopeless. But my younger brother is a translator by trade (Spanish/German) so it doesn’t run in the family. He won’t be happy if my ‘one language’ campaign succeeds!
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Whoo, Roy! Posing a provocative question, aren’t we? Teaching dying languages in school seems stubborn and unnecessary. If people wish to study them on their own accord, fine.
Personally, I love languages and I wish we learned them at a younger age here in the U.S., instead of the two required years in high school. By that age, it’s almost impossible to wrap your brain around them. In that sense, I think we are encouraging cultural education with half-assed zeal, thus putting its execution on par with the usefulness of learning a dying language.
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Couldn’t agree more Britt – teaching dying languages out of hours to those genuinely interested is fine but some of our kids leave school after 13 years barely able to string a sentence together or add up a row of figures as it is.
Yes indeed, it’s incredible how much a young child can absorb in the skill-hungry years – 8-12. Beyond that there’s a resistance to new subjects in which there isn’t a natural interest, including languages. As the rest of the world generally seem to speak English way better than we can speak their languages the solution is easy. Leave foreign languages to those that wish to learn them 🙂
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Great post! So much to comment on here! Especially as I am interested in the role of language as a means of communication. It really is just a tiny part of the whole deal.
It`s very important that the EU recognize the diversity of it`s states. It is the biggest union of diverse nations in the world. It is one of the keys to European peace that it manages that diversity in a way that respects all its citizens.So it should invest in the various languages.
That said, English is the most used language in conducting European affairs. Generally speaking our continental cousins are much better at acquiring a second language that Britain or Ireland is.
Yes, we have Irish. I`m glad we held on to it to some extent. But we killed that learning by making it compulsory and yes, Irish is still required for entry to some of our universities, to primary teaching and the civil service. It`s very useful to have a few words of Irish when abroad with other Irish people!
But communication is primarily about a willingness to engage with the other party and respecting their differences. Body language conveys more than the spoken word. Humans can be very creative too in getting their message across.
The main subject for teaching peace is History. Not language. History is about remembering. If we remember our mistakes we`re in less danger of repeating them. And hopefully more inclined to encourage peace.
Even if they speak English, other nationalities appreciate our attempts to use their language.
Your Queen knew this when she addressed the president and the audience in Irish during her visit here in 2011.
So did Obama when he told us “Is féidir linn” =”Yes, we can”
There you are now, Roy, a blog post for a comment!
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The trouble with history RH is that each nation has an authorised version. In English schools you won’t hear about the massacres of innocents committed by British troops during the Empire years. In Ireland all the atrocities during the War of Independence were committed by ‘the enemy’. I’m not sure I have your faith in our leaders looking to past mistakes.
One has to agree that the European Union has forged some measure of common understanding and interests. We have an era of relative peace, at least in this part of the world. And if the price to be paid is to respect each nation’s language then OK, I’ll listen. But when half of the delegates have passable English then surely it’s time to explore a better way.
Languages apart, my contribution to world peace is sport and beer. Amateur sport where teams travel, compete and socialise together. Town twinnings where communities travel, mix and discourse together. World leaders can set a great example – the Queen’s visit did more for Anglo-Irish relations than any number of politicians with prepared speeches.
Thank you for that thoughtful reply – maybe bloggers can achieve world peace 🙂
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I enjoy speaking my passable holiday French because I love the sound and feel of the words as they roll off the tongue – but I so wish I was fluent! Years ago we stayed with some French friends in Paris where a party was held and we got embroiled in a political debate which , astonishingly, I was able to partake in. Could’ve been something to do with the copious quantity of vin rouge we’d all consumed, I suppose.
It would be sad for minority languages to die out completely but I don’t think they should be forced onto school children as compulsory learning. They should be carried on by those who are bothered enough to learn all the nuances which are the things in a foreign language that trip the rest of us up!
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Yes Jenny I quite agree. I’m astonished as to how many people pick up English so well with all its irregularities. Long may it continue.
My school brought in a gorgeous French teacher to help us with conversational French. We boys were all so stupid and embarrassed that no one would open their mouths for fear of ridicule in front of their mates. The experiment didn’t last and we were still as rubbish as when we started.
Like your experience the only way to teach a language is to (1) deliver the basics in the classroom and then (2) to ship everyone off to France or wherever to live and speak the living language.
And yes, let those that have a love of languages keep them alive without foisting them on everyone else.
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I’m not convinced that if we all spoke the same tongue we’d necessarily understand each other any better – there’s evidence enough in the world of contention and conflict between like-languaged nations.
I think it’s a natural course of things that languages eventually die out, but I’m not in favour of intentionally hastening the process. As Francis said above, when a language dies, so too does part of a culture. I commend those who seek to keep languages alive, especially those languages that own their slow demise to Colonialism and the oppression of said languages’ peoples.
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Absolutely valid point of view Janna, I’m not sure either. At a micro level don’t we have harmful misunderstandings sometimes within our own families, relationships? But the less we have in common with others the less chance of forging common understandings for the greater good.
And yes there will always be scholars and others interested in dying or extinct languages, more strength to them. But it’s wrong (in my view) to throw scarce resources at propping up a language to preserve some sort of identity or nationhood.
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I am very grateful that so many people around the world speak English.The little German I know doesn’t really get me very far.
I do like languages, though. Interestingly, I never really took into consideration before that certain people have aptitudes for it. My son is in the Air Force and considered a career in linguistics. He had to take a test, which involved a made-up language that he had to decipher. He passed with flying colors. I’m not sure I would have, but it’s an intriguing idea that some people have more of an aptitude for picking it up than others do.
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And you the globe-trotter Juliann – you must have very confident body language or else a good phrase book. Do they still sell phrase books? ‘My friend has a headache. Where is the railway station?‘ Oh without a doubt some people just pick up languages no bother. I have a friend in Geneva who speaks English, French and Italian fluently without ever having studied them. My brother speaks German, Spanish and Russian better than many of the natives. Then there’s me who’s a lost cause 😦
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Roy, you have me laughing so much I can hardly see to write!
Being a total romantic, I’d miss gazing at the radio when I hear what HAS to be a love song in some obscure language (to me). I’d go for a universal language of poetry (Spanish, ideally) and body language. Imagine all the verses and gesticulation about what to do with all the money that would be saved!
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I’m not sure you’re treating this subject with gravitas Jean. However I’m willing to give your idea a try – I’m good at the gesticulating if not the poetry. Oh and you’re a star for the reblog, thank you 🙂
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Oh Roy, I know it is a serious subject but you have such a witty way of discussing it.
You’d be surprised how quickly poetry would take off and I think we Irish could do wit a bit more expertise on the gesticulating front. Maybe Jersey has educated you on that front?
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Reblogged this on Social Bridge and commented:
The blogging highlight of August (or should I say Lúnasa) from Roy McCarthy.
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I’ve always loved the diversity that different languages and customs purvey. Part of the joy of any travel is the difference in culture to be found. I even loved the fact that I had to operate in different currencies. All of it made the experience exciting and unique.
Every culture has absorbed languages from different sources and it has evolved to become part of heritage.
I did Latin and French at school although I was not proficient in speech, never having the opportunity to speak it.
When I worked in Greece I picked up the language much more naturally and loved being able to communicate with the natives. Obviously. my level of ability would not allow me to write papers or read books in that language but I truly loved being able to communicate with others in their own tongue.
I know, in Scotland, Gaelic is promoted and heavily subsidised. Three of my nieces and nephews attend Gaelic school and learn all their subjects in Gaelic. Parts of the Highlands and Islands still speak it.
I, personally, don’t have a clue other than a few choice words.
I can see that spending unnecessary money on reams of paper never to be read seems pointless. But, then that’s bureaucracy at its best.
This is a really interesting post and prompts many questions and answers.
I, personally, would be sorry to see only one language spoken although it would probably solve many misunderstandings. But, I bless diversity in many ways and language is just one.x
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Hi SM and thanks so much for your interesting reply. I’ve never ventured beyond Hadrian’s Wall so you’ve given me an interesting perspective on Scotland. It’s another example of a fierce desire to protect a national culture and heritage. I suppose what I’m questioning is whether it’s a ‘Good Thing’ on a global basis for every nation, large or small, to be circling the wagons in this manner. There’s the question of use of resources as well – a department promoting culture or spending to keep an A&E Department open, for example.
I do have one fascination with languages and/or dialects – how they have travelled with emigrants over the years. The Welsh to Patagonia, Scottish to Canada, Irish to everywhere but say Boston/Chicago. I read that there’s a part of New England where they speak with an 18th century English dialect. Maybe a post for the future.
Thanks for your visit!
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You’re welcome. Sometimes we’re only half aware of what we feel till someone prompts the question.I found it interesting.x
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Them’s is fighting’ words in this part of Canada. Nous demeurons dans un petit pauvre province bilingue. Never easy, never cheap. For me it’s enriching, for Acadians it’s essential, and, yes, for some Anglos it’s an irritant. 🙂
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You’ll be in Amy’s camp then Jane. At least NB and QB have dual, living languages. Neither are being kept alive by artificial means. I understand there’s a little bit of Jersey-French still going on to this day over on the Gaspe coast 🙂
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Interesting re Jersey-French in the Gaspe. When in France we used to be told that Quebeckers spoke with an accent from Brittany/Bretagne of old, no longer spoken there. I guess it makes sense that some were from Jersey, which is so close to Brittany. How things change. And now many Brits actually live in France, right? Things really do change!
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Roy! This is so interesting! As you’ve shrewdly discerned, I’m a nut for language (real and invented…mwhaha), and languages in the British Isles area of Europe are something I’ve wondered about since befriending three amazing Irish teachers whilst in Japan, and hearing them speak (Irish) to one another and learning, as you say, that it is a mandatory study there.
I’m no historian, but it’s hard for me to even entertain the notion of throwing out a people’s native language. Perhaps it is less than logical to spend millions of dollars preserving a language that is barely even used outside the classroom, yes– but it’s a language! It’s identity, it’s history, it’s the living word of ancestors… I don’t know. I’m all for mutual understanding, but I think I’d advocate learning two languages– a widely-spoken one in addition to one’s historic tongue– before collapsing efforts on keeping a language alive entirely. Have your thoughts gone one way or another since posting this?
Excellent post, and thanks for the mention, Roy! 😀
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Hi Julie – I’m delighted that this post has encouraged some spirited responses. And I’m not surprised that fellow bloggers are eloquently disagreeing with my slightly over-the-top comments. I’m not anti-culture or identity and I love social history. On Saturday a few of us were jogging through St Ouen, the parish in the north-west of Jersey. We passed and waved to an old boy who looked about 90. Despite what I said in my post I’m sure he would be fluent in Jerriais and I retained that nice thought and image long afterwards.
I have a lovely Irish friend and I recall how she and her slightly younger sister used to confuse potential boyfriends – not by disappearing together to discuss tactics as is traditional, but by simply switching to Irish for their deliberations 🙂
I don’t suppose what I think will make too much difference anyhow Julie! Best wishes, good luck with the dictionary.
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Hi Roy,
This is an interesting post that poses an important question. I do think that languages are like certain species–once they become extinct, there is very little chance of ever getting them back. They are a part of the richness and diversity of our world cultures and heritage. Hidden within a language are clues about the history and values of a people.
Another consideration is that the majority of these dying tongues were ripped from the throats of their speakers by conquering nations and organized religions who forcefully converted native speakers. Australia, America, Ireland, just to mention a few, punished their indigenous subjects for speaking their native tongue. Indigenous children were ripped away from their parents and sent to schools, where they were methodically robbed of their language and heritage, even their names, as their own true given names were replaced with Christian names. I have just returned from the Amazon, and the same thing happened al over Peru–people were told they couldn’t get into heaven if they spoke their own barbaric tongues or showed up at the pearly gates with a native name.
In our shrinking world, it is practically an impossible task, and it will take an extraordinary effort to keep these languages alive. I think we have to at least try.
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Hi Naomi – a passionate and eloquent reply. I get the feeling I’m coming a distant second in this debate 🙂 You make a great point in that many languages didn’t die naturally. Maybe then we have a moral obligation to pay attention to those which remain.
The parallel with extinct species is relevant. In most cases the encroachment of man on the natural environment hastened their demise. In the natural world conservationists do great work in preserving endangered species and I, of course, applaud these efforts.
So OK, I applaud efforts to conserve and study dying languages. But sometimes it becomes a disproportionate diversion of resources by bureaucrats and one-agenda politicians.
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