This is from the site Language Futures Europe
http://web.inter.nl.net/users/Paul.Treanor/eulang.html
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Structures of languages
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Language policy ideals are associated with geopolitical visions.
Nationalists support national languages, regionalists in Europe support
regional languages, supporters of a cosmopolitan ethic often hope for a
universal language. In Europe there is an emerging division:
- neo-Atlanticists support English as European language of contact
- defensive national language activists seek a limited multilingualism,
of national languages
- regionalists and separatists want all languages to get equal status,
with hundreds of official languages in Europe
- technological optimists believe full automatic translation will be
available "soon", so the political issues will disappear.
Two other positions have less impact:
- traditional defensive linguistic nationalism (preserving one langauge
in one country only), has disappeared - at least in western Europe
- there is almost no support for a new artificial language, for an
"interlanguage" (neo-Latin or neo-germanic), or a revival of Latin or Greek
It is possible to list 8 basic attitudes, influencing language policy:
- "the multiplicity of languages is an evil, and a source of conflict. It
should be overcome by a universal language, or at least a global
auxiliary language"
- "linguistic standardisation in modernity is inhuman and evil, like
Newspeak in Orwell's "1984"
- "diversity of languages is a value in itself, similar to biodiversity"
- "each language has value in itself, and it should be preserved, perhaps
like a work of art"
- "languages are essential to peoples and nations. Language is related to
identity, culture, and memory. Language erosion is cultural genocide"
- "one specific language is superior to all others because it expresses
truth, or value, or the Word of God. It should become universal, perhaps
for religious purposes only"
- "one specific language is associated with a superior political
philosophy, or social system. It should become the universal language"
- "a universal or near-universal language, which existed in the past,
should be restored"
The sites collected at Language Futures Europe reflect almost all of
these positions, and attitudes.
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