26Problems of societal multilingualism and their solution

26. Problems of societal multilingualism and their solution in Europe and America

"To have another language is to possess a second soul." -Charlemagne

According to the latest estimates, there are five to eight thousand different ethnic groups residing in approximately 160 nation states. Moreover, scholars estimate that there are over 5,000 distinct languages spoken in that same number of nations. What is evident from these figures is that very few nations are monolingual or mono-ethnic. Each of the world's nations has groups of individuals living within its borders who use other languages - in addition to the national language - to function in their everyday lives. For example, according to the 2000 United States Census, one in six or 46.9 million people speak a language other than English in their home. In the past, second generation children were encouraged to adopt the customs, culture, and language of what was identified as the majority culture. Today, with greater recognition and celebration of cultural differences, people are more likely to maintain and share their primary language with their children and to promote bilingualism as a reflection of ethnic pride and identity.