LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY OR ENGLISH ONLY?

Which looks better? Why?

Discuss: What comes to your mind when we say “linguistic diversity”? Do you think it is something ( + ) or ( - ) ? Do you think it is a problem to have more than one language in a country? Can you name some countries in which people speak more than one language?

. What is the official language in Turkey? in the U.S.? What other langauges are spoken in Turkey?

Facts about Turkey Under the Constitution of Turkey: Article 42, the Turkish language is established as the official language of the country. The language is also the most spoken in the country. More than 30 ethnic languages exist in Turkey, but only small numbers of people speak a few of the ethnic languages. 

. Turkey is an ethnically diverse country with different ethnic languages spoken in the country. The common ethnic languages spoken in Turkey are Turkish, Kurmanji, Arabic and Zazaki. Other ethnic languages have very few speakers including Turkish dialects, Balkan, Laz, Armenian and Circassian languages. Turkish is the most widely spoken ethnic language with more than 70% of users. 

Facts about the U.S. The United States has no official language. No official language is mentioned or contemplated in the Constitution. Census Bureau Reports at least 350 languages spoken in U.S. homes.

. Although the country has no official language, English is the most commonly spoken language within the United States, and the explanation for this is very simple.

. English is used in official platforms across most states, and almost all the population has basic knowledge regarding English language usage.

. America, before gaining its independence, was a British colony. The country therefore inherited much of its culture as well as language from the British. A majority of the country’s population has British ancestry which has contributed to English standing strong within American language and culture.

. A large influx of Hispanic people has made Spanish the second most widely spoken language within the country. Mandarin Chinese is the most widely spoken Asian language, with the figure being put close to 2% of the United States general population being able to communicate in it. Besides Chinese, other Asian languages commonly heard spoken within the United States include Korean, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.

Most US Native Speakers By Language

diversity (n) being composed of different elements, variety Ex: linguistic biological cultural ethnic diversity An appreciation of cultural diversity goes hand-in-hand with a just and equitable society.

diverse (adj) unlike, different His message appealed to a diverse audience.

immigrant (n) a person who comes to a country to take up permanent residence Millions of immigrants came to America from Europe in the 19th century. immigrate (v) immigration (n)

interpreter (n) one who translates orally for parties speaking in different languages He has now learned English well enough that he can conduct interviews without an interpreter. interpret (v)

multilingual (adj) able to use several languages especially with equal fluency  Many countries, such as Belarus, Belgium, Canada, India, Ireland, South Africa and Switzerland, which are officially multilingual, may have many monolinguals in their population. multilingualism (n) bilingualism (n)

contend (v) maintain, assert, argue He contended that he was right.

identity (n) the qualities/beliefs, that make a particular person or group different from others His art reflects his cultural identity.

division (n) the condition of being divided in opinion or interest , disagreement  They are attempting to resolve the divisions between two countries.

adjustment (n) a change that makes it possible for a person to do better in a new situation, adaptation, regulation Moving from the city to the country requires an adjustment. We went through a period of adjustment at the new school. adjust (v)

minority (n) a part of a population differing from others in some characteristics and often subjected to differential treatment  The country's ethnic minorities

vote (v) to make an official choice for or against s/o or sth by casting a ballot, raising your hand, speaking your choice aloud Citizens will vote today for their new governor. Did you vote in the last election?

After Reading Questions Paragraph 1: What percentage of people in the US speak English? What other languages are widely spoken in specific areas of the country?

Paragraph 2: In what areas of daily life there is linguistic diversity in the US? Can you list the example given in this paragraph?

Paragraph 3: Why are some Americans on the “English-only” side? Can you list their reasons?

Paragraph 4: What are the claims of the supporters of linguistic diversity? Why is the US a “language graveyard” according to a scholar in The New York Times?