Regional and national languages

About the author:

Pierre Marillaud, Dr. of Linguistics, Associate Researcher, University Toulouse-Jean Jaurès (France); Inspector of the Honorary Academy; p.marillaud.cals@orange.fr

Abstract:

In this article, written within the framework of “Ecology of the Language”, the author relies on the works of Great Philosophers, historical texts, and the recent laws in the educational sphere and parliamentary debates about the status of “mother tongue”, “regional language”, “national language”, and American English as a “global language”, when sketching the linguistic situation in nowadays France. The problem of linguistic stratification within the borders of France is foregrounded with special attention paid to the equivocal attitude of the French people towards the decision of the Education Ministry to assign English the status of the language of the education. In the following ten chapters, the author explains why the French intellectuals treat the issue of language policy dramatically, and concentrates on the myths of the origin of languages, especially those that are connected with “Indo-European” genetic theories. While explaining the state policy, the author regards varieties of national and regional languages and touches upon historical, educational and administrative issues. Severe discussion in the French mass media of turning American English into the “Global language” and the only language of education became the major focus of the article. In this regard, the historical issues of Latin and Greek as international languages and languages of education are attracted to compare them with the contemporary status of “the Global Language”.
The ratio “one language — one people” is regarded as the most controversial point of language ecology. Other points include the identity capacity of every language and dialect and the aporic character of the linguistic situation in France.

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