Languages in a Globalized World

I often ask myself why people have official languages imposed on them. Why can’t the society decide for itself which language or languages to use and which to abandon? Trying to answer this question would lead us to the basic ideas of sovereignty and nation-building. Without a common language we may lose an important factor of social cohesion. But how come one language becomes dominant, the others are officially tossed to the bucket of oblivion? (more…)