Linguistic conflict arises when languages interact and can occur at various levels. There are several types of linguistic conflict including interlingual conflict within individuals and interethnic conflict between groups using language as a means. Linguistic conflict focuses on the languages themselves during contact, individual language users interacting, and conflicts at the societal level related to language use. Causes of linguistic conflict include geographical, political, psychological, and economic factors that influence language dynamics.
2. Conflict
Conflicts are disagreement between two or more individuals that
create tension in one or more individuals.
According to Joe Kelly, “Conflict is defined as opposition or
dispute between persons, groups or ideas”.
According to Follett, “ Conflict is the appearances of difference,
difference of opinions, of interests”.
3.
4. What is language/linguistic conflict
Language conflict arises when two or more languages interact
with each other.
Language conflict results from language contact.
The study of language contact and conflict is called as contact
linguistics.
6. Types of language conflict
Interlingual Conflict (Conflict within an individual)
Interethnic Language conflict (A conflict by means of Language)
• Two other types of language conflict are
generally distinguishable:
7. Ethnic language conflict
When ethnic group identity become important for individuals,
they may attempt to make themselves favorable distinct on social
dimension such as language.
8. Ethnic language conflict
Language is a symbolic feature of an ethnic group, in the sense
that every ethnic group is deeply attached to his/her tongue.
Liebkind (1989: 143) declares “when ethnic group identity
becomes important for individuals, they may attempt to make
themselves favorably distinct on dimensions such as language”.
9. Political language conflict
Unequal distribution of social role assigned to language in
competition.
Dominant language for certain areas such as education,
government economic institution and media.
Where the other languages excluded from state national agenda.
For example Urdu and English language in Pakistan.
10. Political Language Contact and Conflict
Language contact can cause political conflict.
This can be caused when there is a contact between two different
language groups; Canada is a good example (French and English)
A dominant language group (English in Canada) controls the
crucial authority in the areas of administration, politics, and
economy
12. Geographical cause
Geographical isolation and variation promote local identity and
distinctiveness among people. The regional differences are also
accompanied by linguistic variations and development of
different outlook hindering national integration.
13. Political cause
Politician possessing narrow and parochial outlook and certain
regional political parties create linguistic feeling among the
people of a locality and exploit their sentiments at the time of
election and in matter of various political issues.
14. Psychological and emotional cause
Apart from being the greatest force of socialization, it has certain
psychological and emotional characteristics which evoke the
feeling of ethnocentrism to a homogenous group.
15. Economic cause
Linguism may develop due to economic causes too. The
government promote certain languages and make provision for
the spread of the languages monetary inducements.
16. Focus of language conflict
language conflict is closely related to language contact.
According to Nelde(1992) and Clyne(1996) these interrelated
areas can be described as,
Language
Individual language user
society
17. Focuses of linguistic conflict
Language:
The first of focus concerns the existence of possible conflicts
arising at the level of languages contact themselves. Of interest or
mechanism that hamper or block the process by which one
language borrows morphological, phonological, phonetics, lexical
and syntactic from another languages.
18. Focuses of linguistic conflict
Individual language users:
In the second area of focus on language conflict, the attention shifts
from a focus on conflicts at intralinguistic level to the study of
conflicts related to language use in interaction.
19. Focuses of linguistic conflict
Society:
Language conflict at the level of society is without any doubt the
area of focus research on language conflict is mostly associated
with.
20. Linguistic conflict of Ukraine and Russian
Henry Hitching was certainly right when he wrote in “Language
Wars” that wherever more than one language is used, conflict of
some kind is inevitable.
21. A fistfight over Ukraine’s parliament
shows the rawness of language question
This is so called language question has been a recurring motif in
Ukraine.
Ukraine and Russians are very similar in many ways, but there
are a few differences. The language is probably is the most
notable one.
23. Linguistic conflict of Ukraine and Russian
Last week a conflict of physical kind broke out amongst members
of the Ukraine Rada(parliament) in Kiev, were member were
debating a bill brought by the current president Viktor
Yanukovych’s party of region. The over all conflict was about the
difference between Russian and Ukraine language and dominancy
of one language over another.
24. Linguistic prejudice
A Speaker uses speech as a source of social distinction.
He always communicates to let the other people known
about his position. On the other hand listener is also
keen to make value judgments about the speaker social
status.
A speaker sent social signals to show his position in the
multidimensional social space. The habit of using
signals as a source of information about the speaker is
called linguistic prejudice.
25. Linguistic conflict in Pakistan
In all Pakistani languages there is no linguistic conflict (Urdu,
Sindhi, Balochi, or Punjabi).
These are rather in conflict with English language.
According to a Pakistani poet Iftikhar Arif said this while
presiding over a session,: Language and Society of Pakistan ,on
the third day of 10th International Urdu conference ‘Urdu is not
in conflict with Sindhi, Balochi, or Punjabi. It is rather in conflict
with English’
26. Conclusion
Linguistic conflict is the confrontation of different languages in
use.
It can be intralingual as well inter ethnic languages.
Language, Individual language user and society are the main
focus of language contact.
Language contact leads to linguistic conflict.
