Name: MISSIONA, KRISTINE DYAN M.

SECTION: BEE-III

Date: October 28, 2021

Topic 3

Let’s Check

Language Rights

Are language rights human rights, and does everyone have the right to use their language everywhere?
Consider examples such as punishing children for speaking a language other than the dominant language
at school, offering court translation services for minority language speakers, Let’s check Language
Programs and Policies 41 and speaking a heritage language (which is not the majority community
language) in the home. In what cases are people entitled to use minority languages, and in what cases do
you feel they are not?

Yes, language rights are human rights. Individuals have the right to express themselves through their
own language and that right is a fundamental human right. Being able to express our wishes, ideas, and needs
through language is one of keys to basic survival. Language is a vehicle for participation in community and
cultural life and a central aspect of individual identity on a personal level. It is through language that we
convey our innermost self and we transmit and express our culture and its values. Furthermore, linguistic
rights protect people’s right to choose one’s language or language for communication both within the
private and public domain.

People are entitled to use minority languages in their private, non-governmental sphere of
national life. That includes the freedom to use those languages at home, such as talking to their family
members and friends in a casual manner. They have the right to use the language where they are most
comfortable with and that which would establish amicable relationships with one another. Also, as
members of the community, they are entitled to use their language with the other members of their
community. The use of one’s own minority language inside their own communities fosters participation
and inclusion within the societal groups. In addition, people are entitled to use minority language in
education. Minority language education is completely crucial for protecting language rights and for
preserving languages. People belonging to minority groups should have the fair opportunities to learn the
minority language or even access education in that language. Therefore, bilingualism should be promoted.
Additionally, people have right to access media information in their own language. No one should be
deprived of obtaining local news through the language they would understand. That’s why here in the
Philippines, television and media broadcast in different regional languages exist.

However, I think that there are instances where the use of minority languages is not
recommended to use. For example, when it comes to communication with government and public
institutions, the majority language is more suitable to use for the reason that those people who are
working with governmental offices might not recognize one’s minority language, thus could impede the
governmental transactions. Another instances is that when a minority individuals or groups are going to
represent themselves or community in the national government as their jobs, like the local
representatives, they cannot or might not use their own language as to conform to the use of designate
official languages in the national government level. Furthermore, it is oftentimes that a minority language
is not the good option to use when dealing with non-locals or with people who do not speak the language.
People have to switch from own their language to a language that non-locals would understand for
communication especially when dealing with businesses like tourism industry.