Lingua Franca
A lingua franca is a language that is used as a common medium of communication
between two or more unrelated groups. Such a language may be a remnant of
imperialism, when the colonial power imposed a common language of
administration and education on diverse linguistic groups living within theboun-
dariesof a colony. For example, English is a lingua franca in Nigeria and India,
both former British colonies holding dozens of distinct linguistic groups within
their borders. In both countries, English is an “official” language and is widely
taught in the public educational system. The use of English as a common language
in both Nigeria and India allows people from many diverse ethnic backgrounds to
share information, express points of view, and seek mutually acceptable solutions
to problems. Colonial imposition is not the only means whereby a lingua franca
may develop. A lingua franca may emerge from economic or social necessity.
A good example is a language of variouspidgin tongues, widely used between
groups that have trade relationships, but not long-term contact with one another.
Unlike the example of English cited above, pidgins that operate as a lingua franca
are not spoken as first languages by any group.
For many post-colonialnation-states,the lingua franca in use is a key element
in overcomingcentrifugal forces,and crafting a unitarycultural identity. In the
case of Indonesia, the official language of Bahasa Indonesia has proven to play a
vital role in uniting the linguistically diverse population of over 250 million. The
Indonesian government claims that almost 100 percent of the country’s population
is literate in Bahasa Indonesia, a lingua franca officially developed when Indone-
sia became independent in 1949. Many scholars credit the emergence of this
common tongue, in a nation where several hundred languages and dialects are spo-
ken, with crafting a national identity where little had previously existed. A func-
tional, common language appears to be essential in maintaining the geographic
integrity of a nation-state, and in promoting regional economic development.
States in which the use of local languages is maintained and the adoption of the
official lingua franca is resisted (Yugoslavia, the Soviet Union) often fall victim
to centrifugal forces and collapse.
A lingua franca may also help to establish and maintain a regional relationship
among a group of countries—French in West Africa and Russian in Central Asia
are examples. Some have attempted to develop a global lingua franca, in the hope
that an increased ability to communicate would lead to greater cooperation among
countries. In the 19th century a lingua franca was created with the intent to pro-
mote world peace and integration. This was Esperanto, a language spoken today
by several million people, although it has failed to achieve global standing over
the last century. On the other hand, the influence ofglobalizationin the 20th
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