Part of the thrill in traveling to another country is experiencing a new language. Do you know the difference between a national language and an official language? They mean something very different for the linguistic identity of a country and its people. If you're going to learn a few phrases before you plan your future travel adventures, you need to know the difference between the two.
National Language
A national language is the default way the majority of people communicate in a certain country or region. This doesn’t mean it will always be recognized as the official language, and its use often represents the way a region or state became a nation, such as who conquered or settled it.
If you visit a country with a national language, you can expect to read, speak, and write in this language, even if there are other languages or dialects used in the region. Some countries may have more than one culturally accepted national language, but others only have one language as the default.
Take the United States. A lot of people are unaware that English is a national — not official — language in the U.S. One historical reason is that English was so widely spoken when the colonies declared their independence from Great Britain that declaring a language wasn’t necessary. But even then, a variety of Native American languages were spoken, along with German, Dutch, and French. The number of languages spoken in the U.S. has only grown since then, and while English remains the national language, the government has yet to recognize it as an official language.
Official Language
So, what is an official language? The official language is established by law and protected by the government. Some countries, including India, South Africa, and Canada, have more than one official language.
India is a special case because hundreds of languages and dialects are spoken throughout the country, making it one of the most linguistically diverse parts of the world. On a federal level, there are two official languages: Hindi and English. However, the various states also have the power to declare their own official languages, so the country really has 22 official languages. This means you can be in one state where Bengali may be the official language, and then visit another region and learn that Telugu is that state’s official language.
Some countries have multiple official languages at a national level, as well. Zimbabwe has federally recognized 16 official languages, while culturally diverse South Africa recognizes 11 official languages. In 2018, the country’s educational system began recognizing South African sign language at schools in order to accommodate deaf and hard-of-hearing students.
Are There Official International Languages?
There's no official international language, but various governing bodies and organizations will adopt official languages in which to conduct their affairs. For example, there are six official languages of the United Nations: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish.
Attempts have been made to create an international language, but the resulting language, Esperanto, has never been formally adopted.