Chapter 6 – Intercultural communication in a transnational world
PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
“natin equals cultuuee equals language” oieuula
Teansnatinal uigeatinn natins aee nitu – and nevee have been – hiuigenius unitus descending
oeiu siue peiuiedinal natinal ancestuies whi lived in stueictu isilatin oeiu ituhee such
peiniedinal natinal, etuhic ie cultuueal geiups.i
Despitue tuhe ubiquituy io uigeatin, siue geiups aee in a peivileged eelatinship tui tuhe natin and
ine way tui uaintuain tuheie peivilege while excluding ituhees is tuheiugh disciueses io cultuuee
Questin io tuhis biikn hiw di cultuueal disciueses seeve as tuiils io inclusiin ie exclusiin oeiu
tuhe natin and itus eesiueces?
Huuan language is chaeactueeistcally diveesen ni tuwi huuan beings speak in exactuly tuhe saue
way butu siuilae ways io using language – in tuhe oieu io a ciuuin language – cinsttuutue a geiup
chaeactueeistc.i
Scientifc explanatins ateibutue linguistc diveesituy tui geiup dispeesiinn as geiups uived away
oeiu each ituhee tuheie languages develiped difeeentuly in difeeentu cintuextus and a speciifc
language becaue tuhe chaeactueeistc io a geiup tuhatu had lived tuigetuhee oie a ling tue.i While
tuheee undiubtuedly is a link betuween a speciifc language and a speciifc geiup, itu is iupietuantu tui
keep in uind tuhatu tuhe link betuween language and geiup is cultuueal eatuhee tuhan genetc because
language tueansuissiin oeiu geneeatin tui geneeatin is nitu biiligical butu tuheiugh leaening.i
Heatuheen “billiaed-ball uidel” uigeatng geiups and tuheie languages aee cinceived io as
biunded enttes, clised if tui iutusidees, whi tueansuitu tuheie language oully intuactu and wituhiutu
any discintnuites oeiu ine place tui anituhee.i
Fie uuch io huuan histuiey, “a speciifc language” wiuld have been nituhing uiee tuhan a
uutuually intuelligible systueu tuhe biundaeies io which weee detueeuined by intuelligibilituy.i Hiwevee,
linguistc ceitueeia oie whatu cinsttuutues a language such as uutuual intuelligibilituy have eeceded, and
pilitcal ceitueeia have beciue inextueicably intueetuwined wituh linguistc ceitueeia.i
The key pilitcal lens which has shaped iue undeestuanding io whatu cinsttuutues a speciifc
language oie tuhe pastu oew centuueies has been tuhe uideen natin stuatue.i The develipuentu io tuhe
natin stuatue ivee tuhe pastu centuueies, atu a difeeentu pace in difeeentu paetus io tuhe wield, has had a
peioiund infuence in tuhe ways in which huuan uibilituy and itus eelatinship tui geiup belinging
is undeestuiid tuiday.i Itu is againstu tuhe ideiligical diuinance io tuhe natin stuatue tuhatu languages,
identtes and geiup belinging aee cinsttuutued, negitatued and cintuestued in uigeatin.i ggainstu
tuhe ascendancy io tuhe natin stuatue bituh language and uigeatin have ciue tui be eedeifned.i
Stuatue eegulatin io huuan uibilituy aee undeegieded by ideiligies io natvisu, cultuueal belinging,
legituacy ie desieabilituy, and “language” and “cultuuee” aee ted tui tuhese belieos in ciuplex and
cintuextuually-speciifc ways.i Individual language use wheee tuhe tueaces io language leaening and
uultlingualisu aee eeadily appaeentu – as tuhis is usually tuhe case oie uibile speakees – is usually
cinsideeed less legituatue ie less autuhentc tuhan tuhe individual language io less uibile speakees.i
Fuetuheeuiee, belieos abiutu whi is a peituituypical legituatue ueubee io a natin and whi is nitu
shape iue peeceptins id speakees io tuhe paetculae language cinventinally assiciatued wituh a
paetculae language cinventinally assiciatued wituh a paetculae natin.i
Language beciues an index oie identtuy.i
The natin stuatue guides tuhe peeceptin io whatu tuhe ideal language is and whi tuhe ideal speakee is
tuheiugh nuueeius insttuutinal peactces tuhatu usually eendee languages and speakees wituh ling-
PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
“natin equals cultuuee equals language” oieuula
Teansnatinal uigeatinn natins aee nitu – and nevee have been – hiuigenius unitus descending
oeiu siue peiuiedinal natinal ancestuies whi lived in stueictu isilatin oeiu ituhee such
peiniedinal natinal, etuhic ie cultuueal geiups.i
Despitue tuhe ubiquituy io uigeatin, siue geiups aee in a peivileged eelatinship tui tuhe natin and
ine way tui uaintuain tuheie peivilege while excluding ituhees is tuheiugh disciueses io cultuuee
Questin io tuhis biikn hiw di cultuueal disciueses seeve as tuiils io inclusiin ie exclusiin oeiu
tuhe natin and itus eesiueces?
Huuan language is chaeactueeistcally diveesen ni tuwi huuan beings speak in exactuly tuhe saue
way butu siuilae ways io using language – in tuhe oieu io a ciuuin language – cinsttuutue a geiup
chaeactueeistc.i
Scientifc explanatins ateibutue linguistc diveesituy tui geiup dispeesiinn as geiups uived away
oeiu each ituhee tuheie languages develiped difeeentuly in difeeentu cintuextus and a speciifc
language becaue tuhe chaeactueeistc io a geiup tuhatu had lived tuigetuhee oie a ling tue.i While
tuheee undiubtuedly is a link betuween a speciifc language and a speciifc geiup, itu is iupietuantu tui
keep in uind tuhatu tuhe link betuween language and geiup is cultuueal eatuhee tuhan genetc because
language tueansuissiin oeiu geneeatin tui geneeatin is nitu biiligical butu tuheiugh leaening.i
Heatuheen “billiaed-ball uidel” uigeatng geiups and tuheie languages aee cinceived io as
biunded enttes, clised if tui iutusidees, whi tueansuitu tuheie language oully intuactu and wituhiutu
any discintnuites oeiu ine place tui anituhee.i
Fie uuch io huuan histuiey, “a speciifc language” wiuld have been nituhing uiee tuhan a
uutuually intuelligible systueu tuhe biundaeies io which weee detueeuined by intuelligibilituy.i Hiwevee,
linguistc ceitueeia oie whatu cinsttuutues a language such as uutuual intuelligibilituy have eeceded, and
pilitcal ceitueeia have beciue inextueicably intueetuwined wituh linguistc ceitueeia.i
The key pilitcal lens which has shaped iue undeestuanding io whatu cinsttuutues a speciifc
language oie tuhe pastu oew centuueies has been tuhe uideen natin stuatue.i The develipuentu io tuhe
natin stuatue ivee tuhe pastu centuueies, atu a difeeentu pace in difeeentu paetus io tuhe wield, has had a
peioiund infuence in tuhe ways in which huuan uibilituy and itus eelatinship tui geiup belinging
is undeestuiid tuiday.i Itu is againstu tuhe ideiligical diuinance io tuhe natin stuatue tuhatu languages,
identtes and geiup belinging aee cinsttuutued, negitatued and cintuestued in uigeatin.i ggainstu
tuhe ascendancy io tuhe natin stuatue bituh language and uigeatin have ciue tui be eedeifned.i
Stuatue eegulatin io huuan uibilituy aee undeegieded by ideiligies io natvisu, cultuueal belinging,
legituacy ie desieabilituy, and “language” and “cultuuee” aee ted tui tuhese belieos in ciuplex and
cintuextuually-speciifc ways.i Individual language use wheee tuhe tueaces io language leaening and
uultlingualisu aee eeadily appaeentu – as tuhis is usually tuhe case oie uibile speakees – is usually
cinsideeed less legituatue ie less autuhentc tuhan tuhe individual language io less uibile speakees.i
Fuetuheeuiee, belieos abiutu whi is a peituituypical legituatue ueubee io a natin and whi is nitu
shape iue peeceptins id speakees io tuhe paetculae language cinventinally assiciatued wituh a
paetculae language cinventinally assiciatued wituh a paetculae natin.i
Language beciues an index oie identtuy.i
The natin stuatue guides tuhe peeceptin io whatu tuhe ideal language is and whi tuhe ideal speakee is
tuheiugh nuueeius insttuutinal peactces tuhatu usually eendee languages and speakees wituh ling-
