Multilingual Language in Rwanda and Monolingualism  language in Indian

                 Language is one way people interconnect with one another, build relationships and create a sense of community. Think about the situation where people speak multiple languages while they come from one country then compare it to  where people speak only one language there’s no doubt that this causes miscommunication. In many counties including Rwanda, people speak different languages based upon which province they come from.  On the other hand ,countries like India, speak only one language, called Hindi. One may ask how both are similar or different ? What impact or consequences may come out of this? Well let’s dig deep

Rwanda is the country with 13.78 million people from different provinces. Many people migrate from one place to another, mostly into the capital city to search for a better life, higher education, employment, or security. After settling, these people are faced with the problem of communication because Rwanda is a  Multilingual country, which means people speak different language according to what area they come from. People from eastern provinces speak different languages from people who come from southern or western provinces. Hence it becomes tough for migrant to interact, finding what they want easily or making friendships  This doesn’t stop  there, as it also affects the schools as Phillipson said “when I entered in the school I had student speaking different language from mine I wondered if I’m in wrong place” (Phillipson, Rober, 2018, p.4). When students joined different schools which are outside of their provinces, he found people from there speak different languages which becomes very complicated to communicate, understand their studies and also impacts making new friends. Also, it hinders their studies since they cannot understand the concept. Some students put more effort  to learn the Runyankore  language  in order to catch up with others  as Phillips mentioned “Starting from that day we engaged in different activities such as; clubs, which helped us to catch up late on we were fluent in Bunyankore. I believe all regions should not rely on only one language.  People should learn different languages.  “This example from one region in Ethiopia illustrates how educational planning in a multilingual context can benefit from a realistic approach to language and learning” (Phillipson, Rober, 2018, p.80).

India has a similar system to Rwanda, though they do not speak as many languages. In India, many schools use Hindi language as their primary language as to LaDousa’s” Is it surprising that the apartheid I witness daily in my class has received no recognition in the growing body of India studies? Chaise Aldous’s work shows why scholars, even sociolinguists, avoid mapping the boundary that divides the worlds that Hindi and English cohabit separately”(2016, p.10). This explains how students who speak other languages, like English, aren’t recognized, which is the same in Rwanda where people, who don’t speak Bunyankore, find it hard to be accepted in the societies.  This  creates division among the students. As Phillipson said to Rwanda, “I believe all regions should not rely on only one language people should learn different language” (2016,  p.80). Also, LaDousa’s mentions  that language has much to do with education which means Indian should adapt new system of introducing English to be used in the schools, and mostly public schools and this will give a better chance to the students who come from poor families.

Though there’s similarities between both cultures, there are also differences. In Rwanda,  people speak different language due to where they come which means people from eastern, western, Northern, southern provinces speak different language where as, in India the use only one language called Hindi. Also in India, private schools are the ones which teach English whereas in Rwanda most  schools use Runyankore.

In a nutshell, studying multiple languages can be  incredibly important because it opens doors to new opportunities and helps us better understand the world around us. When we learn different languages, we can communicate with more people, explore diverse cultures, and build stronger connections. It also boosts our brainpower, improves memory, and enhances problem-solving skills. Plus, being bilingual or multilingual can lead to better job prospects and higher earning potential. “To learn a language is to have one more window open from which to look at the world” – Chinese proverbs.

References

Jurgensen, John. (2002, December 11). Christmas cards: American tradition. Daily Press. ProQuest, http://168.156.198.98:2048/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/christmas-cards-american-tradition/docview/343182600/se-2.

Aggarwal, Kailash. 1988. “English and India’s Three-language Formula: An Empirical Perspective.” World English 7 (3): 289–298. ———. 1997. “What’s Indian about Indian Plurilingualism?” Language Problems and Language Planning 21 (1): 35–50.