The Importance Of Multilingualism

Several evidences suggest that spoke language was first developed during the upper Palaeolithic , and evolved and diversified into several languages along the human diaspora around the globe. As exemplified by the Biblical myth of the Tower of Babel, the linguistic differences was probably a great barrier for relations among the early societies. Without multilinguistic abilities those nations could poorly exchange information, make trade or keep some sort of diplomatic relations. When civilizations started to grow and absorbed people from different origins multilingualism was necessary to establish a good connivance among the citizens. On 196 BC, for instance, King Ptolemy V, ruler of Hellenic Egypt, in order to be understood by all
The recent media technologies are allowing millions of people to access with touches on a screen, information from cultures and languages from any part of the globe. Worldwide communication are getting easier and cheaper as well as transnational traveling. More and more companies are operating internationally, performing transactions over several countries in different languages. Economic and political processes are becoming more unified as exemplified by the European Union or Mercosul. Multilingualism is becoming more important as suggest by David Graddol , once Japanese, Spanish, French and German besides English are getting more used on economic market. Moreover, plurilingualism can play a useful role on politics, education and even on arts. Linguistic diversity when protected and encouraged create a sense of belonging, especially in speakers of minority languages inside a society dominated by other tongue, a powerful way to promote social and democratic
Twenty-three thousands came to Brazil, arriving in country mostly by precarious rotes on the Amazonian region and them moving to the big cities in the southeast and south of territory. Most of Haitian immigrants master more than two languages, French, Creole (the Haitian official languages) and English, in some cases Spanish . According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Brazil is receiving others thousands of immigrants from Senegal, Nigeria and Syria (who speak respectively French, allied to several ethnic languages, English and others native dialects and Arabic.) All these language diversity could be very enriching for Brazil as exemplified by the initiatives adopted by the city of Joinville in Santa Catarina State. The mayor of the city is facilitating the issuing of work authorizations for foreigners and the multinational companies based in the municipality are employing the immigrants due its polylingual abilities , demonstrating that immigrants are not a burden but a great opportunity to support our economy, diversify our culture and make a country more