For Linguistic Inclusion

As linguistic beings, we are necessarily situated within certain linguistic contexts. States must rely on certain languages to provide public service, social welfare, or legal enforcement. Individuals are dependent on languages to make friends, to find partners, to earn money, or to vote. Interestingly, these linguistic contexts are diverse. Multilingualism is not only palpable at a state level - states find multiple languages within a territory where it holds jurisdiction -, individuals also navigate through diverse languages in private spheres regularly. The fact we are necessarily situated in diverse linguistic contexts presents us with some normative concerns. This paper focuses on a particular normative concern that may be identified within the context of multilingualism. Namely, I identify a specific type of structural linguistic injustice, i.e., linguistic isolation. Then, I argue that individuals may bear two types of responsibilities, especially in the private sphere, as a response to linguistic isolation. This discussion on linguistic responsibility in private spheres, i.e., ethics of multilingualism, fills the gap in the literature, as the linguistic justice debate has rarely discussed individual responsibility in private settings. To do so, this paper will proceed as follows. Section 2 will introduce a structural injustice approach to language related issues. Section 3 argues that linguistic isolation is a type of structural linguistic injustice. Section 4 will introduce a type of linguistic responsibility that individuals may have in multilingual contexts to avoid causing previously mentioned linguistic harms, especially in private spheres. Section 5 will address potential objections to my concept of linguistic responsibility, in order to dispel them.