The universality of language rights, and some other considerations

In thinking about the language rights that ought to be guaranteed, it is important to consider a couple things. First, what rights actually fall under the umbrella of language rights? Is it simply the legal right to speak one’s own language? Or does it extend to the right to be understood? One might equate language rights with the freedom of speech. But really, the freedom of speech doesn’t require that others understand you. The right to use your language, on the other hand, requires help from those on the receiving end. In other words, guaranteeing language right might require that the State and civil servants to use the language and understand it. Second, would language rights be able to address the distributive inequalities that currently exist with official languages? What kind of equitable solution would give people the right to use their own language but not trade of things like efficiency and practicality? Third, do different political systems require different language rights? Certainly, the right to use one’s own language and be understood is more essential in a democratic state than in a totalitarian state. A democracy involves more than just a ballot and the formal right to cast a vote. It is about participating in democratic discussions. Yet to do that, one must have a strong grasp on the language used in the political sphere. Therefore, I think advancing democracy requires us to think deeply about language policy and language rights. Different political systems have different needs for language rights, which makes me think that language rights are perhaps universal human rights.