How does language cause conflict?

Answer 1

Language can spark conflict for any of the five below reasons:

Miscommunication: Often one person will hear all or part of something that someone else says and infer it to be an insult or a form of degradation. This provokes anger or sadness that may lead to conflict.

Assertion of Identity: In many cases, speaking a certain language is indicative of how a group of people assert their uniqueness and identity. This is because language reflects the way that a certain group of people think and their types of expressions. For example, one of the ways that Koreans say that the Japanese repressed their identity and culture was to compel them to speak Japanese.

Official Languages: In some countries, recognition or non-recognition of a particular language (usually a minority language) can cause conflict. Because language is an assertion of identity, failing to recognize a certain minority language as an official language is tantamount to not recognizing the minority's distinctive nature.

Demeaning of Other Languages: Some cultures will be dismissive of any language other than their own, making them less sensitive to the needs or problems of people who only speak those demeaned languages.

Use of Language as Ideological Carrier: Lastly, language serves as a carrier of ideas, views, and is a powerful motivator to action. It has been words that have preceded almost every show of force and led every group of ideological crusaders to action.