[The Hierophant]

A great topic for debate! And lots of insightful replies too!
I agree with the general consensus of 'learning a country's mother-tongue' in terms of how the adult generation reacts to foreign language situations. However I also believe that an increased effort to stimulate the interest in foreign language and culture at primary-school level is vital if a multi-lingual, poly-cultural generation is to develope (the demands for which are becoming increasingly apparent as immigration becomes such a global force of social change). Education of the younger generation is vital in this, mono-linguisticism shall only serve to increasingly polarize society internally, strengthening the rifts and psychological borders of various ethnic 'communities within communities'. However, making languages 'official', 'unofficial' or 'secondary' isn't going to necessarily solve anything either. The key to this is to create within our children a desire to understand the nuances of global culture (which includes the learning of language), as opposed passing legislation that grants officiality to one or two particular languages and/or ethnic cultures.