A correspondent to the Scotsman writes:

‘For most of us, speaking a second language is neither a hobby nor a passion. We speak more than one language only if we have to. There are a variety of reasons for having to speak more than one language.

‘We need a second language if: we live in communities where we simply have to talk with neighbours who do not know our language; if we want to climb a social ladder that uses a language other than our own; and if we want to sell things to people who do not know our language. We learn a second language if we are told a god has chosen to use only a language other than our own, or if we are subject to colonial masters who do not use our language. This list is not exhaustive…’

Read the full letter on the Scotsman website.