Language, Power, Multilingual and Non-Verbal Multicultural Communication

Due to developments in internal migration and mobility there is a proliferation of linguistic diversity, multilingual and non-verbal multicultural communication. At the same time the recognition of the use of one’s first language receives more and more support in international political, legal and institutional frameworks. The promotion of linguistic diversity and identities related to this
is the official policy of the European Union4. Because of such policy, it is to be expected that languages will be and will remain in contact at all sorts of levels of governance. This situation will not be restricted to indigenous regional and minority languages only, but will affect ‘new’ immigrant languages as well. As we know from the work of political scientists, like Pierre Bourdieu, and contact linguists, like Peter Nelde, there is a strict relation between language and power. Inter-group conflict will always have a language element to it. Hence, it is hypothesized in this paper that largescale linguistic diversity and multilingual communication will be the subject of power conflicts and hegemonic strives. But communication is not exclusively a case of linguistic acts. Richard Harris (personal communication) informs me that largest part of communication is in fact non-verbal, i.e. more than eighty percent of all types of communication is non-verbal. In this paper the non-verbal communication concerning geographical maps and public space will be discussed. It will be concluded that as soon as these types of non-verbal communication are getting prominent in intercultural and transnational communication they carry the same potential for conflict as transnational linguistic or verbal communication in a multilingual context.