“When a people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language it is as if they had the key to their prison.”

Can you think of examples in history where a conquered people had their language taken away from them or had a language imposed on them?

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Solution

Some examples of the native language taken away from its people and/or imposition of the language of the conqueror are:

(a) Portuguese becoming the lingua franca of Angola.
(b) English imposed on the various Celtic peoples.
(c) Spanish imposed on the Basques and the Catalans.
(d) Turkish imposed on the Kurds.

(A few examples have been provided for students' reference. It is strongly recommended that students develop the answer on their own.)

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Similar questions

Notice the underlined words in these sentences and tick the option that best explains their meanings.

(a) “What a thunderclap these words were to me!”

The words were ___________________

(i) loud and clear.

(ii) startling and unexpected.

(iii) pleasant and welcome.

(b) “When a people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language it is as if they had the key to their prison.”

It is as if they have the key to the prison as long as they _______________

(i) do not lose their language.

(ii) are attached to their language.

(iii) quickly learn the conqueror’s language.

You will get to your school _______________

(i) very late.

(ii) too early.

(iii) early enough.

(d) I never saw him look so tall.

M. Hamel _____________________

(a) had grown physically taller.

(b) seemed very confident.

(i) From where have they come? Why did they have to come here?

(ii) What kind of place did they live in there? How do they find this new place compared to the old one?

(iii) Is their language and way of living any different from that of the people here? In what ways?

(iv) Learn some words from their language and write them in your notebook.

(v) Do they know how to make some things that you cannot make? What?

Have you ever read or heard of a city slum being removed? How do you feel about this?
People also shift from one place to another when they get transferred in their jobs? How do they feel then?

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