Praticality vs. Authenticity
The distinction between a national language and an official
language is made clear by Fasold:
"Official languages are in place
primarily for nationalist reasons, those concerned
with the day to day practical tasks of governing.
The nationalist function is concerned with
nationalist motivations, the unifying and
separatist functions, the link with the glorious
past, and authenticity."
Fasold goes on to propose that a nationalist function requires
six sociolinguistic attributes:
(1) The language is a symbol of national unity for many
people.
(2) It is widely used for some everyday, unofficial purposes,
but not necessarily a home language.
(3) A sizable proportion of the population speaks the language
fluently.
(4) There is no major alternative nationalist language, even
though other languages may fulfill the group function on the
regional level.
(5) The language must be seen as authentic, as "good enough."
(6) The language must be seen as a link with the glorious
past.
Yet, as Fasold notes, if the language in question fails to
meet 1 of the 6 requirements, it will probably fail in the
nationalist function.
References
Fasold, Ralph. The Sociolinguistics of
Society (Oxford, U.K.: Blackwell, 1987), p. 73.
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