Engleski A - 2019. jesen, reading 3.

Manchester is famous for City and United, Coronation Street, world-renowned bands and famously inclement weather. And now it has another claim to fame: the city is arguably the most ethnically diverse in Europe. Linguists at the University of Manchester have discovered their city has a population that speaks at least 153 languages. (19)

. Research conducted by professor Yaron Matras suggests the true figure could be even higher.

According to professor Matras, Manchester’s language diversity is higher than many countries’. This is very likely to put it on top of the list in Europe due to many factors. (20)

. As they continue flowing in, it’s fair to say that this already large list is set to grow. With a population of half a million, Manchester is a fraction of the size of London, which has some 8 million inhabitants and also scores highly in terms of linguistic diversity.

The people of Manchester, described as “Mancunian” represent nearly every culture on the planet, census data reveal. Many of these residents strongly hold on to their family’s heritage and culture. It is known that around two-thirds of Mancunian schoolchildren are bilingual. (21)

. And there are also some rare languages spoken in the city: Chitrali from northern Pakistan, Konkani from western India, Dagaare from Ghana, and Uyghur from north-western China.

The city also attracts an increasingly large number of European citizens. According to the linguists, because of EU enlargement and the access granted to new EU citizens, language diversity in Manchester is more dynamic than most cities. Melbourne, for example, is famous for its many languages. (22)

. New York, on the other hand, is significantly larger in size and has been attracting immigrants for as long as Manchester, so its diversity is probably greater.

The past decade has seen a very noticeable change in the population of England and Wales, with the foreign-born population increasing. (23)

. Labour’s leader, Ed Miliband, said that to build one nation, everyone in Britain should know how to speak English and that should be expected of people that come to Britain. Under proposals floated by Labour, the ability to speak English would be mandatory in a greater number of public sector jobs.

But Matras’s research suggests something else about the census. (24)

. And it is still growing.
Grasping the scope of the city’s diversity has important implications. All aspects of city life, from education to health care, require sensitivity to the particular needs of individuals. Good communication is the key and professor Matras’s team has been working closely with local authorities and schools to advise on the language needs of the city.