Your Opinion On Dialects

[Looper]

I understand that many of us are born in a place where they speak a slightly different language - a dialect. But if today, we had the option to make the future generations speak only one language - no more other dialects - would you approve of it? Provided that all other dialects will be written on books/dictionaries so they would be treasured and not forever lost.

Do you think we might be able to easily achieve peace in our country, if everyone easily understood one another? Or do you think it's more important that people from different islands has to speak different languages/dialects?

Personally, I've always wished all Filipinos spoke the same language. It would encourage more people to travel to other places, it would be easier to make friends with other people. We would all feel more that we are the same and not divided.

[takibari]

I personally find nothing wrong with the Philippines having as many dialects as there are islands. To me, Filipino and English being two languages widely spoken throughout the archipelago is enough for all the country's citizens to understand each other. True, there are those who aren't fluent in either languages, but I highly doubt fluency in one language is key to a country's unity. There are many countries in the world that observe one language, and yet we still hear of chaos in the news. The many dialects in our country adds more beauty and texture to our culture. I kind of like the diversity going on with us having many dialects throughout the country. If there's one thing I observe, if one is keen on understanding one's neighbor, language is just one component of it. People might be speaking one language, and yet no natural curiosity to get to know the other, in which case there's really nothing language can do to that regard.

[gracerph]

I agree with @takibari. Our diverse dialects also constitute to our uniqueness in history and culture so I don't really see anything wrong with having different dialects. It is indeed not the diversity of spoken words that divide us but our inability to understand each others' differences at times.