How to Multi-Lingual countries function? (schools, law, agriculture)

[P London]

Canada, South Africa, China and Finland are all Multi lingual countries but how do these countries function governmentally? (Yep not an actual word )

For example in Canada can there ever be a French speaking prime minister??

[Perfect Stranger]

Originally Posted by P London

Canada, South Africa, China and Finland are all Multi lingual countries but how do these countries function governmentally? (Yep not an actual word )

For example in Canada can there ever be a French speaking prime minister??

There have been French-speaking Prime Ministers in Canada. (They were bilingual)

[Acajack]

Regardless of whether they have been native speakers of French or English, all Canadian prime ministers have been bilingual since 1968.

[singaporelady]

Singapore is a mulit-lingual country... How do it function governmentally ?

English is the main offical language... Honestly i dont get what you are trying to ask here..

[viribusunitis]

German is the only official language on federal level so everything discussed in parliament, every law published and all of the Supreme Court decision, ... are in German.

Hungarian, Croatian and Slovene have a special status in the federal states of Carinthia, Styria and Burgenland, though. There are Hungarian/Croatian/Slovene schools, bilingual signs on the streets, the minority languages are recognised before court and (regional) government officials are required to answer your questions in the language you feel most comfortable with.

I'm pretty sure that all speakers of a minority language are bilingual, though. You wouldn't realise that they grew up speaking a different language and they have the usual Austrian accent.

And yes, it's perfectly normal for them to become high-ranking government officials: Fred Sinowatz (Chancellor, Burgenland Croatian), Nikolaus Berlakovich (Minister for Agriculture, Burgenland Croatian), Norbert Darabos (Minister of Defence, Burgenland Croatian), Maria Rauch-Kallat (Minister; Burgenland Croatian), Terezija Stoisits ("Volksanwältin"/Ombudsmann, Burgenland Croatian), Valentin Inzko (high ranking diplomat, Carinthian Slovene), Angelika Mlinar (MEP), ...

[Wadym]

Originally Posted by P London

how do these countries function governmentally?

By using an assault rifle (its about Ukraine)...

[freakoup]

China is not a multi-lingual country officially. It has 1 official language or dialect only, Putonghua.

Originally Posted by P London

Canada, South Africa, China and Finland are all Multi lingual countries but how do these countries function governmentally? (Yep not an actual word )

For example in Canada can there ever be a French speaking prime minister??

[P London]

Oh I though china recognized the many languages.

So in every country it seems that there's always a dominate language even if the country is multi lingual.

[Ariete]

Our current prime minister is Swedish speaking, the first one since 1959. All prime ministers in history have spoken Swedish at an adept level at least, it is expected of them. Same with the presidents.

The order of business in the parliament is only in Finnish, but you're allowed to hold your speeches and get the documents in Swedish.

[Chava61]

Israel is a bilingual country as both Hebrew and Arabic are official languages. All over the country public signs are in Hebrew, Arabic and English. All Arabic speakers learn Hebrew at school and nowadays all Hebrew speakers are required to study Arabic at school. So in terms of language there isn't a problem for the country to function.