ABSTRACT
Having a common language is not essential to national or group identity although it can be important. The Swiss are made up of three or four different linguistic groups but their nationality is not in doubt as a consequence. Nor is the ability to speak English any longer a prerequisite for being a citizen of the United States. In contrast, being French and speaking French are usually seen in France as essentially linked. While discourses on identity differ among states and communities and at different times, speaking the same language or languages does have bearing on questions of national consciousness of which it can at least be a powerful reinforcer.
