National and official languages

National and official languages are two different constructs, though, oftentimes, a national language will likely have official status. I shall attempt to discuss these constructs without particularly referring to the Philippine experience in national and official languages. Let us first begin discussing what an official language is. At the administrative level of a country or territory (or even within a country or territory), an official language, first and foremost, serves as the language of administration and government, and then of commerce, education and science and technology. The national government usually makes this designation though regional, provincial and other local units may make their own pronouncements on what the relevant official languages could possibly be. The effect this will have is that transactions with, in and between the government, businesses, and schools, at least in written form, will be in the designated official language. Hence why another convenient label for the official language is a "working language," as how the Association of Southeast Asian Nations refer to English, as per their 2007 Charter. Clearly, English was chosen by the Asean for its neutrality. That is expected because how can one of the most multilingual regions of the world ever choose one of its languages without disgruntling those who do not speak the chosen language?

The practice of designating an official language is not uncommon worldwide, and almost all countries would have one. Or even more, in multilingual contexts. In these situations, it is often convenient to designate a primary official language to use for communication between one geographic location in the country and another. For communicative situations in the here and now (e.g., face-to-face meetings, casual conversations), which could not always afford an interpreter, a selection of a primary official language is useful. If there is more than one official language, written documents could eventually be rendered in the other languages a little later. It is worth noting that the United States does not have an official language. English is not an official language in the whole of the United States, though some individual states have declared it official.