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Alex
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Language as power and privilege
June 1, 2004 - 01:35 AM
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English: the language of commerce, politics, the internet, and pop culture. The language of global branding is reaching every corner of the globe, accelerated by the expansion of markets, communications, technology and other aspects of the behemoth we call globalization. Many languages disappear simply because its users come into contact with a more aggressive or economically-stronger culture. How does your mother tongue grant you power or privilege? Is this colonialism in a different light? How does global trade affect linguistic diversity?
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Sandra Musonda
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Re: Language as power and privilege
June 1, 2004 - 09:55 AM
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Originally posted by afielding
English: the language of commerce, politics, the internet, and pop culture. The language of global branding...
quite right what you've stated. if i look at it in the african context especially personally where i come from in zambia, the language used has become an issue.english is the official language, we still have 7 main local languages and then several dialects and other languages. the funny thing is zambians are more concerned with sounding foreign especially american or british than sounding zambian. ok. so i'm an example but i'm not intentionally aiming to sound completely like an english first language speaker. my background has more to do with that. maybe we should blame it on the history. it is on-going colonisation. the colonialists came in and invaded our communication and left a language that has united us but continues to divide us.
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Brian
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Re: Language as power and privilege
June 1, 2004 - 10:33 AM
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Given my heritage I should have some knowledge of: French, German, Gaelic (Irish) and Cherokee. But being a humble citizen of the US I only speak English. Pretty sad I think!
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anna
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Re: Language as power and privilege
June 1, 2004 - 11:59 AM
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i'm american but i couldnt agree more that it is very important to know other languages because with the disappearance of a language, there begins to be disappearance of cultures as well. i see it everyday in my home. while i am american i am an israeli citizen as well and so i know hebrew but i'm not very good at the grammar and spelling, my older sister knows it better than i do, and my older brother knows it even better, but than there's my younger brother and he barely knows it, he understands most of it but is not very good at speaking the language. it really is a shame that so many languages are blocked out because of english but it is also really important especially in our globalized economic state to have one language which can connect everyone. it is also important for politics between nations. but languages and differences should still be maintained and no one should lose their true language because it is sort of a part of their identity.
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Helga
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I don't know the answers!
June 3, 2004 - 05:01 AM
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But don't write off minority langauges yet...
English was once a langauge spoken only by people with very little power. The ruling classes spoke French or Latin.
Although, counter arguing my own comments now, the English that was spoken back then was very different to the English that is spoken now. And the English we speak now has been heavily influenced by the French and the Latin that the ruling classes spoke.
There have been many of languages that have been the favourite for international communication. English is the langauge of choice at the moment, no reason why it should stay that way.
I think the answer is to learn langauges, and to learn to love learning languages... after all we've all learnt one, no reason why we can't learn more...
Helga
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Marouen
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Re: Language as power and privilege
June 3, 2004 - 08:05 AM
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Yes I agree with Helga
I have a nice anecdote : once I was in Geneva during the WSIS, I presented TIG and the youth caucus to many visitors of the youth hub. I used to do it in english because I was thinking that I'll reach more persons doing that. But, one case showed me I'm wrong. I took one half an hour speaking with a woman I met and at the end she asked me where i'm from. I discovered that she was tunisian like me 
for all the presentations after, I started by asking what is the language they prefer because it's obvious that for many persons, communicating with mother tongue is the best.
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SLOVENC
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Re: Language as power and privilege
June 4, 2004 - 10:33 AM
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Je pense que francais est le plus important langue de monde, car beacoup des gens a l'Afrique parlent francais, et nous savons que a l'Afrique est l'avenir de notre monde!
Because if there's a continet that will develop the most it sure is Africa! If we look all the western countries , as they will develop they'll mostley destroy themselves! But Afrika and Asia and maybe even Central&South America can develop a world nice and peacefull to the ppl! And with it there's also an impotance in the language which they use! So we'll definetly get a new dominat language in the near future! And there is a need of knowing other languages not just English!
And as for the minority languages, I think that they can survive, but they'll never be much important! Some will totaly die out! Which is kinda sad, and definetly the fault of the dominence of a specific language and the country's policy!
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Terri Willard
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Aboriginal Languages
June 4, 2004 - 11:12 AM
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Language and power are very interrelated.
One of my biggest frustrations in Canada is the degree to which European language instruction is more common in schools than aboriginal language instruction. You can explain it in 1000 different ways (e.g. lack of teachers, lack of standardized curriculum), but at the end of the day, it pretty much boils down to a lack of resources dedicated to it due to the lack of $/power/status associated with the aboriginal community.
According to the last census (http://www.gov.mb.ca/ana/apm2000/1/k.html), for all Aboriginal people in Manitoba, English is the most common mother tongue (65%), followed by Cree (18%), Ojibway (8%)and French (4%). Languages most frequently spoken in the home are English (76%), Cree (13%),and Ojibway (4%).
While I think that it's awesome that the Metis Resource Centre has put a series of short language sessions online (http://www.metisresourcecentre.mb.ca/language/), it drives me nuts that I can't easily figure out where/how to enrol in a course in Cree in Winnipeg to save my life!!!
Beyond that, my gut feel is that there is another level of politics at play (Melina, I'm going to need your help to sort through this one). My sense is that, given limited resources, many of the Aboriginal groups in Canada are more in favour of programmes that ensure that the language is kept alive within the community - and aren't particularly interested in opening up the courses to non-Aboriginals. Language is power; it confers some degree of being included (or not) in a community. Control over when/where/how a language is taught and shared gives the community control over who is part of that community.
Given the current situation within many aboriginal communities and the drive towards self-governance, recognition and treaty rites, I can understand the desire to reaffirm and re-solidify who is part of a community and who is not. But, it's mighty hard to build trust and a broader Canadian society unless non-Aboriginal people are increasingly exposed to and taught Aboriginal lanugages as a key to understanding these cultures, traditions, and perspectives on the world. What we get translated into English is pretty white toast and loses the real nuances and flavour of the diversity that is out there...
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Laouini Amel
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another anecdote ...
June 4, 2004 - 11:45 AM
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As i'm Tunisian, my mother Tongue is Arabic, as all arab world citizens. Actually, we don't speak it but we speak in regional dialects which are different from one country to another and even in the same country. For example, tunisian dialect is different from Egyptian and from Algerian or syrian.
The anecdote is that i have lot of arab friends through TIG; and we talk to each other in...English !(french sometimes).Isn't it strange?
That demonstrates the power of english as an international languages that can take off some barriers related to knowledge but construct other against cultural and linguistic diversity.
Yes a language is a power and it comes from economy and science impact and all the globaltrade , that's how English it becomes the first language in the world. and also for french!
It's a privilege for those who learn foreign languages to take off knowledge boundaries and to learn without limits as the most relevent ressources of knowledge nowadays are related to matering languages as English or French.
I think that we should not only benefit from priviledge of having access to many languages and their related ressources. But try (at the same time) to empower our own language. i'll give you an example: As you know researches in Technologies and sciences are made in english or French and if you come to write a thesis on something in this field you'll write it in english (or French) to allow it to be shared with all people in that field. But are you thinking about rewriting in your mother tongue? i think people who do it are really few. But you have to think that this will lead one day to the extinction of your mother tongue!! :-((
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NesreeN
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Re: Language as power and privilege
June 5, 2004 - 10:23 AM
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My mother-tongue language is Arabic, and as amelo2005 had stated that in Arabic there are many different dialects: Egyptian, Shami, Khaleeji, Sudanese, Tunisian, etc. Although we all share the same basic language but I find it difficult for instance understanding Tunisians or Moroccans. I used to think that their dialect is more French than it is Arabic. I learnt later that it is actually more pure Arabic than any of the other dialects.
Now Arabic is losing its importance with the new dominating language 'English'. English is becoming the new universal language that everyone finds easy to use. Sometimes you find Arabs, Indians, Africans, etc. communicate with each other in English, and it is becoming the number one language used in households. I think it is one important and apparent form of globalization.
Yet again employees seek candidates with the knowledge of more than one language. Emphasizing the importance of other languages but marking 'English' as the most important.
I also want to add, that the Arabic language is growing in importance and has been marked one of the UN major working langiages along with French and Spanish. Back in my university we had many American students coming to 'only' study Arabic. At the end of their course they are able to handel a conversation in Arabic as long as you can. They also can write essays in Arabic with no grammaratical mistakes. They used to amaze me because I find it hard to handel a conversation in Arabic without mentioning one English word in the middle.
Personally, I would love to learn as many languages as I can. And I would also like many other people to get interested in my own language. Maybe in this way we would be able to help keep alive the other languages.
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Pleso
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Language as power and priv.
June 7, 2004 - 03:41 AM
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I am from Australia, and despite having a Belgian father, the only language I speak fluently is English.
In terms of power and priviledge, the most obvious personal example I can think of is the fact that a combination of my language and available finances were my ticket to a volunteer teaching position in Eastern Europe. As English becomes more and more a 'global language', being a speaker opens up many possibilities not available to speakers of other languages. Resulting sometimes in rather onesided cultural contact.
As for language as an instrument of colonisation - I see language as one of the most powerful colonising forces due to the inextricable links between language and culture. I believe preservation of languages is paramount in preservation of cultural diversity. I think that being multi-lingual is the way to go. Unfortunately however, those who speak the 'dominant language/s' are far less likely to learn another language as neccesity does not press so sharply upon them as it does upon speakers of less dominant languages.
I am a good example, I speak English, I embrace the idea of being multi-lingual in theory but am I currently learning another language? No, I am not.
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Pui San Whittaker
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Re: Language as power and privilege
June 9, 2004 - 07:31 AM
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Hmmm I agree with much of what has been said. I have experienced and observed the colonising power of language and accents in Australian society in a number of ways.
Firstly, within my family. I am a first generation Australian. My father is an English migrant (with Scottish, Irish and Danish heritage) and my mother is a migrant from Hong Kong (with Chinese heritage). My Mum chose not to teach me Cantonese as she didn't want me to have a Chinese accent when speaking English. This is an example of internalisation of racism perpetuated in the family, caused by my father's criticism of my mum's (very fluent) English. The biggest problem it has caused, is that it is much more difficult to communicate with my Cantonese speaking grandmother. In Australia, intergenerational conflict is a very common issue for migrant youth, and language is a big part of this.
When working in the ethnic sector for organisations advocating for migrants and refugees, I have noticed that executive positions are generally held by the people most fluent in English. There is an assumption that it is easier for them to converse with the media and participate in committee meetings. HOwever, they may not necessarily be the best leaders or representatives. I think it is important when representing ethnic diversity to expose 'mainstream' society to different accents. A strong accent does not mean a person is less intelligent or qualified and people need to get used difference.
I think in Australia it is only a recent phenomen to encourage people to be multi-lingual. This has been in the interest of foreign trade rather than cultural awareness/exchange. Often learning your mother tongue is seen as a regressive step. A few years ago the conservative Federal Government stopped funding bilingual schools for Indigenous kids, because they felt it meant kids wouldn't do as well in 'mainstream' society.
I think we need to reasses how langauge is priviledged on the basis of economic and political power. Family and culture are also integral to a sustainable, successful and diverse society.
Also a question, why does the UN maintain English, Spanish and French as it's official languages? This seems extremely Eurocentric to me.
I hope that TIG adds some additional languages to this site in the future!
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NuGene
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Afielding, the reason English is the language of Commerce?
June 15, 2004 - 04:36 AM
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and then the language of politics, the internet, and pop culture is because of Englands Colonialization of a very large part of the undeveloped parts of the world and the United States trade practices during that same time in the past. And don't get me wrong all the other Industrial countries at that time were doing the same things and all of the undeveloped regions were trying to do the same to the wealth and resourses of their neighbors. But the thing about English is you have to have a Lawyer to translate the True Meaning of It, it lends itself very nicely to fine print and loop holes and Baptist Preachers like it because they can make the Bible come out just the way they want and their congregation don't even know. It is very easy to cheat someone in English, German is used by many scientist because it is so discripttive and persis. All Languages have a life of their own. If they are not allowed to live they just die. Anna, like you I see coultures dying with their language but this World is swrinking at an alarming rate and there will be a day soon when there will be only One Language and One World without Borders. A Freind, Gene
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Gene Winston Owens, Sr.
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Now a days if you can move ahead by doing
July 4, 2004 - 05:40 AM
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any learning you can find some kind of means of finding a way to move ahead,. me
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Dave Kissoondoyal
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Re: Language as power and privilege
July 6, 2004 - 12:56 PM
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China has the biggest population in the World. It is developing very fast and one day, Chinese language will be spread throughout the world and will take the place of English.
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