Linguistic imperialism, globalism, and the English
language
•Impérialisme linguistique, mondialisation, et anglais
Phyllis Ghim-Lian Chew
National Institute of Education, Singapore
Abstract
The idea that the spread of English was a post-colonial plot perpetrated by the core
English-speaking countries, who hoped to maintain their dominance over Âperiphery'
(mostly developing) countries, has received mach attention in linguistic circles. This
paper argues that such a notion ascribes too much power to the English language,
as opposed to the language policy makers and language users. It views the
phenomenal growth of English more as a result of globalism rather than linguistic or
cultural imperialism.
Resume
L'idée que l'expansion de l'anglais serait un complot post-colonial conçu par les pays
anglo-saxons afin de maintenir leur domination sur les pays Âpériphériques' (en voie
de développement pour la plupart) préoccupe beaucoup les milieux linguistiques.
Les auteurs estiment que c'est là attribuer trop de pouvoir à la langue anglaise par
rapport aux décideurs de la politique linguistique et aux usagers. Ils perçoivent
l'expansion phénoménale de l'anglais comme le resultat de la mondialisation plus
que comme celui d'un impérialisme linguistique ou culturel.
Introduction
With the demise of empire, most newly independent countries have had to struggle
with the choice of official language policy. English, or some other former colonial
language, was often thought of by these countries as the most realistic option for
a national language: it apparently favoured no particular
38
indigenous group and was the language best suited and most immediately available
for national development, both educationally and economically. Not surprisingly,
most of the former colonies ended up with English as one of their official languages
and, ultimately, the predominant language in education, business and government.
However, the retention of a former
colonial language as one of the official
languages was not without its fears and
trepidation. Much of the powerful rhetoric
denouncing the continued use of colonial
languages came from Western intellectuals
such as Fanon (1963), who linked their
continuing use to the determination and
ability of ex-colonial masters to maintain
their economic, cultural, and political
dominance beyond independence. The
introduction of English into the former
British colonies, for example, was said to
have the effect of putting into circulation本文出自www.51lunwen.org,在代写
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new discursive practices and creating a
cultural Other. The Other was marginalised,
confined, silenced and had a new
subjectivity imposed on it. It was also
categorised and evaluated in terms of norms
that were alien to it. Often a hierarchical relationship between the colonialiser and
the Other was instituted where the unchallenged point of reference was the
culture of the coloniser.
It became only a matter of time after World War II before the phenomenal
spread of English began to be questioned by language professionals themselves. By
the 1980s, more concerns began to surface regarding the theoretical,
methodological, ethical, and professional issues related to the global spread and use
of English.1 Resea
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