ipl-logo

Linguistic Imperialism Is Affecting An Individual's Cultural Identity

994 Words4 Pages

English is the universal language for communication. Many non-native English speakers study the language as a second language since common languages facilitate global communication. As the practice becomes a phenomenon, some countries experience language shift, where the native language is slowly replaced by another language. For example, English has become integrated into Spanish-speaking families in the Philippines. A growing number of countries is experiencing Linguicide; half of the world’s 6,000 languages have disappeared or are in the process of doing so (UNESCO,2011). This results in a loss of culture and heritage, ultimately impacting an individual’s cultural identity, which is composed of ‘language, physical appearance, history etc.’ …show more content…

If a balance between promoting English and keeping indigenous language is maintained, hybrid cultural forms and cultural heterogeneity could occur, otherwise, result in dire consequences. Having a common language facilitate communication between individuals and countries, it also allows the exchange of knowledge and enhance multiple industries such as business and trading. Culturally, it allows people from different areas to share a common platform to promote and expose themselves to new cultures; allowing us to appreciate the beauty of different practices and heritages. Hong Kong(HK), a multicultural district, is an area which tries to hold the balance between incoming English language and original Cantonese language but English has somewhat affected native languages and individual’s perception. English is viewed to be more important academically when compared to Cantonese by parents, mainly due to influences under British colonialism when English was declared as HK 's official language (Simpson,2007). Younger generations may consider English culture to be superior to Chinese culture. Studying in an international school, I have seen classmates who refuse to appreciate their own culture and make statements such as ‘‘Chinese food is boring’ or ‘I dislike Chinese culture’ without actually understanding the culture. At times, some pretend not to know how to speak Cantonese. These acts not only …show more content…

Without a proper education or compromise, the disadvantages of having English as global language would override its benefits. Linguistic imperialism is a consequence of the losing balance which results in language shift and death. Unfortunately, the loss of balance is commonly experienced, and thus many local languages are displaced, resulting in the loss of cultural identity. Without a proper solution, displacement of more languages is

Show More
Related

  • Applying Alexander Collective Trauma Theory Applied To The Chicano Movement

    1090 Words  | 5 Pages

    The 1st point is cultural trauma; it is when “ when members of a collectivity feel they have been subjected to a horrendous event that leaves indelible marks upon their group consciousness, marking their memories forever and changing their future identity in fundamental and irrevocable ways”. Latinos

    Read More

  • Forcible Removal Research Paper

    440 Words  | 2 Pages

    A loss of identity when the stolen child was taken due to lies on who they were transitioned in part of their heritage becoming lost. Indigenous people rely on their culture, land and heritage to establish their identity. Siblings were separated when

    Read More

  • Kenan Malik's Essay 'Let Them Die'

    611 Words  | 3 Pages

    In “Let them die” essay, Kenan Malik assert that endangered languages in the world should be left to dead. In other word, the minority languages should not be preserved, because it is not related to the achievement of “cultural diversity” (Malik, 3). Indeed, he expresses, dying languages should be removed in order to reach the “dynamic and responsive” (Malik, 6) culture. However, the claims that Malik uses in his essay does not tackle the counter argument correctly. In addition, the evidences in the essay is not clear.

    Read More

  • Government Policy Of Assimilation And The Loss Of Cultural Identity

    1384 Words  | 6 Pages

    Aboriginals losing their cultural identity negatively impacted them because when the State government agencies removed them from their homes , they were then taught to reject their Indigenous heritage and most importantly were then forced to adopt white culture. This may of caused them to feel ashamed of their Indigenous culture as the stolen children were never told who their ancestors plus, who their biological families were. In addition, another negative experience under the policy of Assimilation that influenced many Aboriginals in losing their entire culture was being forbidden to speak their traditional languages. That is, because when the Aboriginal children were adopted by white families, their names were often changed meaning that they had to get rid of their traditional Indigenous name that their families had given them at birth

    Read More

  • The New Bathroom Policy At English High School Summary

    575 Words  | 3 Pages

    Language forms a part of culture and identity. Bilingualism is the right to speak multiple languages. Part of bilingualism is keeping and developing a passion for language. In the essay “The New Bathroom Policy at English High School,” Martín Espada suggests the definition of bilingualism and the importance of keeping it. Espada understands the difficulty of continuing to speak Spanish.

    Read More

  • My Cultural Identity Essay

    753 Words  | 4 Pages

    The background of my cultural identity I am an African American female but that isn’t all there is to know me for. I am an African American girl who is very interactive with my religion and also my culture. Cultural identity can be hard to explain because some people don’t know what’s really in their culture and they fail to see , and understand it. I know what my cultural identity is because of my ethiopian flag, the baked macaroni, and the movie the lion king.

    Read More

  • Summary Of The Aria By Richard Rodriguez

    1218 Words  | 5 Pages

    Having the same language as others is something that brings people together-- whether it is around the dinner table, in an office, or in a grocery store. Language helps to bring people together and is a curator for community building. And in the eyes of many, this community that stems from a language is true, as long as the language being spoken is one that they prefer. For a long while there has been a “hierarchy” of language, and English sits a top of the food chain. When English is glorified, it is seen as the key to success and continuously other languages have been pushed out and looked down upon-- resulting in closed off cultures for others.

    Read More

  • Personal Narrative: My First Day Of School In Canada

    849 Words  | 4 Pages

    Admittedly, I was a child from a normal Chinese family raised with traditional upbringing. Mandarin is my mother tongue, and it is still the language that I can best transmit my thoughts and feelings. My diary, a record of my emotional states, whether it is joyous or sentimental, are written in Chinese. My parents do not speak English; they only know a few basic vocabularies. Sometimes they make fun of themselves saying that the only English word they can speak is “bye”, but in fact, the word “bye” and the Mandarin slang “拜拜” (derived from the English word “bye” and pronounced as “bái-bái”) has almost the same pronunciation.

    Read More

  • Cultural Identity Reflection Paper

    1883 Words  | 8 Pages

    Throughout my experiences in this course so far, I have had many opportunities to reflect on my own past and have begun to better understand my own cultural identity. It has been much more difficult to wrap my head around than I would have predicted it to be because so many things play into the construction of an identity that it can be hard to look at all of those separate pieces together. My cultural identity, like all others, is more complicated than it first appears. I identify as a white person, a woman, an American, a gay person, and a feminist, just to name a few. While all of these labels carry with them stereotypes and expectations, they also interplay with the cultural influences I was subject to throughout my childhood.

    Read More

  • Personal Narrative: My Sense Of Cultural Identity

    102 Words  | 1 Pages

    Being Vietnamese-American, my sense of cultural identity greatly differs from many individuals. Since America is one great, giant mixing pot of many diverse cultures, I was exposed to a multitude of different cultural perspectives growing up. With my Vietnamese background and American upbringing influencing who I am today, it shapes my own unique cultural identity as well. It’s rare, if not completely impossible, to find a person who has the same exact cultural identity as you. And because my parents were raised in Vietnam while I was raised here in Oahu, our cultural perspectives aren’t very similar even though we’re closely related.

    Read More

  • Fruit Of The Lemon Analysis

    1020 Words  | 5 Pages

    For Chin community’s children, many people came to the United States at a young age that they barely know anything about their culture. It was hard for them to live in a mix-cultures because they are comfortable with the American culture, yet they also acquire to live with their parents’ culture. However, inside of their household, their parents taught them their culture’s tradition and show them certain part of the tradition. Those lessons make kids know about their own culture and be able to understand in many ways including language barrier that they have. Thous, a few children who did not learn their native culture also bear a hard time dealing with all these native-new-cultures things.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Expressing Cultural Identity

    847 Words  | 4 Pages

    The rise of multiculturalism in nearly all societies across the globe has brought with it countless questions that are still unanswered. The problem of whether people from different cultures should have the right to express their cultural identity in a mixed society has been highly discussed for the last 10 years. There are two main trains of thought. On the one hand, those who believe that expressing cultural identity is a part of freedom of speech, and hence should never be taken away. On the other hand, there are those who argue that people must comply with the cultural norm of the country they are living in.

    Read More

  • Intercultural Identity Essay

    1195 Words  | 5 Pages

    This world has been going through globalization for thousands of years. Just as the current globalization happening so as to the number of people migrating every year. Each year millions of people migrated from their country and relocate in a new place aside from their home country. There are different kind of reasons people are migrated from one place to another. Apart from immigrants, workers, marriages, and many other migrating groups of people, students known as international students are taking their education abroad.

    Read More

  • Advantages Of English As A Global Language

    1262 Words  | 6 Pages

    English as a global language We can’t deny that English has become an international language for communication between all mankind , it is the common language between most of the countries , English is a global language which is spoken as a native language and a second language in most of the countries , and we noticed that people who use English as a second language are way more than people who speak it as a native language , it is taught in every country in this world , it is using as a medium language of understanding between the teacher and the learner , you can see it in banks , supermarkets , in road signs and in international web pages, it is the language that you see and hear every day, so speaking English become a must , also we can’t ignore the fact that English is the language of global communication at medical , tourism , trade and other elements of language use , So English is so important in our various lives aspects. So in this essay I am going to discuss the reasons of how English become a global language and is it a good or bad thing? and what is the advantages and did advantages of spreading of English? There is a lot of reasons that helped to make English a global language and one of the most important reasons is policy , the west colonization for the countries had helped English to spread and distribute by imposing the language and the west culture on the colony countries , so we can say it is all because of the strength that the west had on the world

    Read More

  • Essay On Language Culture And Society

    2096 Words  | 9 Pages

    The Language Culture and Society programme provides us with strong theoretical and interdisciplinary foundation for the study of a range of educational practices across the human lifespan and in a range of theoretical and methodological perspective is brought to bear on studies that explore the nature of literate practices, democracy and civic engagement and participation in social life. The programme focuses on relationships between education school and the dynamics and changing structures of language, culture, and society. It examines connection between broader, social, cultural, linguistic, historical, aesthetic and political factors in education and the local context in which these issues take place. It has long been recognized that language is an essential and important part of a given culture and that the impact of culture upon a given language is something intrinsic and indispensible. Language is a social phenomenon.

    Read More

More about Linguistic Imperialism Is Affecting An Individual's Cultural Identity

Open Document