Certain languages are taking over the world. Most of these languages have spread as a result of empires colonising over massive chunks of land. Such was the case for the British empire, who colonised almost a quarter of the worlds land area, carrying with them their dialect with an army and a navy.
The English language eventually became one of the most commonly spoken languages on earth; the lingua franca of the modern era. Yet there are still people and communities that are not a part of the global English speaking community of over a billion people, and because of the linguistic imperialism that the English language has faced, those people, no less capable than us, are at a huge disadvantage.
On an educational level, not having the ability to speak English anywhere near fluently can be a massive problem when applying for university entry, where, in most cases, an English language test needs to be taken. In a TED talk by Patricia Ryan in 2010, she states: "This system equates intelligence with the knowledge of English." For the individual of any culture or background that does not priorities the English language, there is an immediate barrier, not allowing them to be enrolled in many of the top universities in the world.
Could we fix this problem? Yes, by giving communities like such an opportunity to learn English at an early age. But won't this affect their culture? If children, whose cultural roots are the values their own dialect, grow up speaking English fluently, or even as their mother-tongue, then that dialect would surely be put in higher risk of being endangered. The loss of a language is the loss of a culture. The community as a whole, along with the culture and traditions they live by, could be endangered because of the lingua franca we call English. And it's not just English. Many other major languages are spreading across the globe, as many other regional dialects cease to exist. (Every 14 days in fact.) But maybe that's a good thing. Maybe with less languages, there's less separation. Who knows what the future holds?
The English language eventually became one of the most commonly spoken languages on earth; the lingua franca of the modern era. Yet there are still people and communities that are not a part of the global English speaking community of over a billion people, and because of the linguistic imperialism that the English language has faced, those people, no less capable than us, are at a huge disadvantage.
On an educational level, not having the ability to speak English anywhere near fluently can be a massive problem when applying for university entry, where, in most cases, an English language test needs to be taken. In a TED talk by Patricia Ryan in 2010, she states: "This system equates intelligence with the knowledge of English." For the individual of any culture or background that does not priorities the English language, there is an immediate barrier, not allowing them to be enrolled in many of the top universities in the world.
Could we fix this problem? Yes, by giving communities like such an opportunity to learn English at an early age. But won't this affect their culture? If children, whose cultural roots are the values their own dialect, grow up speaking English fluently, or even as their mother-tongue, then that dialect would surely be put in higher risk of being endangered. The loss of a language is the loss of a culture. The community as a whole, along with the culture and traditions they live by, could be endangered because of the lingua franca we call English. And it's not just English. Many other major languages are spreading across the globe, as many other regional dialects cease to exist. (Every 14 days in fact.) But maybe that's a good thing. Maybe with less languages, there's less separation. Who knows what the future holds?
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