Staff Writer Milli Sloss starts a much-needed conversation on the importance of learning and preserving knowledge in other languages, and the pitfalls of assuming that the English language is the only one that matters even in English-speaking countries.
“If you’re a native English speaker, is there a point of you learning other languages? I mean, everyone speaks English.”
Having grown up speaking two distinct languages, I have never known what it’s like to only be familiar with one culture or one version of the world. Code switching between the two and using whichever language was most convenient in the situation was the norm. I accepted and even enjoyed that my feelings and thoughts could not be expressed solely in one language.
So, when asked this, it is not surprising since there are many people who think this way. But the view that other languages are “not as important” or “not valuable” reveals a lot about the dominance of anglophone cultures and the threats on our linguistic diversity.
“The language of youth culture”
For many young people, they are constantly exposed to English-speaking content through social media. In a sense, to be involved in pop and youth culture, an understanding of English becomes vital. Most slang used by young people are based around these viral English-speaking videos.
For example, the popularisation of phrases such as “clock it” or “tea”, originating from African American Vernacular English, being used in other languages like French and Spanish highlight the fact that anglophone pop culture is the hub of global youth culture.
In this way, recent youth culture has been heavily structured around English-speaking content. For people to stay in the loop and ‘be on trend’, they are almost forced to understand English. As every part of our daily lives, including leisure, become solely based around one language, suddenly other languages seem to become ‘less appealing’ or ‘not as relevant’. So why should we bother learning a foreign language then?
“The language of the world”
It is true that the English language has become vital in the world of work, international relations and travel, facilitating communication and allowing different people to connect around the world. An article by the Brussels Times highlighted its importance in the context of the Ukraine-Russia war. They even went on to suggest that English should become the main language of the EU saying, “English is the only viable solution”. This is not to erase its linguistic heritage but to improve efficiency and ensure protection.
Similarly, an article by The Spectator framed English to be “a gift to humanity” as it is a language which allows anyone and everyone to communicate. It is probably the only language you can speak in any other country and still be able to communicate. Whilst the power of the English language must be appreciated and acknowledged, this doesn’t mean that language learning in English speaking countries should be scrapped as a whole.
It could be said that the dominance of English and its effects on the attitudes around language learning have been reflected in recent educational decisions. The axing of the languages department at University of Nottingham and the University of Exeter planning to cut 150 full-time posts putting humanities subjects at risk. Language departments in universities across the country are struggling to keep classroom doors open as the number of students rapidly decrease.
In addition, last November the government proposed the removal of EBacc at GCSE level which is a route that requires students to continue their language studies up until Year 11. Although the government express that scrapping the EBacc system allows students to have greater freedom when choosing their subjects, it means that all students are no longer obliged to take a GCSE in a modern foreign language.
“The language of power”
However, the acquisition of different languages has been proven to have significant economic benefits. It not only increases employability but also raises potential salaries and consequently has significant impacts on the GDP. An article by the South West Londoner mentions the RAND report from 2022 which showed that pupils learning French would increase GDP by between £9.1bn and £9.5bn, and for Spanish, between £9.1bn and £9.7bn.
It is also important to consider the political implications of language. Having a common language that everyone could speak is an ideal, but the imposition of English as the lingua franca could alternatively be considered as a form of soft power. A lingua franca is defined as a language that people have in common to better communicate despite having different native languages.
Using English as a common language and setting it as the standard not only contributes to the decreasing uptake of a language but also signifies the loss of linguistic diversity, the gradual erosion of cultures, histories and their peoples. It’s a way of defining one culture or a group of countries as “more important” on a global scale as they have greater global reach. The English language is a means of political power and dominance, not for the speaker but for the countries themselves.
“You speak English so well”
Whilst English is not the mother tongue of the population, those who speak English are often considered to be “educated” or of “high class” in many different countries. Frantz Fanon writes about the relationship between the oppressed and the language of the coloniser in his book Black skin, White masks. Although he writes about the French language, there are many parallels to be drawn when we think about the influence of English in many Commonwealth countries.
In the first chapter, Fanon describes that the acquisition of the European language “allows man to become closer to a real human being”, granting him access to “the world” (the west). It can be said that in our modern day contexts, some may consider that the English language gives access to global discourses.
An example can be seen in Namibia which decided to make English its official language in order to open doors to global opportunities. It was also chosen as English is a “neutral language”. They hope that in doing so, it would provide a greater future for its population. The English language becomes a means of power, overshadowing the native languages.
This is not a phenomenon unique to Commonwealth countries but in many nations across the world. Another example is just across the channel in France, where there’s been an increased emphasis to improve English levels. An article titled “Français, pour exister, parler anglais” (French people, to exist, speak English) explains the effects that English has had on the French language.
The article highlights that if the French want to keep up and be involved in the world they must speak English. English is the mainstream “cool” language and is characterised as a language needed for “a better life”. It also underlines the fact that English has specific terms to express and vocalise the experiences of minority groups such as the LGBTQ+ community. The article emphasises that other languages must create their own terms in order to not be “taken over” by the English language.
“Where’s your accent from?”
It is also worth mentioning that speaking English often refers to a “standardised English”. For example the languages which use English as a lexifier, such as some creole and patois varieties, are harmfully framed as “broken English”. These languages which have different linguistic systems to English are often stigmatised as “informal/ incorrect English”.
In her Ted Talk, “Why English classes are silencing students of colour”, Jamila Lyiscott talks about how institutional spaces and speaking a “standardised English” are invitations to cultural erosion. She raises the point that, whilst this “incorrect form of English” is corrected in these spaces, it is capitalised upon by big corporations such as McDonald’s.
She gives the example of their slogan “im lovin’ it” which uses the consonant variation of African American English. She notes how these linguistic practices are only valued in particular places, when beneficial to the user, but is used as a form of discrimination towards speakers of the linguistic practice.
Lyiscott also questions the way in which people would perceive her if she were to speak in African American English or in creole as she does with her friends and family. Would she be considered as equally “articulate”? Similarly, Annie Ernaux highlights the discrimination against the way people speak a language in her novel, La Place. Her father speaks French patois and is seen to fear being perceived as working class when opening his mouth.
Even when English becomes embedded in global culture and is treated as the expectation, it still continues to discriminate and create inequalities. People are judged based on their proficiency and accents, which in some cases have been seen to threaten their legal status in the country.
For example, in the US, immigration officers have been seen to use one’s proficiency in English, their accent or whether the individual speaks Spanish as a factor to question their legal status in the country.
The national immigration centre highlights that 94% of 80,844 stipulated orders of removal signed between April 1997 and February 2008 were by immigrants who primarily spoke Spanish, most of which did not commit a crime. Furthermore, many individuals in detention centres face language barriers, unable to understand what they are being presented with and end up signing removal documents unintentionally.
“If you don’t understand, learn the language”
Artists such as Bad Bunny have used their platforms to speak up about the current situation in the US but also celebrate the cultural diversity that exists in the region through their music. He famously carries out his concerts predominantly in Spanish, which has encouraged many to study his lyrics and learn the language. “If you don’t understand what I’m saying, you have four months to learn.”
The artist also notably cancelled the US part of his world tour due to concerns that ICE may target his fans. When receiving his Grammy award in February, he stated, “We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans.” Deconstructing what is meant by “America” and celebrating the diversity of the continent, he redefines what it means to be American, demonstrating that it does not equate to being from the United States or speaking English.
In this way, the English language presents itself as a double edged sword. Whilst it is imposed as the standard and has facilitated communication, it is seen to discriminate and erase our diversity through enforcing a standardised way of speaking and thinking.
So why should we bother learning languages?
A language is much more than a set of grammatical structures. It is spoken sounds composed of feelings and lifestyles of their peoples. It is different ways of thinking and feeling integrally tied with the culture of its speakers. Therefore, it can be said that not all ideas or opinions can be fully translated into English because there are limits to the language. A language and its use should be intended to unite people, not create hierarchies in expression.
In a video essay titled “language as an instrument of oppression” by Seun Unfiltered, she discusses the growing use of English and says that “while English may be the language of the world, it is not the language of my world”. Positioning English as the “global, universal language” may mean that many people’s “worlds” cannot be translated, or lose their nuance and deeper meaning. It entails risking the loss of our true thoughts, ideas and emotions because we are limited to one language. It may mean that some people can express themselves more freely and accurately than others, all because they are more proficient and comfortable with their English.
A good example of this is the viral Sofia Vegara line from Modern Family “do you even know how smart I am in Spanish”. This “universal language” creates disparities in freedom of expression and limits our discourses as they constantly need to be modified to fit the English language. It means our knowledge is often lost in translation as it loses its cultural significance.
The library that continues to burn
A collective choice to abandon language learning is a choice to erase a community’s identity and wisdom. In our modern-day discourses, we often hear about the story of the Library of Alexandria and what we would have known today if we still had access to these archives.
But when languages other than English are increasingly considered “not worth learning”, why aren’t people just as concerned? Maybe the Library of Alexandria never stopped burning; it continues quietly and slowly. As English becomes the default lingua franca and many languages cease to be uttered again, texts, scriptures and knowledge of different cultures, environments and worlds slowly crumble and disintegrate into rubble.
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