Expression of Values and Attitudes towards English - Essay Example

?Discuss some of the ways in which people’s values and attitudes towards English are expressed in different parts of the world. The English language is the most widespread language and it relishes the status of global language as it has maintained to attract people from all over the world for social, political, educational, technological, economic or scientific reasons. The personal histories of people and communities or countries, on wider level, shape their attitudes towards this language as many people experience to learn and speak English. English has greatly impacted social, political and cultural life of the postcolonial communities and people from all over the world value it as it opens ways to international market. So, for the progress of countries, it becomes necessary to promote English in academic sphere on a wider level. The Journal ‘Language loss, Identity, and English as an International Language’ has been chosen to support the argument that the attitude of people towards English language greatly depend on its socio-economical importance in different fields of life. This is also expressed that the language of a set of people certainly acts as an upholder of their identity and the arrival of English as a major foreign language can endanger the purity of national language because of its flexible nature to become a part of it. Originally, English was spoken as a local language by a set of people living on an island off the western coast of Europe. It had no established identity and it was just one among many languages. Now, the English language has emerged as the most prominent and prestigious language with all its flexibility of accepting great changes with the passage of time. Now English has a great variety in itself because of its exposure to different communities (Seargeant, P., 2012). On an individual level, the value of language is perceived according to the specific context in which the person is using the language as Seargeant describes the personal experience of a man who originally got his education in both Farsi and English in Iran and later moved to Liverpool University for Structural Engineering. When he returned to his homeland, he was more fluent in English and it was hard for him to speak much Farsi and realized that many of the technical terms were not translated in Farsi and were being used in English. . This carries the impact of English as the language for higher and technical studies. Another example, he quotes, of a woman who moved from South of England to the North and her accent was considered as a token of her socio-economical identity which she never thought of and was considered as a role model for her accent and taught English to many students. (Seargeant, P., 2012). So everybody has different experience regarding language and as a result it brings forth a unique value of language and shapes a different attitude towards it. The people who move from one place to another, their language practice get influenced by the new environments they live in. It is also noteworthy that English language does not remain only a mean of communication rather it brings an acknowledgement of how you saw yourself and how other people perceive you (U214, DVD 1, Clip 1.3, Language histories). On a wider level, the history of a country develops a collective attitude towards a language depending on benefits that the practice of language brings. English being an international language tends to bring promising economical future so, for approaching the higher education internationally and opening ways to job opportunities the government and private institutes of many countries introduce English as a medium of their education (Seargeant, P., 2012). The English language encountered a variety of general attitudes in China. Bolton writes in ‘Chinese Englishes: A Sociolinguistic History’ that after the establishment of Republic, in 1949, the whole setup of the country was subjected to a great deal of changes and English was introduced in schools as a major foreign language. Soon after that Cultural Revolution came with a different attitude towards English and it disrupted the whole education system. English teachers faced physical attacks and were alleged to be spies and involved in different crimes only because this foreign language could be a threat for national language that promotes Chinese culture and identity (Bolton, K., 2006). With the end of Cultural Revolution the modernization in the region of agriculture, science and technology, defence and industry was implemented. At this time English was reintroduced in many of the urban schools and it was valued for its being international language though the concept of ‘spiritual pollution’ that belonged to the arrival of foreign language and culture continued. The reintroduction of English syllabus in 1978 was given a political justification that English was an important tool to meet up international class; to exchange technological, scientific and cultural entity; to enhance economic and trade relationship and to develop friendship at international level. So, to fulfil revolutionary diplomacy successfully, it was essential to prepare huge number of proficient people in English language (1978 English syllabus, Adamson and Morris, 1997, p. 17). The political reason to opt English language did not last long and the new reason for accepting it was based on economic grounds presented with English syllabus revised in 1993. English language was considered as a tool to promote the development of national economy along with culture and science across the world. Emphasis on learning foreign languages was to accomplish the requirements of their ‘Open Door Policy’ and to enhance socialist modernization (1993 English syllabus, Adamson and Morris, 1997, p. 21). Though English has been learnt on a wider level in China and English medium is established in many schools, the attitudes of the individuals to the language vary. It has been observed that Chinese students do not usually learn English as a lingua franca rather they have to learn it for attaining higher education. Most of the Chinese learners prefer English language as it is helpful in economic and social mobility (Zhao and Campbell, 1995). In the video clip we are told that this country was opened to the international community when the cultural revolutionist Mao Zedong died and approached the technical knowledge. Today, China holds a leading place in the economic sphere of the world as the whole nation’s collective opinion of developing international friendship is the socio-economic progress of the country which is further reinforced by the advent of the multinational companies (U214, DVD 1, Clip 1.4, The expansion of English in China). Du Hui (2001), in her journal ‘The globalization of the English language: Reflection of the teaching of English in China’ speaks of the importance of the English language as an international language in China and its influence on Chinese culture. China has chosen English as a major foreign language to be taught in schools from primary to university level. The introduction of English at primary level attaches great value to English in China. It has been observed that Chinese are influenced by English culture as well and it has entered their daily routine that ranges from their conversation to their cloths. English is so valued language that even if it does not enjoy any status in a country still it has become a necessity to learn it to be used as lingua franca. In the policy document of Japan ‘Goals in the twenty-first century’ the government suggests that world-class worth excellence is required to meet up the developed information technology and advanced globalization which demands learning English language as a mean of communication at international level. It provides an exposure to the global information along with sharing values and expressing intentions to the whole world (CJGTC, 2000, p. 10). The globalization of English language has often been regarded as an achievement which reflects British glory and superiority at international level. But there is another viewpoint about this globalization of English Language according to which this success is the consequence of the centuries of oppression and exploitation. After the break down of colonialism British government has sustained its power through linguistic imperialism. Many English users may considered as an imposed language and they have no choice but learning it. (Leith, D. and Seargeant, P.,eds, 2012) A Nigerian scholar, Bamgbose, points that many people learn English only because of the fact that English language confers many appealing opportunities but also because not being proficient in English is not a choice (Bamgbose, 2009, p. 648). Book 3p.18 The 17th century, when the British government established colonies, was the crucial era which led the English language to attain global value. So the people belonging to different regions, for example, Africa, Ireland, Asia, learnt to speak English with a variety of accents and pronunciations. The discovery of America brought a huge migration of English people to this land and the slave trade from Africa to America in order to get cheap labour to develop colonies resulted in a great influence of African languages on English. This complexity increased and now we observe a noticeable difference in American English and British English and the latter is considered as an independent variety and a standard for social correctness. In 1783, when America was no longer a colony, Webster created American Dictionary which showed American language having its own identity with a difference in spellings and cultural impact (Leith, D. and Seargeant, P., 2012) The attitude of Africans towards English language is strongly linked with their movement for independence. Blyden states in Mazrui (1973, p. 62) that English language suited Africans the best for unity as this language has remained in contact with many cultures and many communities influenced its progress. Danes, Romans, Celts, Saxons, Normans and Greeks contributed to its development ( Blyden, E., 1888). Another reason of using English to run the freedom movement was that in Africa many languages were spoken and it was hard to convey any message to the whole Africans in any of their tribal languages. So the tribalism was to be replaced by nationalism by accepting English language which could also represent them across the boundaries. It has also been said that the British colonialism has modernized the Africans and they have the new concepts of freedom, national identity and promotion of their own culture (Leith, D. and Seargeant, P., eds, 2012). Though English has played an important role in the development of the postcolonial society of the Africans and they have accepted it as a way of communication inside and outside Africa, there are some conflicts which we observe among the Africans regarding the use of language in some areas. Many writers argue that English language is not sufficient to present an authentic picture of Africa, though their identity is hybridised by their European experience. Ngugi rejects to uptake English language as a medium of his writing based on the hash colonial memories that he got from the British government for his people. Some other writers such as Amos Tutuola and Chinua Achebe promote African English as a distinctive language (Taiwo, 1976). Dastgoshadeh and Jalilzadeh (2011) present their view point in their journal ‘Language Loss, Identity, and English as an International Language’ that identity of a nation is directly related to its language and in order to save it language is promoted at its best. Now English language has been learnt as a lingua franca and a language of opportunities and by doing this national language is snubbed in many fields. Promoting national language can bring modernity and social mobility along with saving identity. They are of the view that participating in global relations makes learning international language which leads to strengthening that language and eventually its cultural and economic development. There is no denying the fact that lack of interaction with the rest of the world always brings social, political and economical problems but the loss of identity mainly occurs when the national language fails to create competitive situation and to use its potentialities to the maximum. In India, during the colonial period, the English language was considered as an elite class entity as British government set up their establishment with the help of this higher group of the society. After the freedom, it has remained as an associate official language and a mean of communication. English is used in press and court as it was used by the Britain. In the court, a lawyer, Amit Mandgi, states about the practice of English in court that it brings a sense of unity among us and it crosses the border limits too but it is only beneficial for the elite clients as many of other people belonging lower class have not learnt much English. Now, the historical attachment with English is left behind and more people are learning it because of socio-economic pressure as it open up ways to a variety of opportunities on international level (DVD 1, Clip 3.5, English and the colonial legacy). It has been argued that attaining skill in English language by Africans and Indians is getting essential in order to develop their socio-economic value. English has become a language of opportunity for its being global as it enhances the chances of getting well-paid jobs (Project English, 2009, quoted in Seargeant and Earling, 2011, p. 3). Nino Murcia while analysing the attitudes of people of Peru towards learning of English language concludes that English has been taken as an obligation brought by the global market and globalization as to get rid of economic deprivation people think of migrating to an English- speaking country seeing an opportunity of getting a job of high wages. She thinks of the importance of English as a dollar which is a currency used for geographical and social mobility in the present world (Nino Murcia, 2003, p. 121). In Malaya, English is a colonial heritage and primarily it benefited British and a small group of people of Malaya who belonged to elite class and already enjoyed social, political and economic power. This power was maintained by that class by providing education in English medium to their children for availing better job options. The rest of the society was subjected to maintain status quo by being educated in local language. So one class achieved civilization by being open to international society but the exposure of the other class to English was seen as a threat to their culture and lifestyle as fishermen and farmers (Pennycook, 1994). In 1957, after getting freedom from Britain, the new government decided to make Malay their national language to establish their national identity and promote their culture. English was also taught side by side as a compulsory language. Mahathir Mohamad, the prime Minister, not only promoted Malay but also acknowledged the importance of English education and linked the introduction of English for teaching science and maths. He pointed that in order to compete with advanced countries of the world and other Asian countries, it was essential to learn the language of modern telecommunication, internet and computer. He argued that wearing tie and coat, speaking English and practicing democracy in place of feudalism was not enough to make them Europeans (Mohamad, 1999, p. 40, quoted in Foo and Richards, 2004, p. 237). The attitude of all groups of this society towards English varied as they took the arrival of English language as linguistic imperialism that would lead to a loss of their own language. The Urban society valued English more so defended its being taught at a wider level. This problem that belonged to the deficiency of teachers has been greatly acknowledged and government has taken initiatives to solve this problem such as by introducing The Project to Improve English in Rural Schools (e.g. Palmer and Jumiran, 2008). In the clip we observe that the requirement of English language to compete in technology, science, commerce and trade at international level has been realized and there are many well-establish schools educating in English medium. But at the same time we see an inequality in the society regarding education as the government has failed to provide skilled teachers in the rural areas. The promotion of Malay runs side by side as a upholder of national identity. So the access to a better education by all members of society has been caught language politics (DVD 3, Clip 18.2, The politics of English in postcolonial setting: Malaysia). English language may face a variety of attitudes from different people, it is valued all over the world and but it varies from place to place as the cultures of different regions impact its language and the way of addressing different people also differs. The class example of conversation has been shown by a policeman who talks to an African-American by calling him a boy and asserts his superiority through language. He insults him not only by refusing his adult status but also by not bothering to pay attention his profession and speak politely to the doctor. The policeman even after knowing the doctor’s second name prefers to call him boy in order to ask his first name. Dr. Poussaint’s this experience is marked with profound humiliation and according to him it ripped his manhood (Ervin Tripp, 1969, pp. 93, 98) The way of interaction varies within English revealing the personal or group identity of the people communicating. The preference of words during a conversation invokes a specific set of traditional values which do not fade even if the medium of speech changes. For example, the people speaking new languages i.e., Nigerian English, Singaporean English, Indian English, when speak to different people, say uncle and aunty unlike British people who often use ‘sir’ as the prefer kinship terms to address to develop a better social relationship. In India ‘di’ or ‘didi’ is used for elder sister but other elder ladies with no blood relationship may be addressed with the same word to show respect. So this shows the preference to local conventions rather than following the American or British culture (Pandharipandi, 1992). To conclude, the value of English for its being international language has been greatly acknowledged and it is being taught in all over the world regardless of its globalization seen as linguistic imperialism. People’s varying attitudes towards English language are an outcome of its being a colonial heritage and a socio-economic commodity. References Adamson and Morris, (1997) in Bolton, K. (2006) ‘Reading B: English in China after the revolution(1949-present): English in the World Today’, Abingdon, Routledge/ Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp. 38-9. Bangbose, (2009) in ‘English as a positive resource’ in Seargeant, P. (ed) (2012), ‘The Politics and Policies of Global English’ Abingdon, Routledge/ Milton Keynes, The Open University, p. 18. Blyden, E. (1888) ‘The spread of English beyond the British Isles’ in Leith, D. and Seargeant, P. (eds) (2012) ‘A Colonial Language’ Abingdon, Routledge/ Milton Keynes, The Open University, p. 127. Bolton, K., (2006) ‘Chinese Englishes: A Sociolinguistic History, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press’, (pp. 246-256) in ‘Reading B: English in China after the revolution (1949-present)): English in the World Today’, Abingdon, Routledge/ Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp. 38-43. CJGTC, (2000) ‘How we model the spread of English’ in Seargeant, P. (ed) (2012) ‘English in the World Today’, Abingdon, Routledge/ Milton Keynes, The Open University, p.29. Dastgoshadeh, A. and Jalilzadeh,, K. (2011) ‘Language Loss, Identity, and English as an International Language’, vol. 2, no. 4, p, 1. Ervin Tripp, (1969) ‘Politeness and interpersonal meaning’ in Allington, D. and Mayor, B. (eds) (2012) ‘Talking in English’ Abingdon, Routledge/ Milton Keynes, The Open University, p.20. Hui, D. 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(ed) (2012), ‘The Politics and Policies of Global English’ Abingdon, Routledge/ Milton Keynes, The Open University, p. 19 Taiwo, (1976) ‘The spread of English beyond the British Isles’ in Leith, D. and Seargeant, P. (eds) (2012) ‘A Colonial Language’ Abingdon, Routledge/ Milton Keynes, The Open University, p. 128. Zhao and Campbell, (1995) in Bolton, K. (2006) ‘Reading B: English in China after the revolution: English in the World Today’ (1949-present)), Abingdon, Routledge/ Milton Keynes, The Open University, p. 42. Open University, (2012) U214 A Colonial Language ‘DVD 1, Clip 3.5, ‘English and the colonial legacy’, Dick Leith and Philip Seargeant, The Open University. Open University, (2012) U214 Worlds of English, ‘DVD 1, Clip 1.3, ‘Language histories’, Jane, Cobb, The Open University. Open University, (2012) U214 Worlds of English, ‘DVD 1, Clip 1.4, ‘The expansion of English in China’, Jane Cobb, The Open University. Open University, (2012) U214 Worlds of English, ‘DVD 3, Clip 18.2, ‘The politics of English in postcolonial setting: Malaysia’, Ann Hewings, The Open University. Read More