Negative Effects of International Dominance of English - Report Example

Negative effects of International Dominance of English Name Course Professor’s Name Institution Date The English language continues to exert its dominance of numerous countries. A host of factors contribute to its dominance with the primary ones being the internet, education purposes and research. This spread of English is highly termed as unavoidable or linear especially in lieu of making the world a thriving place due to harmonized communication (House 2003: 578). However, numerous dilemmas emerge from the spread of the English language at the current rate. The English language provides a channel for a nation to join the modernization path. The same country is caught into a dilemma whether to join this path or to promote its national culture that is characterized by multilingualism. Some scholars argue that the English language is a threat to multilingualism while others do not see the perceived threat. Nevertheless, the dominance of English language has both positive and negative effects.This paper discusses the negative effects of international dominance of the English language. The spread of the English language tends to create division between the native English speakers and the learners of English, who generally learn and use English as the second language. Though there exists debate about the definition of a native English speaker, it is evident, though comparison research with users of English as the second language that native speakers bear a significantly higher level of proficiency. It is for this reason that the dominance of English is ridden with discriminatory practices and underrepresentation of English Second Language (ESL). English is one of the big language that is used in countries that did not initially use it for official purposes. The fact that the widespread dominance of English started after the colonization period makes it appear to non-English speaking countries as a new form on colonialism that also appears as cultural imperialism. The use of the English language as the official language stresses its importance and overshadows the variety of languages present in a country. McKay (2002: 36) provides an example of Kenya whereEnglish is used as the official language but not common among the less privileged.An English speaking person in this context is associated with prestige or a higher level of education. When one communicates with another that does not have a good command of English, there is likely to be a conflict if the person envisions the use of the English language as a means to look down on him. Mackay uses it to show that Outer Circle English does not necessarily guarantee effective communication when the backgrounds of the speakers are totally different. There is a strong sense of superiority that is attached to the dominance of the English language. Many scholars against the dominance of the English language assert that its acceptability imposes a feeling of subdue on a country that adopts it as the most convenient mode of communication. The versatility and convenience of English all over the globe makes people in Native English speaking countries to shun learning about other countries’ languages or cultures. They are content that English is the superior language.These people develop poor language skills as shown by a research in 2000 where only a few number of students (9) who majored in Arabian passed in America. This shows the rigidity in thinking by the people from these countries. If left unchecked, the same culture can be deposited in countries that rapidly adopt the use of English language in all avenues of development and communication.Another form of superiority arises when one imposes his or her opinion on others who do not have a great command of the language. In a situation where a crucial decision for the international purpose was coined out of a dominant opinion made in a dominant language such as English, the influence of the global English dominance not only brings communicative and linguistic inequality but also social inequality. This manifests in the practical form of a decision-making process by people from a dominant language. The global spread if English leads to development of variants of the English language. McKay (2002:39) confirms that the learners of English use it for different purposes and use it in their contexts. Eventually, this develops to English variants such as the Singaporean English, Nigerian English, Chinese English and Indian English. Researchers from all over the world find that this kind of English that is a “lingua franca” contains notorious differences from the standard English such that people who speak tem cannot understand each other at times.The language variants are likely to represent a language barrier due to modifications of the English language and the manners of pronunciation in the diverse backgrounds. There is a high chance that these variants will affect the Original Englishitself as spoken in countries such as the united states and the U.K.the challenges rises from the fact that the population that uses English as their second language outnumbers the native speakers. The effect of distortion of the original English is not good as it makes it lose it identity. The English dominance also causes linguistic and communication inequalities in many countries. A great deal of this inequality is visible in a classroom scenario where there are people who can speak English fluently while others cannot do the same. This inequality is also likely to affect the performance of students that use the English language to learn other subjects such as business and mathematics. Students who cannot speak English fluently feel left out because they cannot air their opinions due to the language conflict. Students who command a good level of English fluency, pronunciation, and clarity tend to dominate over classroom activities. While the goal of the education system is to improve the academic performance due to improved and harmonious communication, the use of English in multilingual countries that do not adopt English wholly may present a stumbling block to the academic progress. There have been many reported cases of the failure of English as a medium for education, especially instruction. This arises by the way that the English language is used or taught. In Namibia, for instance, the use of English language did not spur educational development in 2012 as revelations emerged that 98% of its English teachers did not have the required levels of English proficiency. This fact reveals that the spread of English needs not to be taken lightly. The government of a country that decides to adopt English as the preferred medium of instructions needs to trains its teachers to the required levels. Failure to do so results in substandardaccusation of the skills and a wider gap between the learners and native speakers in terms of proficiency, clarity, and fluency is speaking and pronunciation. There are also myths that the government needs to address through the role of teachers. For instance, In Pakistan, the power of the myth that one needs to learn English as a requisite for success is so much that there is an increase in the demand for English. Pakistan, like other countries that are not native English speakers believe that English is a requisite language for prosperity.Social elites, wielders of economic power as well as policymakers who perpetuate the myth, worsen the situation. They use this to pursue their own goals. In most countries where English dominance takes place, there is a top-notch English, –based system that caters for the wealth elites and is most cases for the private sector. It is expensive and only a handful pass through the system. They achieve preference in many economic and leadership avenues. This should not be the case as the proficiency in the English language is not the basic requirement for success. Teachers of the English language should correct the situation by not only ensuring that their students acquire quality English skills but also appraise other languages as equally important in the pursuit of success. For the sake of dealing with the inequalities, the governments should strive to adopt an excellent English-based system for all regardless of their status in the society. Underrepresentation of the non-native English scholars and writes is prevalent in the academic community. While McKay (2002)holds that, there is a widespread assumption that “the ultimate goal of English language learners is to achieve native like competence” (39), there exists a notion that the native speakers make better writers and are, therefore, preferred by publishers. A comparison between nativespeakers and the English language learners continue to thrive and it forms a basis for discrimination as one party is assumed better. In academic work, there is an accepted level of English and there is an assumption that the ENL writers have a higher competency thus require less time and resources to edit.International indexed Journals prioritize the use of native English speakers to review the papers done by people who are users of English as the second language. The aim is to turn their pieces into “Standard” English which is associated with native-speakers. Though McKay (2002: 39) asserts that this is only assumptions, the real situation in publishing houses and elite universities is different. The acceptance of written pieces by English learners is low and dependent on review by native speakers. A research conducted in 2012 showed that there is a significant difference between the acceptance rate, revision rates, and resubmission rates of works by native speakers and non-native speakers. In as much as English dominance is considered standard, there are differences and many instances where the comparison between the learners and native speakers will be made. Evidently, the underprivileged are the non-native English speakers in the literary world. Literature in indigenous language stands to lose in the wake of English dominance. Mackay(2002: 37) affirms that English is being promoted within Multicultural and multilingual schools in countries such as South Africa and Singapore. Additionally, the mass media fraternity favors the use of Englishto bridge cultural boundaries and thus favor wider communication. However, this action poses a threat to literature that is done in other languages within a country. The authors do not stand a chance of getting global recognition if they do not write in English. The basis for the judgment of their work in not essentially the quality but the language they use. The literary output will be relegated to a point that the acceptable and best literary piece will incorporate the use of English language. The creation of creative prose and poetry in other languages will play second fiddle to pieces done in English. This encroaches the identity of literature in a country especially where there are many languages. One can argue that literature should reach a wide group and English emerges as the channel to do that. However, some literature pieceshave an identity in a certain language other than the English language. Robert Phillipson, in his book Linguistic Imperialism notes that “the dominance of English is asserted and maintained by the establishment and continuous reconstitution of structural and cultural inequalities between English and other languages” (1992: 47). This implies that English dominance in one country amounts to exertion of the language as superior while the other indigenous language are seen as inferior due to the power and versatility of the English language. Language teachers in these countries have a role to play such that they empower their students (Jenkins 2003: 126). There is need to ensure that the dominance the English language does not impose a hegemonic effect over the local cultures that give a country its diverse identity.McKay quotes Cooke (1988), the English language is like a Trojan horse invading all countries around the world and causing damage. A Trojan horse in this context is a common computer virus that infiltrates to programs and destroys useful data. In this situation, the Trojan horse (English language) destroys cultures. As it is with computer viruses, there is a need to use an antivirus to get rid of a computer virus. English language teachers are the antivirus with the potential to eliminate the negative effects of the language. Additionally, Cooke (1988: 45) suggeststhat the English language colonialist and class interests’ aspects function as gatekeeper in the acquisition of jobs or other economic activities. It is common for multinational and other companies to hire people with good command of the English language as opposed to those who do not speak well. Therefore, the English language not only brings undesired ideologies and culture to a country but also used in employment avenues. In conclusion, the English language global dominance is a course for concern. The disparity it causes in terms of economy and academic opportunities needs to be addressed. The language also leads to relegation of other languages in a country. Teachers and the government should engage in the appraisal of the indigenous languages while also ensuring that learners acquire quality English skills. English variants emerge as the language spreads in most parts of the country. This may form a barrier to communication for people from different regions. From this, the dominance of the English language appears not to be uniform. Additionally, inequalities brought about by preferences of native speakers over English learners serve to divide people in many aspects.The dominance should be controlled such that it does not impose unwanted cultural attributes and ideologies in a country. References House, J. 2003. English as a lingua franca: A threat to multilingualism? Journal of Social Lingusistics, 7(4), 556-578. Jenkins, J. 2003. World Englishes: A resource book for students. London: Routledge. McKay, S. L. 2002. Teaching English as an international language: Rethinking goals and approaches. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Read More

This shows the rigidity in thinking by the people from these countries. If left unchecked, the same culture can be deposited in countries that rapidly adopt the use of English language in all avenues of development and communication.Another form of superiority arises when one imposes his or her opinion on others who do not have a great command of the language. In a situation where a crucial decision for the international purpose was coined out of a dominant opinion made in a dominant language such as English, the influence of the global English dominance not only brings communicative and linguistic inequality but also social inequality.

This manifests in the practical form of a decision-making process by people from a dominant language. The global spread if English leads to development of variants of the English language. McKay (2002:39) confirms that the learners of English use it for different purposes and use it in their contexts. Eventually, this develops to English variants such as the Singaporean English, Nigerian English, Chinese English and Indian English. Researchers from all over the world find that this kind of English that is a “lingua franca” contains notorious differences from the standard English such that people who speak tem cannot understand each other at times.

The language variants are likely to represent a language barrier due to modifications of the English language and the manners of pronunciation in the diverse backgrounds. There is a high chance that these variants will affect the Original Englishitself as spoken in countries such as the united states and the U.K.the challenges rises from the fact that the population that uses English as their second language outnumbers the native speakers. The effect of distortion of the original English is not good as it makes it lose it identity.

The English dominance also causes linguistic and communication inequalities in many countries. A great deal of this inequality is visible in a classroom scenario where there are people who can speak English fluently while others cannot do the same. This inequality is also likely to affect the performance of students that use the English language to learn other subjects such as business and mathematics. Students who cannot speak English fluently feel left out because they cannot air their opinions due to the language conflict.

Students who command a good level of English fluency, pronunciation, and clarity tend to dominate over classroom activities. While the goal of the education system is to improve the academic performance due to improved and harmonious communication, the use of English in multilingual countries that do not adopt English wholly may present a stumbling block to the academic progress. There have been many reported cases of the failure of English as a medium for education, especially instruction. This arises by the way that the English language is used or taught.

In Namibia, for instance, the use of English language did not spur educational development in 2012 as revelations emerged that 98% of its English teachers did not have the required levels of English proficiency. This fact reveals that the spread of English needs not to be taken lightly. The government of a country that decides to adopt English as the preferred medium of instructions needs to trains its teachers to the required levels. Failure to do so results in substandardaccusation of the skills and a wider gap between the learners and native speakers in terms of proficiency, clarity, and fluency is speaking and pronunciation.

There are also myths that the government needs to address through the role of teachers. For instance, In Pakistan, the power of the myth that one needs to learn English as a requisite for success is so much that there is an increase in the demand for English. Pakistan, like other countries that are not native English speakers believe that English is a requisite language for prosperity.Social elites, wielders of economic power as well as policymakers who perpetuate the myth, worsen the situation.

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