Technology and international travel have removed geographical barriers that once stood in the way of global communication. Our lives are now more connected than ever.
Around the world, English has become the dominant language in business, science, diplomacy and the internet. It’s the official language of more than 55 countries, spoken by more than a billion people.
But the widespread use of English has naturally created an unfair advantage for native speakers, most of whom are in developed economies.
Languages play a crucial role in "development, in ensuring cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue," according to the United Nations.
As language, power and identity share an entangled relationship, overcoming barriers to communication will require conscious effort.
This year's UNESCO Mother Language Day focused on the challenges and opportunities for using technology for multilingual learning.
"Technology can provide new tools for protecting linguistic diversity," said Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO.
"Such tools ... allow us to record and preserve languages which sometimes exist only in oral form. Put simply, they make local dialects a shared heritage."
REALITY CHECK
The English language spread with the colonisation of parts of Asia and Africa in the late 16th century. One billion people use English their second (third, or fourth) language, but less than 400 million speak it as their first. Forty percent of the global population doesn't have access to an education in a language they speak or understand, particularly in linguistically diverse areas. Challenges in keeping a language alive include a declining number of speakers, a lack of educational resource or political recognition, and internalised shame from speaking the language due to oppression, racism and discrimination.
BIG IDEAS
Quote is attributable to Ingrid Piller, Macquarie University “Supporting language diversity is a matter of social justice. It is a starting point to making institutions more accessible and inclusive.”
Quote is attributable to Celeste Rodriguez Louro, The University of Western Australia "Biases can stem from difficulties in processing and understanding foreign accents ... There are strategies to overcome these biases, but the true obstacle lies in implementing them widely."
PERSPECTIVES
English language bias goes beyond words Celeste Rodriguez Louro, The University of Western Australia English connects many people over a common language. But biases against accents persist with dire effects. Australia’s language challenges limit national potential Ingrid Piller, Macquarie University Australians who primarily speak a language other than English are being locked out and left behind in the communication of important information. All-English education in India neither desirable nor doable T. Vijay Kumar, BITS Pilani and A. Giridhar Rao, Azim Premji University Converting classrooms into an all English-speaking environment takes away children’s opportunities to develop crucial skills in their home languages.
Net gains as language barriers fall in global trade Erick Kitenge, Prairie View A&M University and Sajal Lahiri, Southern Illinois University Carbondale All corners of the planet are en route to better internet access, helping send the traditional language barriers plaguing global trade tumbling.
It takes commitment to preserve a language Ting Su Hie, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) Malaysia’s Indigenous language Bidayuh is declining in use and it will take a concerted effort to ensure competing languages don’t cause its demise.
When can I get my new butler robot? Ingrid Zukerman, Monash University We’d all love to have a smart robot in our house that understands spoken natural language, just like those in sci-fi films. How far are we from this dream?
Malaysian English is not mangled, it’s unifying Hajar Abdul Rahim, Universiti Sains Malaysia in Penang, Malaysia Malaysian English or Manglish plays a central role in the lives of locals. Its benefits outweigh the drawbacks.
