Prompt: Do you agree with this claim? Why or why not: As English continues to dominate globally, in the context of migration and multi-cultural societies, implementing a multi-lingual language policy that includes English would lead to the favoritism of English and the potential emergence of English monolingualism.
Answer
With the English language being the nearly universal communication tool in a growing interdependent society, the opportunities and challenges that go with it are becoming more apparent. Its use everywhere internationally in business, diplomacy, and academia affords the practical benefits to communication superbly and helps increase socio-economic movement. Nevertheless, an augmentation in multilingualism as there are more languages spoken has aroused the debate of the effect on linguistic diversity. Studies show that those who oppose multi-lingual policies that include English accuse such measures of inevitably leading to the eradication of minority languages in favor of English, thereby creating an increasing number of English monolingual people (Saud, 2019). One side of the counter-reaction denies the possibility of a proper institutional framework since the issue lies with the very use of English as a tool of dominance, where its existence often squeezes the space of minorities in language, tradition, and culture (Chang-Bacon, 2021). On the other hand, it proved to be a recurrent perception that the social and economic superiority of those with command of the English language became a problem as it potentially contributes to overemphasis of this skill to the detriment of the preservation of minority language, even in supposedly multi-cultural countries.
The magic and influence of English when it comes to globalization will ultimately lead to prioritizing it over minority languages, irrespective of the cultural sphere they represent and with more appeal now on the commercial side. The musical industry demonstrates this trend. Bands like BTS, among major K-pop artists, utilize the text of their songs in English and release completely English albums to extend their international range and reach wider international markets. After all, this strategy clearly contributed to the growth and prosperity of the country’s cultural industry, yet it raises a concern as the position of the Korean language is greatly reduced and diverted into different aspects (Chang-Bacon, 16). The former, however, serves to show how English can be naturally thought of as a better language and culture, while the others refuse to give their national tongues representative status in such spheres as artistic expression and general culture. Otherwise, the crowd phenomenon might be a popular perception that English is the language associated with cultural capital and work chances in the future in the universe, which consequently damages the vitality and the younger generations’ established feelings about minority languages.
The education sector also shoulders a significant burden in keeping language hierarchies and values irrespective of linguistic group. All colleges of this magnitude, such as Seoul National University, for instance, set a goal for their applicants that is higher than the proficiency levels in English reached by learners attending Korean-speaking schools. The positive reinforcement of the idea that English is an excellent tool for accessing globalized opportunities actually gives higher grounds for the language to be considered as a medium for progress and social/professional advancement by the students (Abdulla, 2019). This phenomenon can bring the idea that English proficiency is a corridor of socio-economic level, which reduces the language values and sometimes takes the important and peasant language status in educational institutions. Similarly, resource limitations may result in neglect, underfunding, and overshadowing of curricula of the minority languages used for instruction. Consequently, the cycle of linguistic inequality would grind through the generations if intergenerational transmission and preservation were hindered. Whenever people acknowledge the sense of belonging mainly to English-speaking academics and the globalized workforce, they start a self-reinforcing process, and they start to neglect their language by favoring English-speaking education instead to the detriment of the minority language development (Chang-Bacon, 2021). On the contrary, a structurally well-balanced bi-lingual education model that is backed up also by ample resources and instructional time for both English and minority languages can be one of the solutions to avoid these weaknesses and can bring a more equitable linguistic environment.
To mitigate this tension, an encompassing multi-lingual policy should first put forward an equitable distribution of resources as well as support structures for minority languages. This is by the provision of education infrastructure such as classrooms and the setting-up of indigenous language tutors for teachers qualified enough, followed by the administrative recognition of minority languages in governmental processes, judiciary, and acceptance in most public services. The additive multi-lingual models, like those in India, are conducive to English learning through rigorous study, at least developing minority language literacy. Linguistic minorities can easily benefit from English without compromising their heritage (Morve & Maurya, 2022). Such policies would be implemented by giving symbolic status and its corresponding investment equally as much attention to both minority languages and English, thus eliminating the chance that minority languages would be superseded by English promotion. Moreover, the models prove that language learning does not deprive either one language or others; it reaches an integration of separate languages via appropriate curriculum and resource delivery.
It would be prudent to create a flourishing minority language media, academic publishing houses, and grants for all cultural outputs in order to expand the recognition and purpose of these languages. Advocacy for minority languages and interpreting/translation(s) in robustness also play a vital role in supporting the accessibility of democracy across linguist groups. Such measures are very essential in this aspect to help overcome the temptation of minority languages as being less economic-wise value and disk culture, thus, establishing an atmosphere where linguistic diversity can prosper alongside the usefulness of English. Through the creation of spaces in which minority languages flourish in different sectors of society, multi-lingual policies can help refute the view that English is the only language of the money maker, showing that the value of the linguistic plurality, which still reigns, will never be in doubt.
Ultimately, the universal spread of English does not necessarily mean a loss of linguistic heterogeneity or the suppression of native tongues. Through the development of well-conceptualized multi-lingual policies that promote the incorporation of the mother tongues, create an enabling environment through the establishment of supportive institutions, and build space that caters to all the language participants of a society, the communicative power of English is harnessed as the diversity of the linguistic culture is preserved Nonetheless, arriving at this equilibrium necessitates coordinated efforts that are channeled through mediums such as community leadership, policy-making institutions, education facilities and minority rights pressure group to create equitable strategies for the two languages. Those who do not address this issue would face the danger of preserving the linguistic hierarchies, which probably could be unintentionally done, thereby leading to the demise of cultural-linguistic diversity, a loss that will cause great damage to the existing colorful fabric of human experience and expression.
References
Chang-Bacon, C. K. (2021). Monolingual language ideologies and the idealized speaker: The “new bilingualism” meets the “old” educational inequities. Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education, 123(1), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1177/016146812112300106
Morve, R. K., & Maurya, S. C. (2022). Multilingualism and teaching methods: A study with the reference of Indian English language teaching classrooms. Journal of Practical Studies in Education, 3(2), 7-11. https://doi.org/10.46809/jpse.v3i2.43
Saud, M. S. (2019). Linguistic diversity in the English-Medium Instruction classroom in Nepal: Challenge or chance. International Journal of English Language Education, 7(1), 70. https://doi.org/10.5296/ijele.v7i1.14887
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