Jacqueline's Globalization Essay (Final)

 Jacqueline Xu Yinghui’s Essay

Globalization has brought forth many changes to the world and a homogenized culture is one of the consequences of this process. It is seen as an attempt to weaken, devaluate or eradicate the cultural existence of many individuals (Berry, 2008). An example of the repercussions is the trend of being apathetic towards native languages or dialects mainly due to the rise of English.

English in some countries is a language used whenever people converse with persons beyond their own linguistic community. The term ‘linguistic imperialism’ is utilized by Hjarvard (n.d.) to describe this phenomenon. It reduces the authenticity of native languages as the trend of including English words in daily conversations of people from different countries becomes more prevalent. There are also many words and phrases which have been borrowed from English (Jensen, 2013). An illustration of this phenomenon: the younger generation in Singapore is less capable of conversing in dialects such as Hokkien, Cantonese or Teochew due to the encouragement of English usage required in a globalized community. As a result, the fear of losing native languages escalates.

The issue is further aggravated by the acquisition of a single language in some nations during the process of nation-state formation. Additionally, some countries banned the use of dialects and languages of the minorities (Hjarvard, n.d.). It is much anticipated that these dialects will continue to lose their value and presence in the society gradually. Hence, alteration of attitudes should be attained with the assistance of the media, government bodies and the public, to preserve these valuable dialects.

Political parties play a prominent role in protecting countries' native languages or dialects. The integration of dialects preservation into Norway’s national language policy is an example of government's efforts (Hjarvard, no date). Learning of native languages such as dialects could be introduced in schools and this approach may be feasible because governments are influential. Nonetheless, there is a possibility that this approach may backfire as the public (especially parents) in the context of Singapore, may view learning of dialects as worthless. Thus, earlier generations of Singaporeans can adopt another approach to save their dialects from extinction, just like First Peoples Worldwide: a global institution which advocates culture and language conservation (First Peoples Worldwide, 2013). Such organizations could be established in Singapore, with the aim of circulating information and raising awareness of the various dialects or native languages through programs and campaigns. With collaboration between the public and government bodies, the likelihood of language extinction may be significantly diminished.

Media is another useful platform for dialects preservation. In the past, indoctrination of societal values into the younger generation was executed by religion and educational systems. However, this role has been replaced by mass media which is now one of the most prominent and significant forces used to educate the majority of the people (Firouzeh, 2004). People are now voluntarily or involuntarily in touch with cultural information which does not belong to them due to the expeditious development of mass media (Samovar & Porter, 2005). An example to illustrate the power of media is the influence American’s culture has on Singapore teenagers as they watched Disney channel movies such as High School Musical.

Media is seen as a double edged sword: it may discourage the use of native languages just like the aforementioned example on Singapore young generation’s capability of conversing in dialects, it also possesses a considerable potential to disseminate knowledge about native cultures and languages (Hjarvard, n.d.).  People from the media industry should make a conscious effort to promote dialects usage which is achievable through music, drama or variety programs. Nevertheless, regardless of how powerful media is, it requires the support of political parties and the public to obtain success in this matter.

Finally, though English competency is crucial to ensure effective intercultural communication, the proficiency of native languages should be equivalently prioritized. As quoted from First Peoples Worldwide (2013), “The loss of a language represents the loss of much of that community’s cultural heritage, autonomy, power and connectivity”. Thus, the loss of native language should not be underestimated.

Word count: 676

References

Berry, J.W. (2008). Globalisation and acculturation. International Journal of Intercultural relations, 32. 328-336.

Firouzeh, N. (2004). The Globalisation and Homogenisation of Culture: The Role of Mass Medias in Developing Countries. Human Ecology Special Issue No. 12: 235-239.

First Peoples Worldwide. (2013). Celebrating and Preserving Indigenous Language. Retrieved from http://firstpeoples.org/wp/celebrating-and-preserving-indigenous-language/

Hjarvard, S. (n.d.). The Globalization of Language: How the Media Contribute to the Spread of English and the Emergence of Medialects. 75-97.

Jensen, L.T. (2013). Coping with the dominance of English: a view from Denmark. Retrieved from http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/coping-with-the-dominance-of-english-denmark

Johnson, A. (2009). The Rise of English: The Language of Globalization in China and the European Union. Macalester International Vol. 22. 131-168.

Samovor, L.A. & Porter, R.E. (2005). Understanding culture: Alternative views of reality (5th ed.). Australia, Canada, Mexico, Singapore, Spain, United Kingdom, United States: Thomson.