Publication: Race and Class
Publication Date: 01-APR-05
Format: Online - approximately 1393 words
Delivery: Immediate Online Access
Author: Cleary, Tim
Article Excerpt
Spoken Here." travels among threatened languages By MARK ABLEY (London, Heinemann, 2004), 322 pp., 14.99 [pounds sterling].
In the late nineteenth century, an article in The Times apparently described Welsh as an 'antiquated semi-barbarous language' which excluded 'the Welsh people from the civilisation, the improvement and the material prosperity of their English neighbours'. More than a century on, attitudes such as these still linger on the tongues of many. Further afield, a Canadian journalist, referring to the revitalisation of indigenous languages, recently suggested that it was 'a retreat into traditional culture that is ill-suited to the demands of an industrial economy'. Such words belong to a common discourse used by many speakers of dominant languages throughout the world. In essence, many people hold the view that a successful nation needs to embrace a single standard language at the expense of all others. The ideological power of standard languages and their overwhelming presence in education and the media has made this view increasingly widespread.
The outcome of these negative attitudes has been the inculcation of a sense of shame in those speaking smaller languages and a massive loss of linguistic diversity. This trend threatens to continue into the future, with devastating consequences. Some commentators argue that, by the end of the current century,...
NOTE: All illustrations and photos have been removed from this article.
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