On the Usage of English as a Standard Language
This week, there were a couple of videos presented describing a few ways in which English has been made, while technically unofficially, the standard language used in a variety of professional contexts. The first video described how to many business professionals in China, learning English is almost essential (OpenLearn from The Open University, 2011). There are a variety of businesses in China that have chosen to conduct day-to-day matters entirely in English, even. Previously, learning English in China was simply a nice thing to put on a resume, giving someone a nice advantage in the job market. Now, you'll be hard-pressed to find a well-paying business job in the country without a firm understanding of the English language. There are a number of implications this may have, which I will go into in a bit.
In the second video, there was a discussion on the shifting influence towards English in dealings within the European Union (OpenLearn from The Open University, 2011). In order to emphasize equality between all of the languages spoken at the European Parliament, there are interpreters on hand for every language in order to make everyone feel included, despite the high costs for doing so, rather than selecting one random standardized language. Nevertheless, there are a variety of ways in which English has unofficially become the de facto language of the European Parliament. For one, most official documents presented in the parliament are written in English first and foremost, a change that has occured in recent years. Furthermore, many members wish to demonstrate their English proficiency by avoiding usage of the interpreters and talking to the group in English. Much like the business world in China, English has become a fact of life in many other parts of the world.
One of the major issues that I could forsee with the shift towards English is the loss of nuance when communication is not being conducted in one's native language. The Korean-language drama Squid Game, which has had international critical acclaim, has had its subtitles subject to scrutiny, as there are many circumstances in which the English subtitles are inaccurate and may lose the intended meaning of the original script ("Squid Game subtitles", 2021). There is also a major loss in diversity at hand when we lose the variety of languages that make up our world. In just one example, there is an ongoing fight to keep Hawaiian Sign Language active, working against "erasure, globalization and the cruelty of time" (Chin, 2021). Needless to say, the move to English in professional contexts has a lot of dangerous implications that need to be taken incredibly seriously, and not simply ignored.
Works Cited
Chin, Corinne. (2021, October 8th). The fight to save Hawaii Sign Language from extinction. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/08/americas/hawaii-sign-language-extinction-as-equals-intl-cmd/index.html.
Squid Game subtitles 'change meaning' of Netflix show. (2021, October 4th.) BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58787264.
OpenLearn from The Open University. (2011, October 18th). English in the European Union - Worlds of English (2/4) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKAeFi1IT54.
OpenLearn from The Open University. (2011, October 18th). The Expansion of English in China - Worlds of English (1/4) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM-p_kMv_jg
Hi Fletcher!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your final blog post! You did a great job in the summaries of the two clips we were provided with. It is interesting to learn about the importance placed on Chinese citizens to learn English. Specifically, the pressures are placed on children, because their parents believe that they will not be able to make anything for themselves if they cannot speak English. I love that you brought up the example of Squid Games, I prefer to watch things subbed, but my boyfriend does not. Anyway, I did not notice that the translation was off when we were watching. Great work this term, thanks for sharing!