Title B1 - THE LEGACY OF COLONIALISM ✅

THE LEGACY OF COLONIALISM - Effects of the two diasporas on the colonised and their indigenous languages and culture - Colonialism = large-scale coercion + displacement I. The legacy of colonialism Results of colonisation through imposition of English: + Endangerment of many indigenous languages + Denigrating of colonised peoples, leading to identity loss and language loss II. The devaluing of local language and culture A major legacy of the two diasporas is the ‘assumption of the inferiority’ of the indigenous people: + Language + Culture + [and even] Character + Other [spiritual beliefs] ⇒ the assumption of the superiority of the colonisers and their language III. The discourse of colonial historical documentation References to the native populations of colonised lands as ‘savages’, to their languages as ‘primitive’, and to their cultures as ‘barbaric’

IV. Analysing their discourse - to describe the colonisers and their situation: “momentous nature”, “forlorn position”, “weary travellers”, “confronted by the need to communicate”, ‘adapted [their speech]” ⇒ SEEKING SYMPATHY - to describe the indigenous population and their situation: “strange landscape”, “all languages ... foreign”, “communication difficult, and even hazardous”, “Indians who could not speak a word of English” ⇒ strange and dangerous place - attitude toward the English of the colonised people ⇒ broken English V. Recent documentation of other varieties of Englishes - Only recently have L2 varieties begun to be recognised, and standardisation of (so-called) New Englishes has just begun - describing, standardising, and codifying the varieties - Likely to meet resistance when former colonies try to promote their Englishes as ‘legitimate’ standard varieties - ‘Good Englishes’ is often associated with “English of educated native speakers born and bred in the United Kingdom or North America” - The devaluing of local language and culture: + Non-Anglophone languages and cultures and local L2 varieties of English have been undermined → L2 speakers’ attitudes towards their use of English is characterised by a lack of confidence → Linguistic insecurity
VI. The loss of ethnic identity - This is partly the consequence of the loss of indigenous languages - Revival of heritage languages (indigenous languages) is possible - Five quick facts about languages: + There are approximately 7,000 languages in the World today, but scholars have counted just 23 languages in use among more than half of the globe’s population of seven billion. + The world’s 370 million indigenous people are estimated to speak more than 4,000 different languages. + Approximately 600 languages have disappeared in the last century and they continue to disappear at a rate of one language every two weeks + UNESCO predicts that between 50-90% of indigenous languages (app. 3000 languages) will disappear by the end of this century, being replaced with English, Mandarin or Spanis + Language is crucial to the definition of indigenous identity, their dignity as instinct people and the security of their traditional knowledge and practices