LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 13:5 May 2013
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

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Copyright © 2012
M. S. Thirumalai
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Is the Spread of English as a World Language a Positive or a Negative Development?

Md. Khaled Bin Chowdhury, M.A. (Double)

Introduction

The proposition whether the spread of English as a world language is a positive or negative development has been a subject of research and debates not only among scholars but also the policy makers of different countries. We see that many countries of the Outer Circle and Expanding Circle, as mentioned by Kachru, quoted in (Crystal, 1997), a US linguist, are giving great importance to the learning and teaching of English. On the other hand, a kind of antagonism and even resistance is gaining ground among some people of these two Circles (Outer and Expanding) who consider the spread of English as a form of Linguistic Imperialism and call for its resistance.

This work will examine the premise that the spread of English as a world language has not only negative sides but also many beneficial impacts on the socio-economic, cultural and linguistic development of the world.

Negative Consequences

Among those who consider the spread of World English a threat, Philipson is prominent. In his book Linguistic Imperialism, published in 1992, Philipson shows how the spread of English in the ‘Periphery’ brings about negative consequences for society, culture and the local languages there .He says that broader social issues like, indigenous cultures and customs of the Periphery are totally neglected and critically affected by the ELT experts of the Inner Circle. In this regard, he remarks, “The professional discourse around ELT disconnects culture from structure by delimiting the focus in language pedagogy to technical matters that is language and education in a narrow sense, to the exclusion of social, economic and political matters.” (Philipson, 1992:48)

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Md. Khaled Bin Chowdhury, M.A. (Double)
Assistant Professor
Department of English
BGC Trust University Bangladesh
Chittagong. Post Code-4300
Bangladesh
mdkhaledchowdhury@ymail.com
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