“Globalization is a social process characterized by the existence of global economic, political, cultural, linguistic and environmental interconnections and flows that make many of the currently existing borders and boundaries irrelevant.” [1] As the process of globalization expands its reach in the 21st century and linguistic barriers begin to fall, what are the possible implications on the world’s languages?
»Impact on Minority Languages
As mentioned in this recent blog post here at Transpanish, one of the greatest casualties of globalization is the loss of some of the world’s more obscure languages. Dialects and regional languages are becoming more marginalized as they succumb to languages such as English that wield greater perceived social and economic value.
Although the future admittedly looks grim for some minority languages, globalization doesn’t necessarily spell the end for all of them. Indeed, globalization can bring to the forefront the plight of some of these endangered languages, sparking attempts to revive them. In Andean nations such as Peru, there is increasing awareness that indigenous populations require special support if their minority languages are to survive. The Peruvian government now sponsors Educación Intercultural Bilingüe, a program that benefits speakers of the indigenous language Quechua as well as other minority languages.
»Loss of Uniformity among the Big Languages
Major languages such as English and French will likely “become victims of the Babelisation process” as these languages take on more and more local flavor in the various regions where they are spoken. Some researchers speculate that this phenomenon could lead to eventual non-comprehension between the variant forms of English. [2]
»Taking Grammar for Granted
Without a doubt, one of the driving forces behind globalization has been the Internet. With the ease of communication through digital means such as email, IM, and chat, it seems that many users across the globe have traded in style and form for speed. Use of SMS shorthand and the informal style pervasive in emails and the like have prompted some to say that good writing is gradually becoming a lost art.
» Decline in Foreign Language Learning among English Speakers
While today there are almost two billion people learning English and more bilingual individuals than ever before, the globalization of languages means that there’s even less motivation for English speakers to learn a second language. Despite the many benefits of picking up a second language, foreign language learning in both the U.S. and the U.K. is on the decline.
Sources:
[1] Globalization 101
[2] Languages in a Globalising World, p.28-9
