Journal Topic
Consider the following topic for this week’s journal entry:
Read the BBC article about how various speech communities in Africa feel that English dominance, due to colonization (and its aftermath), has created an identity crisis (com/news/world-africa-57093347” rel=”noreferrer noopener” target=”_blank”>https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-57093347 (Links to an external site.)). Reflect on how this could connect with our discussions and readings on languages in contact. If you or those you know have felt similarly, and if you feel comfortable doing so, add it to your discussion.
Instructions
- Between Friday and Sunday, please reply to at least two of your colleagues’ posts. Useful comments include engaging in dialogue, reflection, or suggestion. If you find that you agree with a given response and have nothing else to add, then I challenge you to reply to someone who has a different perspective than yours, and explore the differences.
- Peer response:
- I think that the fact that English is creating an identity crisis has been present in not only this story, but many countries all over the world. I feel that in some aspects, its because many cultures and countries view English as a superior language that provides you with a future. They hold English at a higher level then even their languages, which then placed the label of dumb, or inferior upon those who don’t speak that added language. I’ve noticed through personal experience that many countries do this. I can understand how this can conflict somebodies mind and provide them with an identity crisis
- Peer Response
- Taking into account the example of the Lasinki, in “Languages in Contact”, the situation of Khahliso sounds familiar where “She changed languages depending on who she was talking to.” This reminds me of a very painful situation that I had one day while walking with my daughter, who was 8 years old at the time, one day in the park we took a walk and we spoke in Spanish, because my daughter and I always speak in Spanish. Then a Caucasian man started saying racist words to us and demanded that we speak in English. of course I confronted him, with the little knowledge of English I had at that time, to which he made fun of my accent. My daughter was scared but she defended me and told him that we in our family always we communicate in Spanish and when required, we used English. It was really a very bad experience for us, but fortunately we did not give it much importance and we continued with our lives as we always had. And I recognize that I will always keep my accent when speaking English because it is my second language and I started studying it just 6 years ago. My daughter is now 23 years old and she is a fully bilingual girl and she speaks, writes and reads Spanish and English with almost perfect fluency. I really would not like to be in the same situation again, much less reach the extremes that occur in Africa, as a mother I would not like to be in the place of African parents who have to endure these situations on a daily basis.
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