Comments on: Monolingual mindset in the lucky country http://www.languageonthemove.com/recent-posts/monolingual-mindset-in-the-lucky-country?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=monolingual-mindset-in-the-lucky-country Language learning, multilingualism, intercultural communication Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:09:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: khan http://www.languageonthemove.com/recent-posts/monolingual-mindset-in-the-lucky-country/comment-page-1#comment-898 khan Mon, 22 Feb 2010 10:44:42 +0000 http://www.languageonthemove.com/blog/?p=488#comment-898 Every two miles the water changes, and every four miles the speech.( North Indian Proverb) when Bangladesh was an Eastern Province of Pakistan, its population was dominantly Bangla-Speaking. The Western Province (present-day Pakistan) had all the political power. The state choose Urdu as the national language of the country and made it compulsory for all to learn and speak in all official matters of the country regardless of the huge linguistic and cultural diversity this country had. This linguistic imposition was celebrated in the name of nation-building. People were made to believe, and still today, that nation means sharing one common language and that all good nations of the world love their national languages. People reacted against it in Eastern Pakistan in 1970s. They wanted to have their language acknowledged, supported and respected by the state but it did not happen. People in power shut up their eyes and ears to the linguistic variations in the country and stuck to a policy that gave space to Urdu and English in Pakistan only. Millions of people lost their lives in the civil war of the 70s which resulted in the liberation of Bangladesh from Pakistan. The irony is that the state still ignores the linguistic diversity and has not been able to come out of “monolingual mindset" Whose ideology is it and to whom does it give privilege and to whom does it marginalize? Every two miles the water changes, and every four miles the speech.( North Indian Proverb)

when Bangladesh was an Eastern Province of Pakistan, its population was dominantly Bangla-Speaking. The Western Province (present-day Pakistan) had all the political power. The state choose Urdu as the national language of the country and made it compulsory for all to learn and speak in all official matters of the country regardless of the huge linguistic and cultural diversity this country had. This linguistic imposition was celebrated in the name of nation-building. People were made to believe, and still today, that nation means sharing one common language and that all good nations of the world love their national languages.

People reacted against it in Eastern Pakistan in 1970s. They wanted to have their language acknowledged, supported and respected by the state but it did not happen. People in power shut up their eyes and ears to the linguistic variations in the country and stuck to a policy that gave space to Urdu and English in Pakistan only. Millions of people lost their lives in the civil war of the 70s which resulted in the liberation of Bangladesh from Pakistan.

The irony is that the state still ignores the linguistic diversity and has not been able to come out of “monolingual mindset”

Whose ideology is it and to whom does it give privilege and to whom does it marginalize?

]]> By: xiaoxiao http://www.languageonthemove.com/recent-posts/monolingual-mindset-in-the-lucky-country/comment-page-1#comment-846 xiaoxiao Thu, 04 Feb 2010 08:56:09 +0000 http://www.languageonthemove.com/blog/?p=488#comment-846 I wonder how popualr this monolingual minset is in Australia. But we do see the previlege the English language enjoys not only in Australia but in other multicultural nations such as the USA and Canada where the official language is undoubtedly English. For the past six years, we have also witnessed the increasing popularity of Chinese outside of China itself. One supporting evidence can be the thriving Confucius schools ("Since 2004, a total of 260 Confucius schools have been established in 60 countries in the world" see http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90782/90873/6546237.html). But we are very aware of the fact that many people learn Chinese because they need that in work or they want to get an edge over their rivals in job hunting. The fact that a lot of American and Australian children are now learning Chinese won't challenge the dominance of English in their lives. I'm sure this is the same case with the other minor languages. So I wonder if it is human nature that we feel more comfortable with unity instead of diversity even though the two can coexist in perfect harmony. Monolingualism, however, is not a sound expression of unity in this globalzing world. I wonder how popualr this monolingual minset is in Australia. But we do see the previlege the English language enjoys not only in Australia but in other multicultural nations such as the USA and Canada where the official language is undoubtedly English. For the past six years, we have also witnessed the increasing popularity of Chinese outside of China itself. One supporting evidence can be the thriving Confucius schools (“Since 2004, a total of 260 Confucius schools have been established in 60 countries in the world” see http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90782/90873/6546237.html). But we are very aware of the fact that many people learn Chinese because they need that in work or they want to get an edge over their rivals in job hunting. The fact that a lot of American and Australian children are now learning Chinese won’t challenge the dominance of English in their lives. I’m sure this is the same case with the other minor languages. So I wonder if it is human nature that we feel more comfortable with unity instead of diversity even though the two can coexist in perfect harmony. Monolingualism, however, is not a sound expression of unity in this globalzing world.

]]> By: Emily Farrell http://www.languageonthemove.com/recent-posts/monolingual-mindset-in-the-lucky-country/comment-page-1#comment-841 Emily Farrell Wed, 03 Feb 2010 09:26:35 +0000 http://www.languageonthemove.com/blog/?p=488#comment-841 The mismatch between the number of people speaking other languages in the home in Sydney and the lack of stress on language learning is really quite striking. For instance, the Government proudly proclaims "More than 14 per cent of all students in Year 12 ... study tertiary-accredited foreign languages." (http://www.dfat.gov.au/aib/society.html). 14 percent!! Time for policy change. A note on 'Westies': the derogatory term is in particular a designator of socio-economic status (linked to Sydney regional area by way of the division of class), more so than ethnicity (though perhaps at this point in time an intersection of the two?). It's usually linked to a broad Australian accent, rather than what used to be called (no joke) "Educated Australian". Britta, my guess would be that your flatmate's desire for you not to speak like a 'Westie' is primarily class-based prejudice. The mismatch between the number of people speaking other languages in the home in Sydney and the lack of stress on language learning is really quite striking. For instance, the Government proudly proclaims “More than 14 per cent of all students in Year 12 … study tertiary-accredited foreign languages.” (http://www.dfat.gov.au/aib/society.html). 14 percent!! Time for policy change.

A note on ‘Westies’: the derogatory term is in particular a designator of socio-economic status (linked to Sydney regional area by way of the division of class), more so than ethnicity (though perhaps at this point in time an intersection of the two?). It’s usually linked to a broad Australian accent, rather than what used to be called (no joke) “Educated Australian”. Britta, my guess would be that your flatmate’s desire for you not to speak like a ‘Westie’ is primarily class-based prejudice.

]]> By: Britta Schneider http://www.languageonthemove.com/recent-posts/monolingual-mindset-in-the-lucky-country/comment-page-1#comment-840 Britta Schneider Wed, 03 Feb 2010 05:17:11 +0000 http://www.languageonthemove.com/blog/?p=488#comment-840 Indeed, a very strange assumption, Australia as a monolingual country... As a non-Australian, I was actually struck by the importance that is given to dialectal differences, even within geographical spaces as small as one city. At my first night in Australia, my (Anglo-Australian male middle class) flatmate warned me not to speak English like the "Westies". For him, dialectal diversity starts at the border between central Sydney and the Western suburbs. The subtleness of linguistic differences do not make them less meaningful, and of course, I found it interesting to learn that the number of non-Anglo migrants is higher in the West of Sydney, too. Indeed, a very strange assumption, Australia as a monolingual country… As a non-Australian, I was actually struck by the importance that is given to dialectal differences, even within geographical spaces as small as one city.
At my first night in Australia, my (Anglo-Australian male middle class) flatmate warned me not to speak English like the “Westies”. For him, dialectal diversity starts at the border between central Sydney and the Western suburbs. The subtleness of linguistic differences do not make them less meaningful, and of course, I found it interesting to learn that the number of non-Anglo migrants is higher in the West of Sydney, too.

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