The Relationship Between Colonialism, Globalisation And The Development Of Local Language Case Study

Salikoko S. Mufwene investigated the relationship between colonialism, globalisation and the development of local languages. The objectives of his study include 1. To establish if languages are parasitic. 2. To find out the factors that lead to language extinction.3. To see how globalisation has endangered most languages in the world and Africa in particular. Some of the works used for this deep study include:Mualdhuster (1996),Crystal (2000),Dixon(1997),Brenziger, (1998),Renard (2001).These works he uses content analysis and observation to study the ecology of languages from the agricultural age to the present new media era to measure the trend of language loss. He tries to relate to people that language loss is inevitable and that has been happening since the agricultural era. This can only be curtailed by adjusting to the new reality.He points out that language endangerment will be better appreciated when things that have worked for the development of dominant …show more content…
For example, Africa does not participate fully in global commerce. As a result, they are subjugated by the prominent languages of trade French, English language and other languages of world trade and are expected to use the languages in business engagements. Though they speak local languages in the local setting, to separate them from the language of commerce, they have to speak the global language to be accepted into the world economy.The writer indicates that the Western Indies have undergone several layers of language loss for decades from the native languages like Arawakan and the Caribs, the enslaved African to the current situation of the creole vernacular which is an amalgam of lost languages in that zone. Also the language of the masses there is entirely different from the acrolectal type used by the upper class in that society. The Creole speakers have resisted any attempt to make them speak the acrolectal