What role does multilingualism play in a globalised world?

What role does multilingualism play in a globalised world?

Editor’s note: This essay was contributed to the United Nations towards fostering plurality of tongues. Enjoy your reading and be sure to write back

BY MUSYOKA NGUI 

            Naturally, human beings are diverse. Their skin colour is different. They also have different languages and cultures. Therefore, it is only natural that a speaker of one language can embrace others and speak them competently as a native speaker would. Multilingualism in today’s world is not only normal but necessary.

However, multilingualism has been dealt a blow by political interests that do not necessarily serve the global interests. (Thangw’a, 2014)A case in point is that currently Kenya is grappling with whether or not to teach primary school children in vernacular. The children especially those who live in cities have been learning in Kiswahili and English. Political opinion is divided about if teaching children in mother tongue will boost their academic performance or it will entrench negative ethnicity. The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and Kenya Parents Association have opposed teaching primary school children in vernacular. As things stand now, the children know and understand rudimentary Swahili and little English. Their literacy levels have dipped if the recent Kenya National Examination Council examination results are anything to go by.

Multilingualism is the ability to speak in many languages. For example if a person can speak in their first language plus other acquired secondary languages they are termed as multilingual. I speak in Kikamba, Kimeru, Kiswahili and English. A globalised world is one which is enabled by modern changes in technology to converge in an international platform such as the internet and share ideas and experiences.

Thesis statement: Multilingualism has more benefits than disadvantages

Multilingualism has contributed both positively and negatively in shaping the languages spoken in the world today. However, let me say from the outset that the benefits of multilingualism far outweigh the drawbacks. As such it is advisable for the world to embrace multilingualism so long as it preserves the minority tongues from extinction due to the looming threats of world lingua franca like English.

The positive roles of multilingualism

The most basic function of any language is to communicate. A language that facilitates effective communication should be encouraged to grow, so should other languages that are also used to communicate. This will help individuals and communities achieve linguistic diversity. Pluralism of languages is strength.

People who are multilingual go beyond borders. They are able to live, work and play anywhere in the world comfortably. Multinational companies offer such persons jobs as they can speak different languages in the workplace competently.  They are unlimited. Multilingualism makes them carve out a competitive edge over those who speak in only one language.

Language is a key cultural component. When we study and speak languages of others we learn their cultures. We become multicultural. This makes us appreciate other people’s ways of life. This further nurtures tolerance, understanding and respect among cultures. These enduring values help us to live in peace with others because we are connected by common languages.

In my country, Kenya most students speak at least three languages. First, they acquire their mother tongue from birth and learn it throughout early childhood up to Standard Three. But this is more prevalent in rural areas than in urban areas. From there they specialise in Kiswahili and English which are both the national official languages. Thus Kenyan students are multilingual.

However, Kenya is haunted by the ghost of tribalism. Nevertheless, people can maintain their ethnic languages alongside speaking in one common language. In a way, there is ethnic profiling which compromises our sense of identity and nationhood. Kiswahili remains the only African language that unites us without evoking ethnic hatred (Thangw’a, 2014). Majority of Kenyans speak Kiswahili and English in addition to their ethnic languages. Kiswahili is the glue that binds us together.

Multilingualism boosts pride and a sense of belonging between and among different speakers. Across East Africa, people communicate in Kiswahili as well as their ethnic languages. When a Congolese greets a Tanzanian by saying: “Jambo!” ,(How are you?) the two suddenly realise that they are one. Tourists visit on holiday and learn Kiswahili and make the locals proud of their indigenous languages. This cements friendship with international visitors.

On the global stage, world citizens communicate effectively in lingua franca such as English. English catalyses globalisation as people from all over the world understand each other. On the part of students, they are able to share ideas and experiences with their counterparts in other countries over the internet. Need I say that multilingualism is a catalyst for technological innovation? New inventions are spawned by scholars after interacting on the internet via research papers and correspondence.

The global citizens unlock their potential of imagination and creativity by speaking in many languages. They think critically about how to provide solutions to international challenges such as terrorism and environmental degradation. It is for this reason that multilingual speakers share some attributes that are dear to them. These include interest in global current affairs. They are curious to know the latest technological, cultural, political, economic and geographical trends. They are constantly informed.

Multilingual speakers are adaptable to various environments. They embrace and appreciate different cultures and are willing to try new things. On the contrary, monolingual people tend to be closed and conservative. They doubt and suspect new trends. They are an impediment to development. Multilingualism fosters change of attitude among world citizens to embrace change. They are the generation of today and tomorrow. The future is multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural. Monolinguals risk being isolated. They better start learning other languages.

The negative roles of multilingualism

Multilingualism has brought along great challenges too. There are genuine concerns that the sweeping adoption of some languages as the dominant languages for communication in a globalised world threatens minority languages. Minority speakers feel left out. If this is left unchecked the endangered languages will soon become extinct. These languages include those which are spoken by few people or whose speakers are elderly and the youth have not embraced them.

Scholars draw parallels between languages and ecology (Crosnier,2012).For example; scientists contend that ecological diversity makes the world more beautiful, lively, inhabitable and colourful. Likewise, linguistic diversity makes the world more interesting, creative and conserves the heritage of the various speakers. If species in the ecosystem fade the world loses the niche occupied by that species. If a language dies due to the need to adopt multilingualism, the world suffers from decreased diversity (Crosnier,2012).

Multilingualism is expensive. To support many languages a lot of infrastructure is supposed to be put in place. We need learning resources like books, teachers and computers. As much as we want to reduce the world to a global village we are held back by shortage of resources.

The coming of multilingualism has brainwashed those who speak local languages (Thiong’o, 1986). Here in Kenya and Sub Saharan Africa at large native speakers shun their own languages and go for foreign languages such as English, Spanish, French and Arabic. They abandon their own indigenous languages. A Kiswahili proverb says mwacha mila ni mtumwa (He who abandons his culture is a slave). This wisdom is trashed and Africans rush to adopt exotic accents at the expense of their own languages. They are ashamed of native tongues and wish that they “speak through the nose” like the foreigners. Unfortunately we are yet to make speakers take pride in our own languages and develop them. I firmly believe that adoption of international languages is not in itself bad at all. But those who speak minority languages should nurture their own languages too as they try to learn new ones.

Language policies fail when the stakeholders are not involved in the process of making language policies. (Abagi, 2014) Nations should negotiate with their citizens in coming up with agreeable language policies and laws. To this end, the Kenyan government recognises English and Kiswahili as the official languages. As mentioned earlier, the other local languages are taught at the early stages when the children are growing. This helps prevent discrimination against some languages and favouritism of others.

Some solutions to multilingualism challenges

Language is a serious tool for development. It communicates development agenda and supports feedback from the population. Adoption of languages which many speakers from different ethnic backgrounds are proficient and competent in ensures maximum development results. Our government is encouraging use of local languages in the newly formed counties as it rolls out devolution. County radios, newspapers and televisions ran in local languages, Kiswahili and English are coming up. People are embracing them since they offer unlimited employment opportunities and will ultimately reduce the burden of poverty. Local languages complement Kiswahili and English.

Minority languages can be protected by education and legislation. Teaching children and even adults who did not get the opportunity to learn their local languages will go a long way in preserving the endangered languages. Governments should also recognize various languages and dialects by enacting laws to protect them.

Research is crucial in managing linguistic diversity. Governments should partner with Non-Governmental Organizations to advance multilingualism. Setting up linguistic research centres will incubate ideas about how sound linguistic diversity plays key roles in our lives, its causes, effects and how to manage the conflicts arising from multilingualism.

Conclusion

Multilingualism encourages people to be global citizens. A global citizen is someone who identifies with the larger humanity on Earth as the number one priority (Crosnier, 2012). But it does not mean he/she loses his/her national and local identity and beliefs. Global citizens are aware that their national social, political, religious, economic and cultural identities matter since these define the world citizens. A people’s culture is crucial in defining the world outlook (Thiong’o, 1986). Therefore, world citizens value their national attributes because they derive meanings of life from them.

Multilingual global citizens are concerned about world issues which affect all people. They are willing to assist in humanitarian causes such as wars, national disasters like floods and earthquakes and empathise with the victims. Knowledge of multiple languages facilitates this because there is no way one can reach out to another speaker of different language yet he/she does not understand his/her tongue or one does not speak a common language.

As world inhabitants each of us should endeavour to nurture and preserve cultural diversity. Let us do something whether small or big to promote multilingualism in a globalised world. Yes, we can make a difference!

REFERENCES    

Crosnier, L. V. (2012, January 30). Net.lang : towards the multilingual cyberspace - Unesco. Retrieved February 13, 2014, from Net.Lang: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CDIQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.unesco.org%2Fnew%2Ffileadmin%2FMULTIMEDIA%2FHQ%2FCI%2FCI%2Fpdf%2Fnetlang_EN_pdfedition.pdf&ei=3GT8Uv6GA4-RhQfq4YHQDw&usg=AFQjCNHKYyuM2OsE-GG7fGIuFKgDxPVE_g&b

Abagi, O. (2014, February 13). New language policy is not only retrogressive, but myopic as well. Retrieved February 13, 2014, from dailynation.co.ke: http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Opinion/New-language-policy-proposal-is-not-only-retrogressive/-/440808/2170300/-/10ncqi6z/-/index.html

Thangw'a, M. (2014, February 13). Daily Nation. Retrieved February 13, 2014, from dailynation.co.ke: http://www.nation.co.ke/page/search/DailyNation/-/1148/1148/-/view/asSearch/-/r4tvx4z/-/index.html

Thiong'o, N. W. (1986). Decolonising the Mind; The Politics of Language in African Literature. Portsmouth: Heinemann.