Today's discussion centers around the values of various languages (e.g. English, Russian, and French discussed in chapter 3). Which languages are presently valued most in our increasingly globalized society? Which do we value least? What sorts of rhetorical agency do we gain by learning the languages of value? What do we have to gain from becoming an "English only" country as some of our presidential candidates are calling for?
I was surprised to learn that English was all but dropped in China during the Cold War era, with many learning centers converting to Russian cultural and language studies. Of course, that changed quickly. Perhaps this is why English, still, isn't widely spoken at home in many places in China. To me that's a central mark of change.
Today's discussion centers around the values of various languages (e.g. English, Russian, and French discussed in chapter 3). Which languages are presently valued most in our increasingly globalized society? Which do we value least? What sorts of rhetorical agency do we gain by learning the languages of value? What do we have to gain from becoming an "English only" country as some of our presidential candidates are calling for?
ReplyDeleteI was surprised to learn that English was all but dropped in China during the Cold War era, with many learning centers converting to Russian cultural and language studies. Of course, that changed quickly. Perhaps this is why English, still, isn't widely spoken at home in many places in China. To me that's a central mark of change.
ReplyDelete