With the process of globalization and interaction among different nations, a variety of native languages and cultures have been lost.
What are the main reasons for and effects of this phenomenon? And what can countries do to save the great loss?
During the past two decades, the trend of globalization has been gaining momentum. Giant, multinational corporations produce and sell their commodities in almost every country. Meanwhile, with the increasing interaction among different nations and the dominance of English as the most preferred international language, cultural gaps have been largely bridged and a number of native languages have been lost. Although this phenomenon may be a necessary step to economic prosperity, the great loss of many native languages and cultures is to be lamented.
It is obvious that globalization and the economic development in many countries are the culprits. In order to communicate with a few industrialized nations, whose languages are mainly English, French and German, many developing countries have to sacrifice their own native languages, and some of them even adopt English as their only official language, as in the case of Singapore, where the pre-dominant language in all mass media is invariably English. Without effective communication, opportunities for free trade and prospects of economic advancement are very slim.
However, the sacrifices that these countries make for globalization are far too great because the loss of their native languages and, subsequently, their cultures and traditions, are virtually irretrievable. For example, before the American continent was discovered, there were thousands of native Indian languages. But since the USA established itself and started to explore its western territories, hundreds of these languages, together with their unique cultures and customs, have been vanishing every year. This is certainly a devastating catastrophe to the world’s lingual diversity and cultural heritage.
Therefore, governments of many developing nations should take effective measures to preserve their native languages and cultures. One thing they can do is to emphasize their national identities in all educational levels. Schools and colleges should promote cultural awareness and encourage patriotism in their courses and extracurricular activities. In a similar way, government agencies and all civil services can use English and their native languages simultaneously as a good way of accommodating globalization as well as retaining their national heritage
In conclusion, the growing trend of globalization and the economic improvement in many developing countries has resulted in the rapid extinction of a wide range of native languages and cultures. And governments must take serious steps to save the huge loss and play an important role in preserving their own heirlooms.
