An overview of multilingualism
As stated in its title, essays in this collection majorly concern about the problems raised with the increasing practice of multilingualism in India. As a nation with diverse cultural and lingual background, India is an ideal place to study the effect of multilingualism, as the editor states that it has lots of languages blossoming in the country, as“(a)English is booming like flowers, (b)Hindi is fluttering like butterflies and (c)lesser known languages are chirping like birds.”(p.IX) As a country with 1652 “mother tongues”,(p.XI) it faces several tensions and dangers.(p.XXI) The edited collection collects essays discussing potential and actual problems raised during the multilingual practice, from a national wide perspective to regional issues on a group of people. The collection itself is a good sources to learn how multilingual practice create problems for people and society, but overall the studies are too “provincial”, which focus on cases dealing with the combining results of several factors. Therefore, the value of the studies presented in this collection is compromised for lacking the ability to be generalized or used in a different situation. In conclusion, it is an useful source when studying specific topic in India, but not an inclusive or comprehensive “starter guide” in learning the practice of multilingualism.
“Accommodating Deviance: Tibetan Exiles in India” by T. Dorjee et al gives us a example on how multilingualism negatively affect people’s life. According to the study, a huge number of Tibetan exiles resides in Northeastern part of India, having a society of their own Tibetan culture, which significantly differs from the culture of other tribes residing in that area. (p.29) As a result of Tibetan exiles’ strong connection of the religion life, they make every effort to preserve their own language and writing system.(p.29-30) The Tibetan exile in India is aiming for preserving their identity,(p.32) so the educational system was designed to be the most “pure” Tibetan.(p.34) But as an exile group residing in a foreign country, they are influenced by foreign cultures and languages in some extent. A research was conducted to learn the manipulation styles of speakers.(p.47) As a result, most young Tibetan exiles have difficulties speaking honorific Tibetan;(p.52) patterns of deviance were shown on most Tibetan exiles.(p.49) Therefore, the preservation of the Tibetan language was not that successful among the Tibetan exiles in India. The negative effect of multilingualism may influence the self-identification of their people, deviating the Tibetan exile from their initial aim of preserving their identity and language, as they just become a few more common citizens of India. In another word, learning another language, or simply being a member of a multilingual society, according to the study, may cause one lose the ability to use his mother language a in precise and accurate manner, and probably even makes him confused with his own culture background and identity.
Rethinking about Kelvin’s narrative on his childhood, the neighborhood of Dominicans and Puerto Ricans are basically doing the same thing: people are trying to preserve their own culture and language in a small and concentrated neighborhood. But sadly it is only a desperate struggle; the emerging of culture and practice of multilingualism become the big trend which is tough to overcome. As the trends continue, more and more people are getting confused with their own identity. Fact is, we are losing the culture and lingual diversity as aftermaths of multiculturalism and multilingualism, but it is hard to judge whether it is beneficial or not, that one day everyone on earth, speaking identically same language, can only identify themselves in the identical way: the citizen of Earth.
“Accommodating Deviance: Tibetan Exiles in India” by T. Dorjee et al gives us a example on how multilingualism negatively affect people’s life. According to the study, a huge number of Tibetan exiles resides in Northeastern part of India, having a society of their own Tibetan culture, which significantly differs from the culture of other tribes residing in that area. (p.29) As a result of Tibetan exiles’ strong connection of the religion life, they make every effort to preserve their own language and writing system.(p.29-30) The Tibetan exile in India is aiming for preserving their identity,(p.32) so the educational system was designed to be the most “pure” Tibetan.(p.34) But as an exile group residing in a foreign country, they are influenced by foreign cultures and languages in some extent. A research was conducted to learn the manipulation styles of speakers.(p.47) As a result, most young Tibetan exiles have difficulties speaking honorific Tibetan;(p.52) patterns of deviance were shown on most Tibetan exiles.(p.49) Therefore, the preservation of the Tibetan language was not that successful among the Tibetan exiles in India. The negative effect of multilingualism may influence the self-identification of their people, deviating the Tibetan exile from their initial aim of preserving their identity and language, as they just become a few more common citizens of India. In another word, learning another language, or simply being a member of a multilingual society, according to the study, may cause one lose the ability to use his mother language a in precise and accurate manner, and probably even makes him confused with his own culture background and identity.
Rethinking about Kelvin’s narrative on his childhood, the neighborhood of Dominicans and Puerto Ricans are basically doing the same thing: people are trying to preserve their own culture and language in a small and concentrated neighborhood. But sadly it is only a desperate struggle; the emerging of culture and practice of multilingualism become the big trend which is tough to overcome. As the trends continue, more and more people are getting confused with their own identity. Fact is, we are losing the culture and lingual diversity as aftermaths of multiculturalism and multilingualism, but it is hard to judge whether it is beneficial or not, that one day everyone on earth, speaking identically same language, can only identify themselves in the identical way: the citizen of Earth.