#MLW

Ever since I was young I have had a certain question in the back of my head: Who owned English? At first I thought perhaps it was England. Wait! or was it Great Britain? Surely it originated from there but did they own it? Somehow this question was left unanswered until we watched this video by Think Fact in class one day.

After watching it I finally both understood the question as what it was and developed my own perspective on the matter. I own English. You own English. Everyone who speaks it, owns it: Their very own version of it. There around more than 1.5 billion English speaker in the world today and we all have a role in contributing to how it evolves. Originally created from the unique mixing of French Latin and Germanic, English is very different today then it was back in the 1600’s. English travelled the world borrowing words from all around the place to finally becoming what it is today. And each one of us who speak it can say we have had a part or will have a part in evolving it further along the line.

       Scrolling through articles, I found a very interesting piece on ‘Forced Language Assimilation’ on The Guardian. After reading it I begin to wonder how both the journalist and I really felt about forced language assimilation (i.e. the view/expectation that everyone is America must learn English) and if there was a difference in what I and she believed was the relationship between accent, identity, and power?

After rereading the article I got the impression that, when she was younger she felt like she didn’t ‘belong’ or ‘accepted’ in America because she was Latino. Therefore she tried her best to wash away her Latino culture and assimilate as rapidly as she could. I can understand how she felt and once felt somewhat the same way, although now after having the #MyLanguageWorld unit in English, I believe that preserving your own language and culture is very important and there is nothing embarrassing about having a different accent from others. I agree with her when she then goes on to talk about how she feels that being ‘forced to assimilate’ is oppressive. I think your language and accent are both an significant and important part of your identity. They both have a role in constructing you as a person. And just because you live in another country, it does not mean you should be forced to assimilate, for example: her grandmother. She was proud of her heritage and refused to give up that part of her even after she became an American citizen. The one idea that I did not completely agree with though, was when she said her grandmother talked to everyone in Spanish, because if you are living in another country, even though you shouldn’t be forced to assimilate, you should still respect the language spoken there and put in some effort in trying to communicate basic expressions to them. One question I still wonder about is: How do accents and identities relate to power?

(Hover Mouse Over The Picture For The Attribution)

Why do I speak as I do..

…and how does my language define me?

I speak as I do because I am me. I’m Indian. I was born in Delhi, and have lived in Beijing and Singapore. Each place that I’ve been has shaped and cultivated how I communicate and express myself to the world. I studied in Dulwich College for one year in Beijing, Casa Dei Bambini Montessori for two years in Singapore and then NPS for 6 years. Until I came to UWCSEA East 6 years ago, I always had an Indian accent. Although I began to develop an American accent after coming to UWC.

Living in Beijing, I learnt plenty of Mandarin since a young age, although at home my parents always spoke to me in my mouther tongue, Gujarati and sometimes English as well. I learnt both Hindi and Mandarin. Hindi and Gujarati have very simple writing technique, which is why I learnt to read both. After one year of Mandarin in UWC, I dropped Mandarin and started to learn Spanish. I really love exploring and learning new cultures and languages, although it is not always easy!

I think language can be thought of as a expression, a cultivator of cultural values, who you are and how you communicate. Without language expressing our feelings would be about impossible. I think language defines the way I am portrayed to others.