1 English language and exclusion
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Nov 24, 2024
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The English Language and Its Role in Social Exclusion
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Introduction
Diversity especially within the lines of language is
something that has been embraced within the mainstream society,
and particularly in the corporate world. This often serves to remind
people that while the backgrounds of different people might vary,
they are all equal and capable of the same things. While this is the
case, linguistic diversity also carries some unintended effects of
social exclusion, whereby rather than bringing people together it
tends to induce that sense of division. Even though English has
about 1.5 billion speakers across the world, there are countries such
as South Africa where the English language and linguistic diversity
are intertwined with complex historical issues that seem to
exacerbate social exclusion (Statista 2023). This discussion thus
looks at the role of the English language in the social exclusion
within South Africa.
The English language in South Africa is highly associated
with social exclusions and one of the main reasons is that the
English language is closely tied with the colonial legacy. South
Africa is highly diverse when it comes to language. It has an
estimated number of about eleven official languages including
Afrikaans and English (South African Embassy 2020). Of the total,
nine are ethnic languages whereby Zulu and Xhosa come out as the
most spoken. Regardless, South Africa was colonized by the British
in 1652 and while this colonial rule lasted till 1910, the apartheid
system that institutionalized discrimination based on racial lines
lasted till 1994 (University of Arkansas n.d.). It was during this
period that the local people were heavily oppressed on an ethnic
basis, and the English language was solidified as the language for
administration and ruling. Language is one of the cultural elements
that is so hard to separate from other ethnic attributes when it
comes to the identity of a particular culture. Thus, what these
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complex historical injustice issues did was cement the English
language as a part of the oppression that was being felt by the local
people (University of Arkansas n.d.). This is because those who
were in spaces of power harbored prejudice against those who
spoke indigenous languages, thus promoting incoherence and social
exclusion. Conversely, those who spoke the indigenous languages
also harbored an intense prejudice against those who spoke
English, a language that had been brought by the white masters.
Even though it has been over three decades since the apartheid
system ended in South Africa, discrimination still remains to be an
issue in the current society. Despite English speakers having
increased, the cultural power distance between English speakers
and non-English speakers still remains a factor that contributes to
social exclusion in South Africa (Cultural Survival 2022).
It is hard to discuss social exclusion without bringing into
context the disparity in access to economic opportunities. This is
because economic opportunities are closely tied to family social
outcomes and factors such as the level of family income, and other
social determinants of health and social wellness. Taking this
direction in this discussion brings in an interesting perspective
since the English language also plays a significant role in access to
economic opportunities in South Africa (
Khokhlova 2015
). Even
after apartheid ended, the English language remained a symbol of
power and was particularly linked with high access to economic
and social opportunities. This is currently clearly depicted by the
fact that only those who are fluent in the English language are well-
positioned to secure top corporate jobs both locally and
internationally. The effects of this trend create not only economic
but social inequalities on the basis of language since those who
cannot speak this language fluently miss these top opportunities.
Most of those who miss these top opportunities due to language are
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the indigenous people. Exclusion from such top opportunities based
on the English language thus further exacerbates the current
disparities and this cycle further pushes these people to lower
paying jobs and lower quality of life which results in the widening
of the gap and existing levels of exclusion (
Khokhlova 2015
).
The English language also seems to promote social
exclusion within the sphere of education in South Africa (Figone
2012). While the language itself is just a medium/channel for
delivering instructions to learners when it comes to learning,
English medium education has often been perceived to be of high
quality when compared to a medium based on indigenous
languages. This is reflected in the education system, where those
who attend English medium schools are considered more
prestigious and also have an advantage when it comes to the job
market and other future prospects (Figone 2012). Not only does the
English language in this case promote the social exclusion of
learners using the indigenous medium when it comes to future
prospects and social mobility but also carries a negative impact in
terms of educational outcomes. This is because learners who are
not able to attend English medium schools are perceived as inferior
to those who attend English medium schools, a perspective that
carries detrimental effects on educational performance. In some
cases, the English language also further curtails their access to
further education since English is a prerequisite to joining some
higher learning institutions.
In addition to this above, this argument can be further
expanded into the sphere of access to information (Bahji et al.
2023). This occurs when most of the information dissemination
centers within the country are dominantly operated in English. A
typical example would be when the country’s top media houses run
in English. In this case, non-English speakers such as the natives
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who are not either bilingual or multilingual are excluded from
accessing such information. They thus have to rely on third parties
or other media houses who may disseminate the same information
in a language that they understand. This is social exclusion. Access
to information can also take many different forms. Take for
example a student who is not in an English medium school. In such
a case, it might be difficult for such a student to access the wide
variety of course material that is published in the English language.
Their efforts to attend a library would also prove futile since most
of the material is published in English (Bahji et al. 2023). This
further excludes the learner/reader from accessing critical
information that can be used to improve their educational
outcomes.
Unlike social exclusion that was associated with historical
injustice, it is worth noting that social exclusion also occurs among
natives, especially when some fully embrace and fluently speak the
English language while others do not. In South Africa, especially
among the native communities, the English language is used as a
symbol of showing social status (
Kinzler et al. 2012
). The prestige
associated with the English language in education is thus similarly
depicted within the community to symbolize a higher social status.
English speaking families among the natives are thus considered
modern, while those not capable end up facing some form of
marginalization. In other cases, social exclusion is portrayed
through a language barrier. Families that do not speak the English
language feel isolated and excluded from conversations or activities
as they cannot fully engage in these conversations. Social exclusion
also occurs in the corporate landscape. Even though institutions
might be on the journey of taking strides to promote linguistic
diversity, it can be noted that natives, even those who speak the
English language possess an accent that differentiates them from
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their white counterparts. In workplaces that have not adequately
embraced diversity, this can be an environment where people with
such accents are subjected to stereotypes or biases (
Kinzler et al.
2012
). This can therefore promote social exclusion, as it curtails
that overall sense of belonging and connectedness. Moreover,
similar tendencies are also seen within digital platforms such as
social media that harbor numerous online communities. The use of
the English language in an online community that also has
members who are not fluent English speakers can result in
exclusion. This is because such individuals may not be familiar
with the English slang on the internet, hence may fail to adequately
comprehend or participate in these discussions.
Conclusion
With the English language being the most spoken in the
world, it is perceived to be an advantage for those who are fluent as
it accelerates their social mobility within mainstream society.
Nonetheless, its presence especially in countries with high
linguistic diversity such as South Africa presents complex
challenges some of which are rooted in the country’s historical
struggles of racism and marginalization. Not only is the English
language perceived as a language of the colonizers, but also does it
curtail non-speakers from high end opportunities as high-paying
corporate opportunities are mostly taken by those who are fluent in
English. This creates a divide between English speakers and non-
English speakers, exacerbating exclusion and marginalization that
was institutionalized by the previous apartheid system. This
exclusion is mostly experienced in other areas such as education,
access to information, and online communities. While the South
African government has kept in place policies and initiatives to
promote multilingualism and equal use of indigenous languages,
challenges in implementation call for rigorous efforts to recognize
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and also protect the use of indigenous languages within the
educational and business settings.
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References
Bahji, A., Acion, L., Laslett, A.M. and Adinoff, B., 2023. Exclusion of the
non-English-speaking world from the scientific literature:
Recommendations for change for addiction journals and
publishers.
Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs
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(1), pp.6-13.
Cultural Survival. 2022.
Language policy and oppression in South Africa
.
Available at: https://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-
survival-quarterly/language-policy-and-oppression-south-africa
(Accessed: September 1, 2023).
Figone, K.E., 2012. The hegemony of English in South African education.
Kinzler, K.D., Shutts, K. and Spelke, E.S., 2012. Language-based social
preferences among children in South Africa.
Language learning
and development
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(3), pp.215-232.
Khokhlova, I., 2015. Lingua Franca English of South Africa.
Procedia-
Social and Behavioral Sciences
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South African Embassy. 2020.
Languages - South African Embassy to the
Kingdom of the Netherlands
. Available at: https://zuidafrika.nl/arts-
culture/languages/#:~:text=South%20Africa%20has%20eleven
%20official,of%20official%20business%20and%20commerce.
Statista. 2023.
The most spoken languages worldwide 2023.
Available at:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/266808/the-most-spoken-
languages-worldwide/.
University of Central Arkansas.
n.d. Available at:
https://uca.edu/politicalscience/home/research-projects/dadm-
project/sub-saharan-africa-region/south-africa-1910-
present/#:~:text=Pre%2DCrisis%20Phase%20(May%2031,minister
%20on%20May%2031%2C%201910.