From Englishization to Imposed Multilingualism: Globalization, the Internet, and the Political Economy of the Linguistic Code
Author(s)
Dor, D.
Abstract
Concerns that globalization will result in the spread of English as the “lingua franca of the information age” & in the loss of local languages are addressed. It is argued that of greater concern is the way that globalization will impact the social function of language & the relationship between languages, speakers, states, & the world market. The role of the Internet in these interrelationships & in the spread of multilingualism is explored. It is predicted that, rather than “imposed Englishization” or “negotiated multilingualism,” what is emerging is a specific pattern of “imposed multilingualism,” ie, “local linguistic variability imposed & controlled by the economic center.” Implications of such developments for the political economy of language are discussed
