"Globalization, Colonization and Language Vitality"

By

Salikoko S. Mufwene

This presentation is a part of the 2005 Barbara Gordon Lecture Series

The FIU Linguistics Program presents 2005 Barbara Gordon Lecture "Globalization, Colonization and Language Vitality" by Salikoko S. Mufwene Wednesday, March 30, 2005

Over the past two decades or so, globalization and colonization have often been blamed for the endangerment and loss of several indigenous languages in many parts of the world. The literature has focused mostly on territories outside Europe, sometimes suggesting that this continent did not have indigenous languages curiously.

This lecture is an invitation to reexamine that literature, to argue that: 1) colonization has not been uniform around the world; 2) globalization has introduced inequities around the world, which have affected languages differentially; 3) both indigenous and non-indigenous languages have been affected by European colonization since the 15th century; 4) the settings in which creoles have evolved have a lot to tell us about colonization, globalization, and language vitality; and 5) they invite us to reexamine the language history of Europe itself, as well as the social dynamics of language evolution in the history of mankind. A global "problem" needs a global approach.
 

Other photos taken at Dr. Mufwene's presentation: CLICK