https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEP_4db1jk0
Thursday 26 January 2017
Sunday 15 January 2017
Blog Post #13: Speaking in Tongues
15/01/2017
What did medieval linguist Antonio de Nebrija mean when he told Queen Isabella that: “language is the perfect instrument of empire?” How has language contributed to colonial power? Focus on a specific example.
In my opinion, the linguist Nebrija was discussing how language is the key an empire and was depicting its importance within colonisation. He was giving her advice on how to build powerful territories, in his mind the strongest weapon was their language. Which can be considered quite true if you observe the success of UK's colonisation, at a point, their empire spread across 24% of the earth's surface. A powerful role which was reinforced by their dominating culture and language.
When proceeding to new countries they put in the effort to learn a little of the original language in order to communicate but to gain full control they insisted their own ideas, culture and dialect. This method suppresses the communities language and culture allowing for a slow silencing of the people. Silencing the people through language is subtle but spreads the dominating culture preventing future revolutions and rebellions. It is a cunning form of repression as it gives the natives knowledge of foreign concepts while imprinting the supreme culture. Even after this domination, the culture is left emphasising the empire's power. They have the ability to do this through the teaching which has a severe negative influence on the population. People are promised knowledge through schools, however, these western schools slowly teach the children more about western themes and language brainwashing their sacred mindsets. It is a false idea that leads to the loss of tradition and, more importantly, communication. Which marginalises the original or native populace giving the supreme colonial total control. This control may lead to new rules or regulations being out in place which may in force the teaching of language further which increases the silencing in the community.
Language is an easy way to spread one's culture making it easy to learn about others, however, it has the ability to take away culture through subliminal brainwashing or "white washing".
What did medieval linguist Antonio de Nebrija mean when he told Queen Isabella that: “language is the perfect instrument of empire?” How has language contributed to colonial power? Focus on a specific example.
In my opinion, the linguist Nebrija was discussing how language is the key an empire and was depicting its importance within colonisation. He was giving her advice on how to build powerful territories, in his mind the strongest weapon was their language. Which can be considered quite true if you observe the success of UK's colonisation, at a point, their empire spread across 24% of the earth's surface. A powerful role which was reinforced by their dominating culture and language.
When proceeding to new countries they put in the effort to learn a little of the original language in order to communicate but to gain full control they insisted their own ideas, culture and dialect. This method suppresses the communities language and culture allowing for a slow silencing of the people. Silencing the people through language is subtle but spreads the dominating culture preventing future revolutions and rebellions. It is a cunning form of repression as it gives the natives knowledge of foreign concepts while imprinting the supreme culture. Even after this domination, the culture is left emphasising the empire's power. They have the ability to do this through the teaching which has a severe negative influence on the population. People are promised knowledge through schools, however, these western schools slowly teach the children more about western themes and language brainwashing their sacred mindsets. It is a false idea that leads to the loss of tradition and, more importantly, communication. Which marginalises the original or native populace giving the supreme colonial total control. This control may lead to new rules or regulations being out in place which may in force the teaching of language further which increases the silencing in the community.
Language is an easy way to spread one's culture making it easy to learn about others, however, it has the ability to take away culture through subliminal brainwashing or "white washing".
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)