| Copyright 1999 and beyond. Merv/Marv Productions. |
Sunday, June 24, 2001 Yeah, I know. Green. Circles. Special, ain't it? (Update: As of 7/22/01, the green circles will no longer be available for viewing. Sorry for the inconvenience). We'll see how this new showy format works out. I thought it was time for a revamping. Hold on, I'm going to go take a shower. BRB! Okay. Back. On a test in my English class, there was a question that asked for a thoughtful essay about my view on the spread of the English language throughout the world -- whether I believed it is destroying cultures and impoverisihing people, or if it is promoting peace and prosperity. This is what I wrote (under mild anxiety and a time crunch, granted): As English spreads worldwide, it will continue to have both positive and negative effects on society and culture. I believe that the positive effects greatly outweigh those that some people see as impoverishing or enslaving. The spread of the English language not only promotes world peace and prosperity merely by enabling people to communicate, it also unites us as a human race. This would be a very significant and highly positive change from how people seem to view the world now, as separate nations with different "species" of people, which in my opinion is close-minded. What would we think if suddenly we were able to communicate with life forms from other galaxies? Would we still consider ourselves Americans, Russians and Japanese -- or would we be earthlings? I don't think it's important that the language that is spreading is English. What is important is that we are able to unite as one race. The evidence that this has already started to happen is clear. As media and technology spread English throughout the world, we have been able to communicate at an international level, even as mere civilians who really have no need to do so. We are globalizing. Though some think that is impoverishing people now, the world will adapt with time. Eventually, English will not be seen as an invading force, but simply as a means of communication. This globalization may be seen as killing national cultures, but if people stop to think about how much culture has changed and grown in the past 2000 years, then they will realize that what is happening now is nothing new. The world will beome a giant conglomerate of everything individual nations contribute -- one culture enriched with the histories and traditions of all of its people. Bunch of hooey? I don't know. Indifference pervades my mind most of the time. All I can recall is that I felt very passionate about the issue at the time I was writing the one-paragraph blob, and all I could think about were aliens -- extraterrestrials sending radio transmissions to earth. Now, I'm not an avid Star Wars or X-Files fan or anything, but yes, I am a believer. Dwelling on the limited thinking of humans as a society was enough to make my head hurt. I'm still working on a vaccine for ignorance. more of what Sarah's saying >> |
 |
 |