Cultural Imperialism and Erosion of Linguistic Diversity: Imprints of Globalization of English

Abstract

The expansion of English as a global lingua franca has given rise to debates involving the imprints as far as linguistic and cultural diversity is concerned. Keeping in view the essential role of English as a global language and its imprints on cultural and linguistic horizons, the present essay is intended to pursue the answer to the question “How far does the idea of globalization of English contribute to cultural imperialism and the erosion of linguistic diversity?” Through the perspective of synthesizing diverse ranges of viewpoints from varied sources i.e. academic, journalistic and commentaries, the essay is anticipated to figure out the arguments from both sides to critically evaluate the issue. As far as the structure of the essay is concerned it has involved thematic patterns initiated from the historical context of English as a global lingua franca, its persona on cultural imperialism, and its imprints on linguistic diversity followed by counterarguments and mitigation techniques to minimize the negative features of globalization of English in terms of cultural imperialism and erosion of linguistic diversity. The potential findings of the study involve that the inexorable facade of the English Language in a globalized context has presented it as a double-edged sword. At one hand, it has enacted as a tool for cultural homogenization and on the other hand, it also has facilitated as a means to promote cross-cultural communication.