Minae Mizumura
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- November 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780231163026
- eISBN:
- 9780231538541
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231163026.001.0001
- Subject:
- Literature, Criticism/Theory
This book lays bare the struggle to retain the brilliance of the English language in a period of English-language dominance. The book acknowledges the value of a universal language in the pursuit of ...
More
This book lays bare the struggle to retain the brilliance of the English language in a period of English-language dominance. The book acknowledges the value of a universal language in the pursuit of knowledge, yet also embraces the different ways of understanding offered by multiple tongues. It warns against losing this precious diversity. Universal languages have always played a pivotal role in advancing human societies, but in the globalized world of the Internet, English is fast becoming the sole common language of humanity. The process is unstoppable, and striving for total language equality is delusional—and yet, particular kinds of knowledge can be gained only through writings in specific languages. The book calls these writings “texts” and their ultimate form “literature.” Only through literature, and more fundamentally through the diverse languages that give birth to a variety of literatures, can we nurture and enrich humanity. The book offers an intimate look at the phenomena of individual and national expression.Less
This book lays bare the struggle to retain the brilliance of the English language in a period of English-language dominance. The book acknowledges the value of a universal language in the pursuit of knowledge, yet also embraces the different ways of understanding offered by multiple tongues. It warns against losing this precious diversity. Universal languages have always played a pivotal role in advancing human societies, but in the globalized world of the Internet, English is fast becoming the sole common language of humanity. The process is unstoppable, and striving for total language equality is delusional—and yet, particular kinds of knowledge can be gained only through writings in specific languages. The book calls these writings “texts” and their ultimate form “literature.” Only through literature, and more fundamentally through the diverse languages that give birth to a variety of literatures, can we nurture and enrich humanity. The book offers an intimate look at the phenomena of individual and national expression.
Mari Yoshihara and Juliet Winters Carpenter
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- November 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780231163026
- eISBN:
- 9780231538541
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231163026.003.0009
- Subject:
- Literature, Criticism/Theory
This introductory chapter analyzes Minae Mizumura's The Fall of Language in the Age of English, a novel that received a rather polarizing reception due to its underlying theme. The novel tackles the ...
More
This introductory chapter analyzes Minae Mizumura's The Fall of Language in the Age of English, a novel that received a rather polarizing reception due to its underlying theme. The novel tackles the question of the role of the Japanese language—or any other language other than English—in a world dominated by the English language. Mizumura takes a critical look at the phenomenon of English as functioning as the singular national language in the digital era. The chapter argues that the negative reception the book received can be traced back to critics who took the title literally, believing the Japanese language to be at imminent risk of perishing under the dominance of English. Yet Mizumura makes no such claim, stating that the nation's cultural autonomy makes it highly improbable that Japanese will disappear in any foreseeable future.Less
This introductory chapter analyzes Minae Mizumura's The Fall of Language in the Age of English, a novel that received a rather polarizing reception due to its underlying theme. The novel tackles the question of the role of the Japanese language—or any other language other than English—in a world dominated by the English language. Mizumura takes a critical look at the phenomenon of English as functioning as the singular national language in the digital era. The chapter argues that the negative reception the book received can be traced back to critics who took the title literally, believing the Japanese language to be at imminent risk of perishing under the dominance of English. Yet Mizumura makes no such claim, stating that the nation's cultural autonomy makes it highly improbable that Japanese will disappear in any foreseeable future.
Mari Yoshihara and Juliet Winters Carpenter
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- November 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780231163026
- eISBN:
- 9780231538541
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231163026.003.0007
- Subject:
- Literature, Criticism/Theory
This chapter discusses the future of non-English national languages in a world that uses the English language as the “international” language. It argues that each nation will suffer tensions between ...
More
This chapter discusses the future of non-English national languages in a world that uses the English language as the “international” language. It argues that each nation will suffer tensions between encouraging English fluency and protecting its own language. This chapter first turns to the Western Germanic and Nordic nations, where there is a risk that the population might eventually become more attuned to Anglophone culture than to its own heritage. Because writing in English comes easily for users of Germanic languages, more writers might begin to write literature in English with a world audience in mind. The chapter then highlights the case of India, whose government is trying to encourage the spread of Hindi as India's national language, while remaining under the obligation to strengthen regional languages as well. It concludes with an examination in Japan, analyzing how Japanese schools have failed to teach the modern canon of Japanese literature.Less
This chapter discusses the future of non-English national languages in a world that uses the English language as the “international” language. It argues that each nation will suffer tensions between encouraging English fluency and protecting its own language. This chapter first turns to the Western Germanic and Nordic nations, where there is a risk that the population might eventually become more attuned to Anglophone culture than to its own heritage. Because writing in English comes easily for users of Germanic languages, more writers might begin to write literature in English with a world audience in mind. The chapter then highlights the case of India, whose government is trying to encourage the spread of Hindi as India's national language, while remaining under the obligation to strengthen regional languages as well. It concludes with an examination in Japan, analyzing how Japanese schools have failed to teach the modern canon of Japanese literature.
