Linguistic Imperialism

What is Linguistic Imperialism?

It is the process of a dominant language taking over minority languages and dialects spoken by people. This transfer can occur any many different ways and poses a threat to many endangered languages and in turn cultures around the world. One example of linguistic imperialism in the Anglophone world is in the case of pop culture. Pop culture is nearly universal and is also predominantly communicated in English. English is rapidly becoming the dominant language and pop culture plays are large role in this. From songs to movies and television shows English is constantly being spread across the globe. This mainstream media is an important tool in defining what is the norm. This has a particularly large impact on teenagers today are very susceptible to outside influences. A great portion of today's youth are trying to conform to these mainstream norms, in this case, speaking English. As pop culture defines what is considered cool or popular this sends the message that in order to keep up with the times and stay modern and hip you need to know English. It is particularly dangerous that pop culture mostly targets youth as this leaves languages vulnerable. If the youth stop speaking the language then it is only a short amount of time before the language goes extinct. Pop-culture gives English a certain sense of power through the way it is depicted and this is why it remains one of the more dominant and universal languages. This being the case, the loss of minority languages also translates to, the loss of distinct ideas, words, emotions and thoughts.

Oxfam Article Analysis

The type of text provided is an article from the Oxfam website (www.Oxfam.org). The eye-catching, bold heading of the website with "Oxfam" and the characteristic paragraphing of text are clear identifiers of the article convention. The search bar indicates that the article is from the web. The article informs readers of the Sahel food crisis and Oxfam's work to help those impacted by the crisis. The article is unique in that it is from an organization only concerned with helping human welfare. Their main message is that long-term interventions through organizations like Oxfam are necessary to effectively tackle the upcoming food crisis in the Sahel region.

The targeted audience of this web article is quite large. The article is informative and would likely be read by those researching current world emergencies or those browsing the Oxfam site. The article shows the website ending in ".org." Therefore, the target audience for Oxfam would have a focus on those willing to donate to further their mission. The purpose of the article is to inform readers of the food crisis in Sahel and explain what Oxfam has been doing to help the suffering areas. Much evidence is used, such as the statistic that "35% of the population in Niger is estimated to be vulnerable to food insecurity." Facts are also given about Oxfam's work in the region. For example, in Burkina Faso Oxfam "is aiming to help 100,000 people access food, with cash for work activities, animal health and food programs for pastoralists communities, and assistance to refugees from Mali.”

The article starts off with a picture of an African woman riding a donkey with more animals following. This picture carries an emotional appeal that balances the predominantly logic-based text of the article. The picture assigns a face to the suffering described in the article and would better help Oxfam raise money. The caption states that the "Sahel region of West and Central Africa may face a serious food crisis in 2012." The subheading explains how the humanitarian response to this crisis must address the underlying cause of the crisis to prevent new ones from recurring. The article, published in 2011, predicts a serious food crisis in the Sahel region that could be worse than previous ones. Oxfam states that the solution is in "investing more in longer-term interventions to reduce the people's vulnerability to external shocks." The situation in the Sahel is bleak due to erratic rainfall that has harmed harvests, food production, and food prices. Many people in West African countries are projected to become food insecure. Oxfam is providing food assistance, cash, animal health programs, and more to help the most vulnerable. Sanitation and access to clean water is another priority. An early response, Oxfam states, is necessary to protect people and provide long-term support through crises.  These ideas are developed in paragraphs with subheadings for each topic. The main message is that action is necessary to mitigate existing and future problems Africans in the Sahel region face. Oxfam is hard at work to tackle the underlying causes of these crises.

The use of logos and ethos is this article is prominent. The use of statistics and facts (logos) is the basis for the article. Ethos is employed when the credibility of the source is established through Oxfam stating that they have been "present for over 45 years" in Chad. Pathos is used in the description of the food insecurity and vulnerability of the Africans. This is an emotional appeal for readers to become aware and act on the situation. The language of the article is otherwise quite simple and contains no figurative language.

In conclusion, the article explains this clearly visible problem and the need for a logical humanitarian response. This can be seen after viewing the content, theme, tone and structure of the article. Analyzing the audience and purpose along with the help of logos and pathos, allows for a greater sense of depth in the article. Oxfam is probably using the article to not only raise awareness of the problem, but also to gain money through donations. The plain writing style effectively communicates the main message: the existence of such organizations are indeed required to combat the now prominent food crisis and to help eliminate it in the future.