I have been away from this space for quite some time, moving, traveling, exploring, experiencing, but being unable to consolidate these experiences with the written word. There are certain times in life where experiences lend themselves to sharing, and certain times in life when a more nuanced, introspective tone dominates. It is not that thoughts, tribulations, pleasantries and discontent are not stirring the soul; but rather, that these movements are meant to only be contained within.
Some thoughts on current ideas and projects here in Senegal, Saint-Louis, where I will be posted for some time as an educational fellow.....
The Power and Dominance of Language
We commonly cite language as a developmental tool, a forger of opportunity, a bridger of wealth divides. For so many in the developing world, the great impetus for English language development is the chance, the opportunity for self-betterment, an individualized incentive that is perhaps the most powerful of all.
However, we must be aware of the power of language as a tool for domination, as well.
Bell Hooks notes, "Standard English is not the speech of exile. It is the language of conquest and dominance...it is the mask that hides the loss of so many tongues, all those sounds of diverse, native communities we will never hear." -Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom
How can we measure progress from a stance of inherent domination? How can we assure that our efforts for development are not masked attempts at cultural colonization? How can we assure that language and education is, in fact, a liberating tool of self-actualization, a tool of freedom, and not a binding contraint, a cultural prison cell?
Some thoughts on current ideas and projects here in Senegal, Saint-Louis, where I will be posted for some time as an educational fellow.....
The Power and Dominance of Language
We commonly cite language as a developmental tool, a forger of opportunity, a bridger of wealth divides. For so many in the developing world, the great impetus for English language development is the chance, the opportunity for self-betterment, an individualized incentive that is perhaps the most powerful of all.
However, we must be aware of the power of language as a tool for domination, as well.
Bell Hooks notes, "Standard English is not the speech of exile. It is the language of conquest and dominance...it is the mask that hides the loss of so many tongues, all those sounds of diverse, native communities we will never hear." -Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom
Wade Davis further notes, "Language is not just vocabulary and grammar. It’s the flash of human spirit, it’s the vehicle by which the soul of a culture comes into the world. Every language is an old growth forest of the mind, a sort of watershed of thought, an ecosystem of possibilities.”
How can we measure progress from a stance of inherent domination? How can we assure that our efforts for development are not masked attempts at cultural colonization? How can we assure that language and education is, in fact, a liberating tool of self-actualization, a tool of freedom, and not a binding contraint, a cultural prison cell?
