Linguistic Imperialism | Pirawat Punyagupta | TEDxBangkokPatanaSchool

Linguistic prowess nourishes one's understanding of ethnographic differences. Immersing myself in the study of foreign languages has opened up innumerable avenues. What used to be unintelligible clusters of cursive have now morphed into agents of understanding. The imperialism of dominant languages has thus resonated with me on personal levels. A tongue forms the basis of our cultural identity and gives us a sense of belonging in our respective speech communities. Thailand is a country experiencing underlying linguistic pluralism under the guise of state-sponsored homogeneity, with consequences such as more fragile democratic institutions and societal disunity; depriving a people linguistically can sever the bond between a people group and their heritage. I am not advocating for any particular political agenda. From a practical perspective, I believe that linguistic rejuvenation is an effective way of ensuring long-term vitality of minorities and marginalized communities. Linguistic prowess nourishes one's understanding of ethnographic differences. Immersing myself in the study of foreign languages has opened up innumerable avenues. What used to be unintelligible clusters of cursive have now morphed into agents of understanding.

The imperialism of dominant languages has thus resonated with me on personal levels. A tongue forms the basis of our cultural identity and gives us a sense of belonging in our respective speech communities. Thailand is a country experiencing underlying linguistic pluralism under the guise of state-sponsored homogeneity, with consequences such as more fragile democratic institutions and societal disunity; depriving a people linguistically can sever the bond between a people group and their heritage.

I am not advocating for any particular political agenda. From a practical perspective, I believe that linguistic rejuvenation is an effective way of ensuring long-term vitality of minorities and marginalized communities. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

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