Why you should learn and speak 'less prestigious' languages

David Yoong

Linguist at the University of Malaya who spends a lot of time examining how people interact with one another. 

Time and time again, we hear of people in power emphasising the need to use 'standard language' - proper pronunciation, proper spelling, and proper grammar. We are told of the dangers of not being able to use a 'standard language': people won't understand us, we will not be able to engage with others globally, and we will not be able to participate in knowledge acquisition. Additionally, socialisation with our leaders, teachers and even parents puts ideas into our heads that certain languages (e.g. Standard English and Standard Mandarin) are more important than others because these will help maintain the status quo and increase chances of upward social mobility. 

Sometimes children are told that there is no need to learn other 'less important' languages like indigenous languages and vernacular languages (e.g. Telugu, Hakka, Teowchew, Bahasa Temuan, etc.). In schools, we are indoctrinated to believe that the rules of grammar determine if language use is 'right' or 'wrong'. Using language 'wrongly', we are also told, is a sign of being uneducated (or sometimes, stupid). 

At this juncture, I should explain two things: First, I write as a Malaysian linguist. So, don't be surprised if the examples provided are from a Malaysian's point of view. Second, I use 'language' in this blog post to refer to 'a system of communication' that includes conventional concepts of 'dialects' (different language extended families e.g. Chinese - Cantonese, Hokkien) and 'lects' (different levels of hierarchies e.g. Standard English, Malaysian English, 'broken'/'mixed up' English). Trivia: Believe it or not, there are linguists who are challenging the conventional sense of 'language' and argue that even 'dialects' are 'languages'. As interesting as it may be, this will be a topic for another day. 

What our esteemed leaders and role models fail to acknowledge is that such a simplistic prescriptivist approach to language can be dangerous and even very harmful to one's self and to others. Let me explain. 

It is crucial to realise that languages are strongly tied with identity. People tend to accept those who speak like them, and they frown upon those who speak using a lower prestige language. As alluded earlier, speaking using 'broken grammar' or 'wrong' pronunciations risks someone viewing and treating you like an uneducated (and/or stupid) person whose points are not to be taken seriously. On the other hand, people may also see those who speak the language of the rich and educated (e.g. Queen's English), as arrogant, detached and out of touch elitists. This happens because people are just naturally tribalistic. 

People may also take cues from someone's use of language to mark them either as being part of the ingroup or outgroup. This social categorisation leads to exclusivity and otherness. In certain contexts, it can lead to racism, discrimination,  xenophobism, and loss of economic and social opportunities. In some instances, people can be singled out and punished if they do not speak the language of the powerful dominant ingroup. 

Political and social pressures that cause languages to lose popularity can also cause the extinction of culture and local knowledge. Children are told to learn English and Mandarin because these are more powerful than the language of their grandparents and ancestors. If a language shift were to occur, where later generations lose their ability to speak the tongue of their ancestors, cultures in stories, songs, idioms, metaphors, and even subtle yet significant local knowledge e.g. plant names, traditional medicines, can be forever lost. 

So, coming back to the title of this post ('why you should learn and speak 'less prestigious' languages')...

Having the ability to accommodate communicatively with different groups of people in different social situations enables one to navigate more easily in complex societies. Those who look down on 'less prestigious' languages fail to see the power of these languages in getting things done. 

Just imagine interacting with a fishmonger in a Chow Kit wet market in downtown Kuala Lumpur. Imagine speaking to them using Standard English. Now compare that with a colloquial English variety.

-"Dear sir/madam, could you kindly sell me a kilogramme of fish?" (Queen's English).  

-"Aunty/Uncle ah, this fish cheaper la, can or not? Aiyah, I always come back one la!"

Which style of interaction do you think will help you form bonds with the fishmonger, and to get you a better deal? 

Here is another scenario. Imagine you are an Indian politician entering a Hokkien community to make your presence known. And you want them to like you, so that they will vote you into office. Unlike your Indian competitor, you can speak Hokkien fluently. Who do you think the community is likely to support? The same principles apply with business pitching and sales. 

Now, do you see why our ideas of 'less prestigious' languages are actually flawed? 

Being fluent in all sorts of language systems also makes one realise that even the ones deemed as Bahasa Rojak or 'spoiled' language, may actually not be 'spoiled'. Rather, they may indicate creative expressions, especially if there is consistent application of language rules. Note that I'm not arguing that we should encourage disfluency. Neither am I saying that schools should embrace these 'less prestigious' languages in the classroom. 

What I'm saying instead is, there are a time and place where these 'less prestigious' languages can outshine the stereotypical notions of 'prestigious languages'. Educators should help students realise when both 'prestigious and non-prestigious languages' are appropriate, and according to what genre of interactions. Educators should not beat down 'less prestigious' languages, but realise their potentials. 

Long story short, learning and being competent in all variations of languages will actually open doors and empower the user in various aspects of life, compared to those who are only able to use the 'prestigous' variety.

tl:dr - learn to talk with people

keywords: prestigious languages, non-pretigious languages, diglossia, dialects, language policies, language education