In his talk, Professor Nigel Vincent talks about the importance of language for anyone wishing to be a part of the global system and goes on to mention the role language plays in trade, diplomacy, culture, war and peace. He also tries to draw a parallel between the UK and the US in how there is a sense of complacency about local indigenous language and flattening out effect using the English language.He speaks about the problem of knowing just english and not knowing English and how it is a problem either way. Linguistic complacency is found in the two countries even though they have a global presence. Large indigenous communities whose languages are not given importance. He uses reports published by the British Council to show how people think about knowing another language. He says that the knowledge of a second language in a professional manner affects the employability of a person and the future generation in the country. As business needs grow so does the importance of different languages in the country. Knowledge of different languages is also a problem with diplomats as decision making is affected by the reliance on other people to translate as well as understand the local culture. He also talks about code breaking in the world wars, where the mathematical ability to break codes was not enough but that they had to have engineers with knowledge of other languages so information could be passed on. Reporting about an event also differs because the cultural assumptions of the reporters differ.In effect the same event is reported in different styles across the world. He gives the example of Denmark when he talks about the production of an international workforce. Danes learn English, Danish and Mathematics from early on in schools which make them highly competitive and efficient in the job market. Bilingualism, he says is also a reality in big cities with a multicultural population. In the end he says that knowledge, especially a professional working knowledge of other languages is important in today’s changing world and that English is just not enough.
The professor makes many valuable points in his presentation. The world today is marked by conflicts and migration on a large scale. Military presence and success in a foreign country depends on the knowledge of not only the local terrain but also the local language and culture. Knowing the local language would help a lot in decision making and also ensure that important details are not lost in translation. He is also right when he says that ENglish is not enough as businesses across the world are outsourced and there is huge competition for limited jobs. Knowledge of another language increases competitiveness as well as increases the mobility of the candidate. Expecting people all over the world to speak the English language is also not possible as there is a global power shift and English might not be the most used language around the world. Knowing more than one language and having the professional competence to read, write, understand and do business in different languages will make a global citizen who can converse and move around with ease across the world. Large cities across the world have migrant communities from all over and it helps that a few people in the administration are able to speak at least one foreign language. Thus the professor makes convincing arguments and is right when he says that English is not enough.
Works Cited
Stony Brook Italian Studies. “Why English is Not Enough - Nigel Vincent.” Online video clip. Youtube. Youtube, 24 Mar. 2015. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
