The Imperviousness of English

This chapter explores in detail the unassailable and impervious position that English—a language used by just around four million people only four centuries ago—has come to enjoy in the modern world globally, and some of the factors that aided its rise. It discusses the topic of Subalternity in detail. It touches on English having become the gauge of social class and competence, and the academic elitism and linguistic insecurity that it promotes. The use of English as a first language among global elites adds to its powerful status and is unpacked, along with elite closure. Nativization-Indigenization-Englishization looks at the impact of English on vernacular and vice versa, as well as loanwords, romanized texting, and collocations. The role of English in social reproduction and hegemony building is also discussed.