Counter the Fascism of English: A Study of the Dissemination of the Chinese Language From the Perspective of Language and Power

Bingtian ZHANG

Abstract


Language is not just a means of communication, but also a symbol of power. On account of the dominance of English-speaking countries in modern times, English has become the lingua franca, the media of international exchanges and the carrier of multiculturalism. With the rising of China’s economy and its increasing international status, it has become imperative to ponder over how to inherit, develop and disseminate the Chinese language which carries the long history and culture of the Chinese nation in the context of the dominance of English, so as to enhance China’s cultural soft power and safeguard China’s discourse power. The protection of national languages as well as the proper treatment of English is a common responsibility and obligation of the whole international community. Globalization is not equal to unification of cultures. Multiculturalism is not just the basis of ecological development of human languages, but also a guarantee of inheriting and developing the diversity of human civilization.


Keywords


Language; Power; Chinese; Communication; Multiculturalism

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/9615

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