By Musa Touray
Africans who dwell on the torturous past of slavery and colonialism find it hard to recognise the essence of a language that has long transcended its original shores. Deepening one’s intellectual quest through the continually universalised medium of communication is, to them, an acknowledgement of superiority some users have attached to the language.
This popular warped perception has dampened our commitment to the pursuit of the English language in a world where minimal mastery of it is a marketable accomplishment. Striving to learn and apply the basics of the language is not only weighed down by dissuasive forces of mediocrity but the process is often mischaracterised as a showy obsession with ‘big English.’ It’s time we broke free from this notion and joined the rest of the world to maximise our understanding of a globally sought-after commodity.
English is an epilanguage in most, if not all, spheres of life—scholarship, extraterrestrial research, scientific studies, diplomacy etc. An epilanguage is used as a means of expression for some purpose, such as those highlighted above. Major scientific discoveries and breakthrough publications have been made in English, even by scholars who use it as a second language and do not have the littlest anthropological affiliation with its native speakers.
“(Proficiency in) English is not a measure of intelligence” has become a central assertion in a section of non-native users’ undervaluation campaign against the language. Unless there exists nuanced definitions of the word beyond me, expressing oneself in any language, not just in English, is itself intelligence.
A hostile follower on X, formerly Twitter, challenged a renowned public affairs analyst to use English and buy fuel if his love affair with words was beneficial. “You may not want to hear this, sir,” replied the analyst, “but I make a living by writing proficient English.” This response clarified for a man who fell under the category of those in oblivion about the language’s incomparable marketability in the contemporary world. “I am paid for producing grammatically-decent content,” he added.
Using a language also means we should not hold the laws that govern it in contempt. As they obtain for man, rules ensure correct usage and fight off linguistic anarchy. This is one aspect most of us have ignored in making a living through the English language. For example, newspapers, a traditional platform for learning English, have become guilty of unforgivable solecisms.
The convenience of social media has given birth to a handful of commentators and self-styled journalists who exhibit a flagrantly terrible command of the language they choose to communicate. The urgent need to learn the basics of their preferred language is overshadowed by a desire to generate reactions and clout. With hundreds of thousands of followers, some pass off bruised grammar to an uncritical readership.
School-going enthusiasts of current affairs are bound to accept as grammatically flawless whatever they read in newspapers or press releases. This is supposed to be the case if the articles are subject to rigorous editorial scrutiny to establish facts and ensure that grammar rules are respected.
The growing popularity of English in non-anglophone domains is telling. While we continue to dismiss it as the colonisers’ tongue, others have recognised it as an indispensable language that serves transactional and communicative needs in ways and styles no other language does.
Musa Touray wrote from Sandu Kuwonku, The Gambia. He can be reached via musatouray970@gmail.com.