英语语言推广的权力之争——20世纪以来英美海外语言推广的合作与竞争

Conflicts of Power Hidden in English Language Promotion ——Corporation and Competition Between Britain and America in English Overseas Promotion Since the 20th Century

英语的全球化历经了英美两国语言推广的合作与竞争,其本质是英语语言推广背后的权力之争。语言的社会属性和文化特征共同决定了语言推广与权力之间的双向联系:语言推广依赖于权力,除了通过殖民者的强权推广外,其成效还取决于语言接纳者的个体选择,这与语言领有者的"权力"直接关联;语言推广服务于权力,通过意识形态渗透和间接经济功能,语言推广巩固着国家的"硬权力",其产生的文化效益又服务于国家的"软权力"。

The globalization of English has experienced the corporation and competition in English overseas promotion between Britain and America,the essence of which is power conflicts hidden in language promotion.There exists a two-way circular connection between language promotion and power,which is determined by the social attributes and cultural identity of a language.On the one hand,the act of language promotion relies on power.In addition to the mandatory promotion by the colonists,the effectiveness of language promotion depends on the individual preference of language recipients,which is directly related to the power of language possessors.On the other hand,the act of language promotion serves power.It consolidates the hard power of a nation by ideological infiltration and indirect economic functions,and also strengthens the soft power of a nation by its cultural benefits.