English Language Imperialism on The Church of Please and Thank You

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English Language Imperialism
The article by Julie Traves titled The Church of Please and Thank You explains how teaching English as a foreign language implies changing the culture and identity of the learners. Secondly, Traves explores how EFL acts as a means of globalization, which causes several detriments. Trave’s view of EFL is that it causes a new form of imperialism where the English language is used as a tool to dominate the world and spread Western culture. Therefore, the question arises: What is the overarching message Traves sends about globalization, and how does it endanger cultural diversity and identity? Traves considers globalization as a means of undermining the cultural diversity and uniqueness of EFL speakers. By linking EFL to the Christian missionaries and by using the idea of the colonization era, Traves reveals that globalization is a new form of imperialism propagated through the English language.
Before exploring the two reasons, it is essential to summarize the article's main point. Traves states that "the growth of English putting words into students…" (22). This concept means that English entirely replaced foreign languages, equivalent to changing their identities. In this case, the picture painted by these words is that of one culture replacing another through language. In essence, the article argues that teaching the English language is accompanied by teaching the context in which the learners speak words. Traves expresses that such an approach means teaching culture (22). Therefore, globalization appears to be a deliberate effort to assimilate foreign cultures into western cultures and use assimilation as a means to dominate the world. While these initial remarks effectively summarize the message, individuals can argue that the references to colonialism and Christian missionaries are the most potent elements in conveying the message,
Traves uses Christian missionaries to illustrate how the English language is globalized. Traves described the Christian missionaries as “…many are young, have blind faith in the beliefs they’ve grown with and are eager to make their mark on the world” (22). The drive to make a mark on the world motivated these individuals. However, digging deeper into the nature and practices of these missionaries could reveal that their primary goal was to replace the faiths and beliefs of foreigners with their own. Such behavior is attributable to imperialistic tendencies and ideas that Christianity is...