ASL/ALS CLASS 12 ENGLISH PROJECT

CBSE CLASS 12 ENGLISH PROJECT ON LINGUISTIC CHAUVINISM

1. Acknowledgement



I, _______________________, of class
XII of Sachdeva Public School (Rohini),
do hereby declare that this project is my
original work. I extend my appreciation
and gratitude to my English teacher, for
her wholehearted support and guidance
for the successful completion of the
project.
Name of the student: _____________

2. Certificate

This is to certify that the project entitled
<Topic of Project> is authentic work carried
out under my supervision as part of the
CBSE curriculum of class XII ENGLISH and
that it is as per the guidelines issued by
CBSE. To the best of my knowledge, the
project is original, and a bona fide work
undertaken by <name>.

Name of English Teacher:
Signature:

3. OBJECTIVE


THIS PROJECT IS BASED ON LINGUISTIC
CHAUVINISM INSPIRED BY THE THEME OF
“THE LAST LESSON” –BY ALPHONSE
DAUDET. THE OBJECTIVES OF SELECTING
THIS TOPIC ARE:

• EXPLAINING LINGUISTIC CHAUVINISM

• HIGHLIGHTING THE IMPORTANCE OF
LANGUAGE

• DESCRIBE THE CONCEPT OF FREEDOM
OF SPEECH AND EXPRESSION

• RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LANGUAGE
AND CULTURE

• HISTORICAL EVENTS WHEN FREEDOM OF
SPEECH AND EXPRESSION WERE
THREATENED

4. ACTION PLAN

DURING FIRST TERM WE WERE INFORMED
ABOUT THE PROJECT AND OUTLINE WAS
PROVIDED ALTHOUGH DETAILED
INFORMATION REGARDING THE FORMAT
WAS PROVIDED AFTER TERM -I EXAMINATION,
WHICH GAVE AMPLE TIME TO PLAN ABOUT
HOW TO PROCEDE WITH THE PROJECT.
AFTER THAT DIFFERENT TOPICS BASED ON
WHICH PROJECT CAN BE PREPARED WERE
PROVIDED AND FINALISED . FURTHER
RESEARCH REGARDING THE TOPIC WAS
DONE, A QUESTIONNAIRE WAS MADE AND
RESPONSES WERE RECEIVED. ALL THE
INFORMATION COLLECTED EITHER FROM
INTERNET OR QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSES
WAS COMBINED AND A DRAFT WAS
PREPARED AND SUBMITTED. AFTER MAKING
SOME ADJUSTMENTS, APPROVAL FROM THE
TEACHER WAS RECEIVED AND THIS
PROJECT WAS COMPLETED .

5. INDEX
• ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
• CERTIFICATE
• OBJECTIVE
• ACTION PLAN
• INTRODUCTION
• CONCEPT OF LINGUISTIC
CHAUVINISM
• IMPORTANCE OF LANGUAGE
• QUESTIONNAIRE
• HISTORICAL EVENTS WHEN
LINGUISTIC IDENTITY WAS
THREATENED
▪ FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR (1870)
▪ JAPANESE INVASION OF KOREA
(1910-1945)
▪ ANNEXATION OF TIBET BY
PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
(1951)
• CONCLUSION
• STUDENT REFLECTION
• BIBLIOGRAPHY

6. INTRODUCTION

Freedom of speech is a principle that supports
the freedom of an individual or a community to
articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of
retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right
to freedom of expression has been recognised as
a human right in the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights and international human rights law
by the United Nations. Many countries have
constitutional law that protects free speech. The
freedom of expression includes any activity of
seeking, receiving, and imparting information or
ideas, regardless of the medium used. Linguistic
chauvinism is a direct threat to freedom of
speech and expression as it restricts a particular
group/community from communicating in their
language and forcefully imposing a foreign
language on them. Incidents of linguistic
chauvinism have been witnessed many a time in
history in different areas of the world which will be
discussed in a later part of this project.

7. CONCEPT OF LINGUISTIC
CHAUVINISM
“Chauvinism” is a devotion for or against
something, just based on what you feel (not
necessarily what you may know). Linguistic
Chauvinism is the inordinate love for one’s
language. This love is so much strong that one
considers one’s language superior to all the other
languages of the world and imposes one language
on others. This theme is effectively brought out by
the writer Alphonse Daudet who teaches people to
hold on fast and guard their language which is the
key to their freedom and symbolizes their identity.
This happens generally when the language
imposed is that of the ruling class. But it could be
something as simple as Tamil speakers who start
talking in Tamil as soon as they see non-Tamilians
around or Japanese colonizers in the early 20
th

century who banned the Koreans from using their
language and even forced them to use Japanese
names. Also, sometimes it can lead to partition as
in the case of Pakistan and Bangladesh which
lead to the BENGALI LANGUAGE MOVEMENT
which resulted in the partition.

8. IMPORTANCE OF LANGUAGE
Language matters a great deal as this is what
helps to distinguish the sayings of one individual
from the other. If used efficiently it is a powerful
and strong weapon that will leave memorable
impressions on the listener. The importance of
language in our society is clear as it has helped to
smooth social contacts, preserve our culture and
convey our thoughts to individuals and people in
groups effectively. Language is considered an
important tool that helps to create cultural ties,
friendships, and relationships. It is a medium used
to offer shape to the thoughts, ideas and emotions
depending upon the perception of reality and
portray it to others in a manner that the people
listening can understand and relate to them. A
common language is a symbol of social solidarity
and gives the impression of cultural kinship. There
are different cultures in the world and it
themselves the language that primarily
distinguishes the differences between the cultures
and celebrates its unique features. The importance
of language is that it shapes the thought process
and perception of how an individual views the
world. It also helps to define the concept of culture
in society because culture and language are
closely connected. It is the language that helps

9. others to understand the culture of a place. It
conserves our culture and helps to spread it as a
culture carrier. When you know the language, it
signifies that you are aware of the culture and can
connect with people in that language.

10. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LANGUAGE
AND CULTURE

Learning about different cultures helps us
approach languages with new insight. It allows us
to delve deeper into the meaning of words and
expressions and helps us feel more connected to
each other. To fully appreciate a language, one
needs to understand the culture of the people who
speak it as they’re intrinsically connected. One
won’t fully master a language unless they
understand the culture, just like they will never fully
understand a culture until they have immersed
themself in a study of that language. This is
because language is constantly in flux and largely
dependent on the ever-evolving views, values and
customs of its speakers. The differences between
the two cultures are reflected perfectly in their
languages. Mastering the nuances of a language
means being able to understand people who grew
up with an entirely different set of values and
beliefs. Language affects the way we perceive the
world and therefore, it affects how we choose to
interact with it.

11. HISTORICAL EVENTS WHEN
LINGUISTIC IDENTITY WAS
THREATENED
• FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR (1870)

AFTER THE DEFEAT IN THE WAR PRUSSIA
GAINED THE CONTROL OF FRENCH DISTRICTS
ALSACE AND LORRAINE WHICH SERVED AS THE
CENTRES FOR THE PRUSSIAN ARMY DURING
THE WAR. DUE TO THE LARGE PRESENCE OF
PRUSSIAN SOLDIERS AND GAINING CONTROL
OF THESE DISTRICTS PRUSSIAN EMPIRE
STARTED IMPOSING ITS CULTURE AND
GERMAN LANGUAGE ON THE PEOPLE LIVING
HERE. ORDERS REGARDING TEACHING OF
ONLY THE GERMAN LANGUAGE IN SCHOOLS
WERE PASSED AND THOSE WHO KNEW HOW
TO READ AND WRITE FRENCH WERE FORCED
TO FLEE. THIS WAS DONE TO DEMEAN THE
FRENCH LANGUAGE AND TO CRUSH THE
SPIRITS OF THE NATIVE PEOPLE SO THEY
CAN’T REVOLT IN FUTURE AGAINST THE
PRUSSIAN HEGEMONY BECAUSE WHEN THE
PEOPLE ARE ENSLAVED, AS LONG AS THEY
HOLD FAST TO THEIR LANGUAGE IT IS AS IF
THEY HAD THE KEY TO THEIR PRISON.

12. • JAPANESE INVASION OF
KOREA (1910-1945)

AFTER THE ANNEXATION OF KOREA MANY
CHANGES WERE SEEN IN THE EDUCATION
SYSTEM OF KOREA. By 1939 Japan’s focus had
shifted towards cultural assimilation of the Korean
people Imperial Decree 19 and 20 on Korean Civil
Affairs went into effect, whereby ethnic Koreans
were forced to surrender their traditional use of the
clan-based Korean family name system and many
Koreans received a Japanese surname. Integration
of Korean students in Japanese language schools
steadily increased over time. While before this
schools in Korea had used mostly Hanja script,
during this time Korean came to be written in a
script introduced by the Japanese. In 1928, Hangul
Day (9 October) was inaugurated, which was
meant to celebrate the accelerating Japanization of
Korean culture. The Japanese administrative policy
shifted more aggressively towards cultural
assimilation after 1939. This left less room for
Korean language studies and by 1943 all Korean
language courses had been phased out. As a
result of which teaching and speaking Korean was
prohibited and whomsoever disobeyed these
orders were forced to migrate to China.

13. • ANNEXATION OF TIBET BY
PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
(1951)

AFTER THE ANNEXATION OF TIBET BY
CHINA(PRC) A LOT OF EFFORTS ARE
MADE TO SUPPRESS TIBETAN CULTURE
AND LANGUAGE. China initially implemented
a policy of dual-language education in Tibetan
areas but soon phased it out and started
imposing Mandarin Chinese. Nowadays
Tibetans’ devastating lack of economic
opportunity is inextricably related to language.
Tibetans who do not speak Chinese have no
access to well-paying jobs and on opposing
these policies the Tibetans are sent to
concentration camps located in the Xinjiang
region. The loss of the Tibetan language can
be linked to the loss of Tibetan Buddhism, a
treasure of Tibetan culture. People had
previously remembered Tibetan by reciting
religious chants, but once the chants were
banned, they inevitably lost the language.
The loss of language ability has led to the loss
of cultural and social ties within Tibetan
villages.

14. CONCLUSION

FROM THE FEW EXAMPLES MENTIONED
PREVIOUSLY IT IS CLEAR THAT
WHENEVER A NEW TERRITORY IS
CONQUERED BY A NATION, THE LEADERS
OF THAT NATION TRY TO SUPPRESS ANY
FUTURE UPRISING BY SEPARATING THE
PEOPLE FROM THEIR CULTURE AND
LANGUAGE AS THEY BOTH PLAY A VITAL
ROLE IN CREATING A FEELING OF
NATIONALISM. BY IMPOSING A FOREIGN
LANGUAGE DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, AN
INFERIORITY COMPLEX CAN BE CREATED
AMONG THE PEOPLE REGARDING THEIR
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE WHICH CAN BE
EXPERIENCED EVEN AFTER THAT
COUNTRY IS LIBERATED AND FREED.
THIS CAN BE SEEN IN CASE OF INDIA AS
EVEN AFTER 74 YEARS OF
INDEPENDENCE, ENGLISH LANGUAGE IS
SEEN AS A STATUS SYMBOL AMONG
INDIAN CITIZENS AND GIVEN A SUPERIOR
STATUS IN COMPARISON TO OTHER
INDIAN LANGUAGES SUCH AS SANSKRIT,
TAMIL, TELEGU, MALAYALAM, HINDI etc.
WHICH HAS RESULTED IN INDIAN YOUTH

15. NOT FEELING CONNECTED TO THEIR
ROOTS AND CULTURE. THIS SAME
PATTERN CAN BE SEEN IN OTHER
BRITISH AND AMERICAN COLONIES SUCH
AS SOUTH KOREA, JAPAN, AFRICA AND
VIETNAM. THUS, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT
FOR A COLONISED/ENSLAVED COUNTRY
TO PRESERVE ITS CULTURE BECAUSE AS
QUOTED BY ALPHONSE DAUDET –
“When the people are enslaved, as long as
they hold fast to their language it is as if they
had the key to their prison”.

16. STUDENT REFLECTION
THIS TOPIC HAS BEEN CHOSEN FOR THE
PROJECT AS THE EFFECTS OF LINGUISTIC
CHAUVINISM CAN BE SEEN IN MANY PARTS
OF THE WORLD WHICH DEVELOPED A
CURIOSITY TO EXPLORE MORE ABOUT THIS
TOPIC. ALTHOUGH IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT
TO FIND ANY INFORMATION RELATING TO
THE INCIDENTS OF LINGUISTIC CHAUVINISM
IN PAST AND PRESENT BECAUSE NO NATION
WANTS TO ADMIT THE ATROCITIES, THEY
HAD COMMITTED TOWARD THE RESIDENTS
OF DIFFERENT TERRITORIES THEY HAD
ANNEXED IN THE PAST. THIS PROJECT
PROVIDED A WHOLE NEW EXPERIENCE
BECAUSE, WHILE WORKING ON THIS
PROJECT, I CAME TO KNOW ABOUT THE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE LANGUAGE
AND THE CULTURE OF A REGION, THE
VARIOUS IMPACTS ON THE CULTURE OF A
REGION IF A FOREIGN LANGUAGE IS
IMPOSED THERE. IT ALSO HELPED ME TO
UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF
LANGUAGE AND THE RIGHT TO
COMMUNICATE IN THAT LANGUAGE FOR THE
PEOPLE OF A PARTICULAR REGION.

17. BIBLIOGRAPHY
• Wikipedia
• Fluentu.com
• Mycbseguide.com
• CLASS 12 ENGLISH TEXTBOOK FLAMINGO
• UCLA ASIA PACIFIC CENTRE