Summary of Salikoko Mufwene's Article

Salikoko Mufwene's article entitled, "Colonization, Globalization, and the Future of Languages in the Twenty-first Century", depicts language as a living organism which is affected by multiple factors like the socio-economic structure of the environment, the diversity of the population, and its overall use within society.  Mufwene argues that if these elements are not conducive, the language could evolve to reflect the more dominant form of communication or could become totally extinct.  Furthermore, Mufwene makes the argument that these alterations, known as "language shifts"are directly linked to colonization and the globalization of our society.  Within his article, Mufwene first begins by defining the concept of language and the fact that when two languages converge, a type of Darwinism takes over and the ultimate endurance of a language depends on a type of survival of the fittest.  In addition, Mufwene makes the distinction between a language shift and language loss, with one meaning adaption while the other means extinction, an act which Mufwene refers to as a type of "linguicide".

The article then goes on to describe the three types of colonization: trade, settlement, and exploitation.  Each one has their own various affects on the native language and population, beginning with gradual changes and then leading to a complete domination of the indigenous culture and a total shift in the way people communicate, ultimately transitioning to a type of "monolingualism".  Overall, Mufwene's article conveys the transition of language and how our current economic and trade shifts have lead to a transition from English being the dominant language to Chinese (Mandarin), which substantiates his claims concerning language and the fact that a particular language's "vitality depends on the communicative behaviors of their speakers, who in turn respond adaptively to changes in their socio-economic ecologies" (2002).