Author: Dr. Masadul Islam
DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.70798/PP/020400027
Abstract: There is no denying that the hegemonic diffusion of American soft power and linguistic imperialism across the globe have exerted a formidable influence in the last few decades. American English has become a global vernacular. This phenomenon has precipitated profound socio-linguistic transformations and challenges across diverse linguistic landscapes. While India continues to bear the historical legacy of the colonial variety of British English, the pervasive infiltration of American English into the realm of pragmatic usages is beyond anyone’s doubt. This incursion is fuelled by the persuasive linguistic styles embedded in digital platforms, pop culture, social media, imperatives of prosaic communication in the corporate world, software interfaces, and the broader internet discourse, which collectively channelize for (rather ‘impose’) the dissemination of American linguistic norms and cultural paradigms. It has redefined linguistic preferences, particularly among younger generations who are more exposed to globalized social media and prioritize proficiency in American English. It also has introduced a palpable tension and a cognitive dissonance between the deep-rooted British linguistic traditions and the emerging Americanized linguistic norms.
This paper investigates the socio-cultural and linguistic colonization of American English over Indian English during the last twenty-five years, resulting in the linguistic transformation, identity crisis and dilemmas in English use. Ultimately, the Indian English users are in a hangout whether to preserve the Indian English or adopt American English as a status symbol of modernity and to take advantage of and be a part of the digital revolution. The paper also examines the stylistic changes like lexical, phonological, grammatical and syntactic shifting in Indian English resulting from linguistic aggression of the American counterpart, and the socio- cultural implications of this transformation. It will focus on the distinctive nature of American English from vocabulary, spelling, pronunciation, and idiomatic perspectives and how it has permeated the younger generation, urban, and digitally conscious people. Through the analysis of these dynamics, the study foregrounds the challenging issues arising to the Indian English teachers and learners in balancing this linguistic duality.
Keywords: American English, encroachment, British English, linguistic transformation, digital media, colonization.
Page No: 192-200