Le implicazioni dell’uso globale della lingua inglese. Premessa al saggio di R. Nagar e D. Faust

Abstract

My choice to translate the essay by R. Nagar and D. Faust into Italian is motivated by the fact that the Indian situation they describe can be paradigmatic of the today's global context: the same linguistic and cultural pluralism and therefore the same pragmatic need to communicate beyond national borders, which have contributed to the spread of English throughout the Indian subcontinent, characterise the present global context, leading to the creation of a world class structure based on the competence in English, with the consequent marginalisation of those who don't speak the language. The socio-cultural implications - the loss of other languages and cultures - inherent in the use of English for international communication may represent an interesting issue for Italian scholars who cannot have access to the original language. My contribution is intended to provide a historical background to R. Nagar and D. Faust's essay.