The Geopolitics of Language, From Russian to Chinese


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Key Arguments

The article focuses on the often-overlooked role of language as a tool of imperialism and explores the geopolitical implications of language conflicts across different regions.

Examples

  • Russophone Central Asia: The war in Ukraine has fueled a linguistic backlash, with young people embracing their native tongues.
  • Tibet: The Tibetan diaspora works to preserve its language amidst growing Chinese oppression.
  • Haiti: Despite 90% of Haitians speaking Haitian Creole, education predominantly utilizes French, raising questions about linguistic policy.
  • Latvia: The nation's attempt to bolster cultural cohesion through language reform risks triggering a backlash.

Overall Message

The world needs to move away from the dominance of imperial languages, acknowledging the importance of linguistic diversity and cultural preservation. The ongoing language conflicts underscore the powerful role of language in shaping geopolitical dynamics.

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In the coming weeks, Flash Points will have a new name: The Reading List. Expect continued curated guides to the best articles in the magazine. Each Sunday, I’ll take you on a little tour through our archives; on Wednesdays, my colleague Audrey Wilson will send out a companion email to help you navigate trends in the current news cycle.

For now, let’s turn to a subject that is often overlooked in headlines of war and conquest: the imperial tool of language. The in-depth essays and reporting below explore the geopolitics of ongoing fights over language, shedding light on the cultural and linguistic dimensions of imperialism and resistance, both past and present.

In the coming weeks, Flash Points will have a new name: The Reading List. Expect continued curated guides to the best articles in the magazine. Each Sunday, I’ll take you on a little tour through our archives; on Wednesdays, my colleague Audrey Wilson will send out a companion email to help you navigate trends in the current news cycle.

For now, let’s turn to a subject that is often overlooked in headlines of war and conquest: the imperial tool of language. The in-depth essays and reporting below explore the geopolitics of ongoing fights over language, shedding light on the cultural and linguistic dimensions of imperialism and resistance, both past and present.

Students sit at desks in a classroom.

Students attend Lagos University in Lagos, Nigeria, on March 10, 2016.Frédéric Soltan/Getty Images

The world is long overdue for the abandonment of the unstated but powerful hegemony that exists around the great imperial languages of centuries past.

A small market on Song Kul Lake, Kyrgyzstan.

A small market on Song Kul Lake, Kyrgyzstan, in July 2024. Haley Zehrung photos for Foreign Policy

The war in Ukraine is leading to a linguistic backlash in Russophone Central Asia as young people embrace their mother tongues.

A Tibetan prayer flag

An undated image of a Tibetan prayer flag at the Pema Osel Ling retreat center in California. Godong/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The diaspora is preserving Tibetan as Chinese oppression grows at home.

Students look at booklets at their desks on the first day back to school at the National School of Tabarre in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince on Sept. 5, 2016.

Students look at booklets at their desks on the first day back to school at the National School of Tabarre in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince on Sept. 5, 2016.HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images

Around 90 percent of Haitians speak only Haitian Creole. So why is school mostly conducted in French?

 
About 500 pupils and their parents protest against the language education reform in front of the parliament in Latvia on Feb 10, 2005.

About 500 pupils and their parents protest against the language education reform in front of the parliament in Latvia on Feb 10, 2005. ILMARS ZNOTINS/AFP via Getty Images

The Baltic nation is taking cultural cohesion into its own hands—and risking backlash.

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