Does language define class?

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"English isn't just a language in this country, it's a class." I was struck by this line in the movie Hindi Medium (2017).  

While Indian films have been long-neglected in China's film market, they have recently become increasingly popular for Chinese moviegoers. 

Since many of my friends recommended the movie, and it has come in second for daily box office earning for days, I decided to give it a try. While I didn't particularly like the movie, I agreed with the heroine's viewpoint about English and its association with class in India. I thought to myself that this is also true in China. 

There was a time, a few years ago, that having English names and chatting with a combination of Chinese and English words would seem to raise a person's "level." 

This might also be due to the influence of Hong Kong TV dramas, which were very popular in the Chinese mainland in the 1990s. At that time, Hong Kong was seen as a more developed area than the rest of China, and the way people there talked and dressed were trends to follow. 

However, while people no longer worship the style in Hong Kong, those who know English are still being admired. It is different from the admiration toward a person who is an expert in certain field, but well-spoken English seems to put a person in a higher class in other people's eyes. This is seen more in second- and third-tier cities where less people know English.

English ability lifting one's image can also be seen in many other cases in China. For example, a bilingual kindergarten is often favored over a Chinese kindergarten among parents, who are willing to pay much higher tuition fees to make sure their kids speak English from an early age. If a shop, a brand or even a title of a book have some English words alongside the Chinese name, it makes them seem higher end. Also, eating Western food such as steak, pizza and even fries is seen as higher end than eating roast duck.   

While English is the doorstep toward a "higher level" of class, knowing French and German as well would advance one even more. But not all foreign languages are seen in this way. In general, major languages in Europe and North America are on the top of the list. 

This article was published on the Global Times Metropolitan section Two Cents page, a space for reader submissions, including opinion, humor and satire. The ideas expressed are those of the author alone, and do not represent the position of the Global Times.

Source: Global Times

http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1097271.shtml

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