Socialism, multilingualism and language policy

Journal article

British socialists who came of age during the Thatcher era may remember the opening lines of a satirical number performed in the early 1980s by the ‘alternative’ comedian Alexei Sayle: ‘It’s not class or ideology/ Culture, creed or roots / The only thing that unites us/ Is Dr Marten’s boots’. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the English language has become the Dr Marten’s boots of political discourse on British national identity, security and social integration. The political class, the media and the public at large have united around a narrative that fosters increasing intolerance of the use of other languages, and increasing support for policies whose effect is to stigmatize and punish those who cannot or (allegedly) will not speak English. Here I consider how socialists might reframe the narrative, and why it is important to do so.

Authors: Cameron, D

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Raymond Williams Society
• Journal: Key Words
• Volume: 14
• Pages: 69-81
• Publication date: 2016-10-26
• Acceptance date: 2016-05-20
• ISSN: 1369-9725
• Language: English