science

Linguistic Imperialism

Linguistic Imperialism is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Linguistic Imperialism rather than just read about it. In short: Linguistic Imperialism is a book written by Robert Phillipson, research professor at Copenhagen Business School's Department of English, published in 1992 by Oxford University Press. In Linguistic Imperialism, Phillipson argues that Western countries have used English as a tool of imperialism to dominate colonies and former colonies.

Key takeaways

Linguistic Imperialism belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Linguistic Imperialism to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Linguistic Imperialism from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Linguistic Imperialism is a book written by Robert Phillipson, research professor at Copenhagen Business School's Department of English, published in 1992 by Oxford University Press. In Linguistic Imperialism, Phillipson argues that Western countries have used English as a tool of imperialism to dominate colonies and former colonies. He further explores the ideologies transmitted through the English language. The book was followed by Linguistic Imperialism Continued, first published by Routledge in 2010.

See also Cultural imperialism English as a lingua franca Hegemony Linguistic imperialism

References

Sources

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Linguistic Imperialism

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Linguistic Imperialism claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Linguistic Imperialism before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Linguistic Imperialism ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Linguistic Imperialism

In research: Linguistic Imperialism appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Linguistic Imperialism in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Linguistic Imperialism is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1992 non-fiction books, Applied linguistics, Books about education, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Linguistic Imperialism outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Linguistic Imperialism in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Linguistic Imperialism means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Linguistic Imperialism out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Linguistic Imperialism in simple terms?

Why does Linguistic Imperialism matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Linguistic Imperialism?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Linguistic Imperialism.