[OPINION] The Month of Language: (British) English only, please

'To me, it was as if our British colleagues were saying that the English I spoke and wrote in was inferior to theirs. That it wouldn’t do, it wasn’t valid, and it had to be rectified...'

Something that became real to me recently is the idea that if you know a language to a degree that it’s part of who you are, then you own that language as much as anyone else who knows it does – even people of the country where that language came from.

The option was new to me because most other international publications I previously worked for used one of either style and forbade the other. I appreciated the inclusivity, and as a true postcolonial child of the Philippines, I chose to write in the American style because it came more naturally to me. For instance, I call the metal used in aircraft “aluminum,” not “aluminium.”

Here’s the rub: because Manila is seven hours ahead of London , this last-minute back-and-forth tended to happen close to my and myvideo editor’s midnight. Of course, subtitle “errors” weren’t the only thing our British colleagues were watching for, but there were a few times when our verticals were held back just because it said, for example, “labor” instead of “labour.”

I felt hurt. I felt belittled. In wokespeak, I felt “othered.” To me, it was as if our British colleagues were saying that the English I spoke and wrote in was inferior to theirs. That it wouldn’t do, it wasn’t valid, and it had to be rectified, even if my video editor and I had to lose sleep doing so.

How do you then make them comprehend that the rule that might seem trivial to them is triggering 500 years of colonial trauma in you, so if they could please just be cool about it? Could you tell colleagues you’ve only met online that you have a personal issue with their policy, and then expect them to still regard you professionally? Would they even give you the time?

We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

rapplerdotcom /  🏆 4. in PH

Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Canada to deploy military in British Columbia to tackle fast-spreading firesPrime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government will offer support from the Canadian military 'to help with evacuations, staging,' and other logistical tasks in response to a request from the British Columbia government
Read more »

Thought LeadersOpinion pieces and analyses by academics, policy makers, and other top authorities.
Read more »

British Muslims say UK banks ruin many lives with debanking policies | Aisha S. Gani / Bloomberg NewsWhen former postman Iqeel Ahmed told staff at his local Halifax branch he couldn’t feed his family because he was locked out of his account, they asked whether he had tried the nearest food bank. For six weeks after his card was first declined—trying to buy takeaway chicken before a…
Read more »

British child-killer nurse given whole-life prison sentenceLONDON, United Kingdom - A British nurse was jailed for life on Monday, with no prospect of release, for murdering seven newborn babies and attempting to kill six others while they were in her care.
Read more »

[OPINION] On the deletion of Mother Tongue in the Matatag K-10 Curriculum'Unlike many politicians and economists who view languages in education as a cost and problem, educators recognize that languages and funds of knowledge...are valuable resources...'
Read more »

UK child-killer nurse facing life sentenceLondon, United Kingdom - A British nurse will be sentenced on Monday for murdering seven newborn babies and attempting to
Read more »