Linguistic Nazism

This article examines issues of language policy in the context of the global dominance of the English language. The aggressive spread of English was historically rooted in the racial policies of Britain and the United States, beginning in the 18th century. Over the past two centuries, the international expansion of English, pursued by the political leadership of these nations, has led to linguistic discrimination against other peoples and cultures. The origins of this policy lie in an ideology based on racial segregation and the belief in the superiority of one race over all others. By analogy, the dominance of English as a global means of communication has resulted in the suppression or destruction of national languages. This phenomenon can be described as linguistic Nazism. As the United States expanded its zones of influence, it imposed English as the dominant language among colonized populations. English became a tool of colonial policy and the standard in education systems. The article also explores the methods developed for teaching English to immigrants beginning in the 19th century. Methods that became foundational for the global dissemination of the language. A key role in this process was played by the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), the largest Protestant missionary organization of the time. The YMCA developed an English language teaching method for immigrants that was based on a restrictive approach that erased essential concepts such as native-language knowledge and national culture. In Russia, the teaching of foreign languages since the 1990s has been based on Anglo-American methods that introduced Protestant educational principles based on the rejection of one’s native language and culture. This aggressive imposition of Western standards in language instruction has led to the impoverishment of the Russian language and, in many cases, to the erosion of traditional values among students.