How Language Teachers Can Save Us From Autocrats – OpEd
Who will save us from the global drift to authoritarianism? Language teachers are the unlikely heroes to save democracy. Politicians are using words in an increasingly confusing manner, thus making it difficult for voters to choose. People are voting for ideas that are nothing more than vague concepts wrapped as imitation concrete. Personas have taken over from the person. A better understanding of language is needed to clear through the muddle and restore some semblance of democracy’s ideal, a government by the people for the people.
Autocrats are generally great at using language to manipulate the populace. Appealing, simple use of language and referring to the common man despite not knowing who is or what is an ordinary man. Autocrats aim to be a father figure for the forlorn. Simple rally cries are the gels that lubricate the slide to a state of mental submission. Logic and reason become too complex and an anathema to the apparent ease of masking possibilities. Vague words, misused words, pronouns, and so on are the everyday tools of destruction. No wonder, in the USA and other countries, humanities and liberal arts are the first to be targeted as elitist and woke. The language of autocrats is deceptively simple and thus dangerous.
Vague words
Ask anyone the meaning of woke, and you will get various answers. Dictionaries, too, need help with defining the word. Woke means I disagree with you and cannot specify why. Those who watch US news would have seen many politicians unable to define the word even when using it themselves. Not just woke, but millions, many, a lot and so on. Not researched numbers. Language teachers usually say to use specific words with specific meanings in the context of the sentence. Communicate so the receiver understands. Yet, for autocrats, it is okay if the receiver does not understand clearly because the meaning can be adjusted later.
Misused words
Alternative facts are not facts but a personal perspective. Yet the phrase has been used along with terms like equality, fairness and reform to mean the opposite of what the word means.Freedom House listed democracy as the autocrats’ favourite word. Accountability, transparency and freedom are not on the list. Words are not being redefined but misused. Language teachers would point out meaning changes over time with societal agreement, so use words as understood by standard definitions. However, democracy’s definition of a people’s voice is still valid. Discrediting ideas and replacing them with associated words such as popular does not change the meaning but highlights misuse and deception.
Pronouns
They, them, us and so on are codes for groups that can be ambiguous. All great stories have an obstacle to be crossed. Autocrats use this idea, pitting one group against the other. “They are taking away our job” is a familiar trope. Yet who is “they” is rarely defined. Catch-all phrases such as immigrants and foreigners are used, ignoring the fact that many of the population are descendants of immigrants and foreigners. Many a language teacher would say to be specific and use nouns, not pronouns. Yet autocrats do not let the truth get in the way of a good story (for themselves).
Confusion is an autocrat’s smoke screen of action while accumulating wealth and power. Blaming someone or using religious references, oversimplification and claiming credit are forms of inward and outward messaging to appeal to different groups—the possibility of mixed messages. By manipulating words, there is a message that connects to anyone and means anything. The receiver feels addressed with a broad social message. Their group is being led. Details of where and how are for later; just believe the leader. Loyalty matters.
Reading and understanding how words are used is vital for the population. Books promote possibilities that can reframe views and introduce skepticism. Hence, autocratic regimes promote banning books. Institutions that promote reading, the classics, logic and critical thinking need support. While the press may be labelled as biased with some validity, a vibrant press, along with libraries and humanities departments, facilitates awareness of language use. Sadly, social media’s focus on visual content may be evolving as the main facilitator of autocracy despite the initial Facebook uprisings and governments’ interests. Reading builds countries.
Understanding language and the language of autocracy is crucial in stopping the tide of authoritarianism. We need a campfire where we can bond with a common language and understanding. This campfire of sorts exists in language classes.
As the Trinidadian calypsonian sang, “With words, any dam fool can rule this world.” Let that choice of fool be clear.
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