English as a sign of progress

Abstract

The discourse around the English language almost invariably makes use
of positive ascriptions to describe it. English is often associated with
modernity, technology and progress. By implication other languages lack
these properties or are inferior. Most of the linguistic loans that currently
come into Brazilian Portuguese originate exactly in the English language,
through the United States, country on which Brazil depends both
economically and technologically. This paper focuses on a public opinion
survey carried out in Tangará da Serra, in the state of Mato Grosso,
which shows how the local people associate English with notions of
technology and modernity.