In countries like the Philippines, the English language is seen as a mark of status. It means you’re well-educated, that you had the money and the resources to speak English well. Everyone knows at least a little bit of English, actually—it’s a hard language to avoid, what with Western media being internationally recognized. The better you are at speaking English, the better your chance at getting a well-paying job.

I’ve encountered many American tourists who immediately expected the natives to understand English, to accommodate them. According to statistics, only 20% of Americans speak more than one language, yet these tourists expect the rest of the world to understand English, but fail to be understanding towards other languages. According to the Ethnologue, there are roughly 7,111 distinct languages spoken in the entire world. What makes English superior?

The answer is easy. One could argue that the English language is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, which means that, naturally, everyone should learn how to speak it. English is indeed a globalized language, and many professionals would consider English literacy as a measure of intelligence. While English is a complex language with an advanced structure, these factors should not be allowed to demean or diminish the value of other languages. The elitism of English speakers is what leads to the ridicule of multilinguals who speak in accented English, and limits capable professionals from finding work because of a lack of English proficiency.

Languages become powerful because of the people who speak them. Westernization of the global hemisphere has caused English to be widespread, to give power to the people who speak the language and insist that others speak it. But this globalization of English, while it does connect the world, is bad news for many indigenous tongues. The importance of learning English for better opportunities overtakes the preservation of native languages. UNESCO states that a total of about 577 native languages are now critically endangered. Schools in the Philippines and other countries are scrapping the teaching of native dialects and replacing them with advanced English classes.

Language is rooted in culture. Cultural identity is rooted in the understanding of language. Without language, how can we be expected to fully understand our culture? We must work to preserve our native tongues. We must undo the stigma of foreign accents, the taboo of speaking a language other than English. We must encourage preservation over assimilation, before it’s too late.