Will Banning Foreign Abbreviations Help?

From early April, China’s national broadcaster CCTV banned the use of borrowed English abbreviations such as NBA, GDP,WTO and CPI in all its programs. The move was launched in line with a government directive after several national legislators and political advisors called for the preservation of the Chinese language’s purity.

However, many opponents to the ban say it is difficult to deliberately exclude foreign abbreviations from Chinese people’s daily life. They believe these words have already become part of the Chinese language and to accept them reflects the Chinese language’s strong tolerance. A partial or blanket ban on foreign abbreviations would limit the source of new words and the vitality of the Chinese language and, at the same time, would also have an effect on the expression of ideas.

Li Yuming, a senior official with the State Language Commission, which is an agency to formulate standards for the Chinese language and is responsible for their implementation, holds a cautious attitude to the use of words made up of foreign letters. He said he hopes to satisfy people’s desire to be able to express themselves, and also that the abbreviations and acronyms could be soon made into actual Chinese words.

Ma Qingzhu, a professor at Tianjin-based Nankai University, said there was a need for the moderate use of English abbreviations but now too many of these words were being used.

Tolerance

Qin Ning (Beijing Times): If the media shy away from foreign abbreviations, in my opinion, there are two major reasons—preserving the purity of the Chinese language and exempting their audiences from strange foreign expressions.

Neither of these two reasons is persuasive. If they want to do so in order to protect the Chinese language, then it implies a lack of con fi dence. Today, cultural communication around the world frequently makes use of foreign abbreviations. Language is a fl owing river. As long as people can accept them,we do not need to ban foreign abbreviations.

Nan Qiao (Oriental Morning Post):Languages’ integration is a very complicated process and it’s irrational to impose a simple ban on certain words.

If foreign words are forbidden, the IT industry is likely to take the hardest blows.Technology is moving forward every passing day and new words emerge one after another.Most languages, like German, use English words directly. This makes international communication easier.

The ban on foreign abbreviations has gone too far. How to use imported abbreviations is the media’s business, which does not need administrative interference. It’s better for media organizations to decide their own preferences.For example, The New York Times has its own stylebook, detailing how to use abbreviations and so on. It’s better for linguists and scholars in media, publishing and translation sectors to push forward the process, instead of the government’s rigid ban.

If government departments are strongminded about defending Chinese from foreign languages’ incursion, they will win. Nonetheless, is this fight worthwhile?Countries may enter wars because of interest con fl icts, but languages should not be set up against each other.

He Renyong (www.tianjinwe.com):Modern life is going on at a fast pace and the media have to impart information in limited formats and time. As a result, popular foreign abbreviations such as NBA, CPI, GDP and WTO are used frequently. Although these words are made up of only three letters,they are able to deliver meaning that several Chinese characters are unable to. I think, this is the main reason TV broadcasters either in China or abroad prefer such abbreviations.

For a foreign abbreviation to survive and spread, it must first be accepted by media organizations and their audiences. If not, it will only be used in limited areas. Whether these abbreviations should stay or go does not depend on our will, but operates in accordance with the rules of communication.

Linghu Buchong (Nanfang Weekend):A language is great, not because of its purity,but because of its tolerance to other languages. Chinese is so rich and beautiful because it constantly absorbs words, abbreviations and phrases from other languages. In ancient times, imported words were thoroughly changed into Chinese but today foreign words coexist with Chinese. Either way, we fi nd it acceptable.

It’s totally unnecessary to fear about the disappearance of Chinese if we allow English to mix with Chinese.

Languages need to be standardized, but unlike characters, standardization should not be carried out through administrative orders.

Wei Yaochuan (Global Times): To some extent, the ability to absorb foreign words implies a language’s vitality. Some ideas are dif fi cult to express explicitly in Chinese, while foreign words fully display the linguistic and cultural features of these ideas, making talk and communication easier.

Then, does preventing incursions of foreign words surely preserve our own language and culture? Probably not. English is now a global language. It is a strong means of English-speaking countries to spread their culture. Even English, the language itself, has become a lucrative business. Behind all of this,is this language’s strong tolerance. English seems never to refuse imported words, from French to Latin, Chinese and Japanese. These foreign words, instead of affecting English’s independent development, are helping this language to spread more widely.

The impact of borrowed words on our mother tongue is not simply positive nor negative. It is a matter of how convenient the language is and how popular it will become.Many Chinese are learning English and, actually, good command of English will make it easier for us to spread Chinese culture and boost our communication with the rest of the world. In the con fl icts of languages and cultures, the primary task is to take advantage of the parts that are useful to us.

China is stepping up efforts to encourage foreigners to learn Chinese, and more Chinese words will enter other languages.Nearly 1,000 words that come directly from the Chinese language have been collected into authoritative English dictionaries. If we build up barriers on our side, it’s obviously harmful to mutual communication.

Like anything else, “the fittest survive”also applies to languages and they manage to survive and develop thanks to man’s efforts and their functions.

Purity

Li Guohui (www.tianjinwe.com): It is true that people often read and hear foreign abbreviations like NBA, CBA, GDP, WTO and CPI in an era of the explosion of information.But how many people can explain accurately what these expressions stand for?

As information is upgraded quickly,readers tend to be satisfied with wordfor-word scanning of what they read and exploiting only content that is useful and practical. This reading habit has been fueling popularity of the use of abbreviations in the media. In the long run, reading without thinking will discourage Chinese people from really understanding Western culture.

Undoubtedly, some foreign abbreviations have become useful symbols for many people.However, they are still “Greek” to some older people who don’t follow the news and don’t speak a foreign language. If these abbreviations are used without Chinese explanations,wouldn’t it be unfair to this group of people?

Since abbreviations are cultural symbols,limiting the use of foreign abbreviations or adding a Chinese explanation can serve popularization of culture.

As a large number of words from foreign languages and Internet buzz words invented by young people are fi nding their way into the Chinese language, how to protect our mother tongue will become a signi fi cant challenge.

Fu Zhenguo (www.people.com.cn):It is worrying how Chinese people’s craze for learning English has lowered necessary safeguards against the infiltration of English language into Chinese. If the phenomenon is not stopped, Chinese will be gradually reduced from an independent expression system to a mixture of languages. The status of Chinese as an embodiment of and the basis of the 5,000-year-old Chinese culture will be shaken.

English is without doubt a dominant language in today’s world. New English words that closely follow new social trends spread fast and wide. Since government departments failed to give authoritative translations of these words to the public in the context of constant social communication in a timely way, many new English words have appeared in Chinese publications without being translated. Blending Chinese with English in publications and press is very harmful as they are models of language use and historical records—as well as a means of public communication.

It is impossible to keep Chinese immune to the influence of English. On one hand,the government shouldn’t interfere with individuals’ use of foreign languages. On the other hand, the government should monitor the proper use of the Chinese language in official documents and by media organizations. Although language is a dynamic and open system, we shouldn’t abandon basic standardization rules.

Huang Wenwei (Global Times): The media is deeply engaged in the ongoing Westernization of Chinese language. Some TV program anchormen and anchorwomen love inserting into their speeches a few English words thinking it is fashionable,ignoring whether the audiences understand them or not.

The Internet is now filled with newly coined Chinese words that contain English letters. One survey shows words with letters account for 9 percent of the total of Chinese words.

Chinese is not alone in facing the infiltration of the English language. Many linguists in Japan have also pointed out the deepening Westernization of Japanese used by young people. They are worried about the appearance of an increase of English words in spoken and written Japanese, making the language nondescript.

Many people might say that the same trend in Japanese proves Westernization of languages is a symbol of globalization. It is true that accelerated globalization enables different cultures to integrate, but it is necessary to maintain linguistic independence and purity, because language is a source of a nation’s culture. Pollution and in fi ltration of other languages will damage the fl avor and inheritance of a culture. Spoken and written Chinese and its grammar have all faced the challenge of Westernization. In the long term, the young generation’s Chinese comprehension and writing skills might become compromised.

Cultural openness shouldn’t sacrifice traditions. Language, as part of a culture,is an important component of a country’s overall strength. The government should be responsible for preventing the Westernization of Chinese and maintaining its purity. The media should also become role models in this drive. ■

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