British Quote by Han Suyin
““And what do we do to fit our English-speaking Chinese, our docile and happy, our truly loyal servants, for the Asia of the future? We teach them English history: Henry the VIII, Elizabeth and Victoria, English geography, three-quarters of the book the British Isles, one quarter the rest of the world. literature, Lamb's Tales from Shakespeare and The Mill on the Floss, all in Basic, as they aren't to know the complexities of our tongue. We cut them from their own learning, their traditions; if that were cutting them off merely from the past, it wouldn't matter, but also and more dangerously, it cuts them from the present, and perhaps the future of Asia. With these happy eunuchs who are bound to us by their knowledge of English we run this country well as our colonial preserve. But we cannot pretend to think we can leave it to them to run it for themselves. All the revolutionaries in India were people who went back to their own literature and language. We'll see the same phenomenon here.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: The English Language in Asia, 1970
Imposing English education erodes native cultures, limiting present and future development.
In simple terms: Teaching only English harms local traditions and progress.
Preserve and teach native languages alongside English.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- curriculum design
- policy advocacy
- community language programs
- teacher training
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What strategies protect indigenous knowledge while learning English?
- How does language shape future possibilities?
Resistance may arise from entrenched institutional interests.