--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There seems also to be a tremendous risk…" description: "\"There seems also to be a tremendous risk to indigenous cultures if we insist that all scholarship be conducted in English. We are, for example, dealing..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f24/henry-rosovsky-19441_ancient_there-seems-also-to-be-a-tremendous-risk_1001119.jpg" --- # There seems also to be a tremendous risk to indigenous… ![“There seems also to be a tremendous risk to indigenous cultures if we insist that all scholarship be conducted in English. We are, for example, dealing with ancient and very highly-developed cultures in Korea, Japan, China and the Middle East. What is the impact on cultural and scholarly vitality…” quote by Henry Rosovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f24/henry-rosovsky-19441_ancient_there-seems-also-to-be-a-tremendous-risk_1001119.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f24/henry-rosovsky-19441_ancient_there-seems-also-to-be-a-tremendous-risk_1001119.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f24/henry-rosovsky-19441_ancient_there-seems-also-to-be-a-tremendous-risk_1001119.jpg) > “There seems also to be a tremendous risk to indigenous cultures if we insist that all scholarship be conducted in English. We are, for example, dealing with ancient and very highly-developed cultures in Korea, Japan, China and the Middle East. What is the impact on cultural and scholarly vitality forcing everyone to do their work in English? I do not have an answer, but this issue has been very much on my mind.” [Henry Rosovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rosovsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Insisting on English for all scholarship threatens the diversity and vitality of non‑English academic traditions. **In simple terms:** English dominance endangers cultural scholarship. Key Takeaway Preserve multilingual scholarship. Themes language culture diversity academia colonialism Mood concerned reflective Type critical analytical When to use this quote - academic publishing - conference presentations - grant applications - curriculum design Key Concepts cultural hegemony knowledge transmission identity preservation Questions to Reflect On - How can institutions support scholarship in multiple languages? - What are the risks of losing non‑English academic voices? A Different Perspective English may facilitate global communication but can marginalize local perspectives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ancient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient/) [China](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/china/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Impact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impact/) [Indigenous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indigenous/) [Indigenous culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indigenous-culture/) [Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues/) [Japan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/japan/) [Korea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/korea/) [Middle east](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-east/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) [Scholarship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scholarship/) [Vitality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vitality/) ## Related quotes > [A lot of indigenous cultures are deeply involved in working with ancestor spirits, elemental spirits, and demons. Many of these cultures feel that, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-pinchbeck/a-lot-of-indigenous-cultures-are-deeply-involved-in-working-with/) [Daniel Pinchbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-pinchbeck/) > [I started studying indigenous cultures and I was really inspired by their life styles and the way that they lived. Part of that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shailene-woodley/i-started-studying-indigenous-cultures-and-i-was-really-inspired-by/) [Shailene Woodley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shailene-woodley/) > [If people can't acknowledge the wisdom of indigenous cultures, then that's their loss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-griffiths/if-people-can-t-acknowledge-the-wisdom-of-indigenous-cultures-then/) [Jay Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-griffiths/) > [Shamanism is a kind of universal spiritual practice with indigenous cultures around the world, and one important element of it is taking care of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-pinchbeck/shamanism-is-a-kind-of-universal-spiritual-practice-with-indigenous/) [Daniel Pinchbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-pinchbeck/) > [“In indigenous cultures including those of Native Americans, menstruation is viewed a time of positive power, rather than evidence of sin and negative power,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-borysenko/in-indigenous-cultures-including-those-of-native-americans/) [Joan Borysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-borysenko/) > [ “We go and do the things that you're calling exploring and adventuring ... and \[for us\] it's just regular life.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gayle-kabloona/we-go-and-do-the-things-that-you-re-calling-exploring-and-adventuring/) Gayle Kabloona > [Obviously, my Indigenous culture is very special to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-mauboy/obviously-my-indigenous-culture-is-very-special-to-me/) [Jessica Mauboy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-mauboy/) > [ It seemed \[there are\] musical nodes on the planet where cultures meet and mix, sometimes as a result of unfortunate circumstances, like slavery or… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/it-seemed-there-are-musical-nodes-on-the-planet-where-cultures-meet/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [There is a beginning and end to all life - and to all human endeavors. Species evolve and die off. Empires rise, then break…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvon-chouinard/there-is-a-beginning-and-end-to-all-life-and-to-all-human-endeavors/) [Yvon Chouinard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvon-chouinard/) > [The role of globalization is to homogenize all cultures, and to turn them into commodified markets, and therefore, to make them easier for global…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-mander/the-role-of-globalization-is-to-homogenize-all-cultures-and-to-turn/) [Jerry Mander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-mander/) > [Whale Rider' was a very authentic and specific movie about the indigenous culture from where I come. Amazingly, by the fact it was so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niki-caro/whale-rider-was-a-very-authentic-and-specific-movie-about-the/) [Niki Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niki-caro/) > [“...the multitudinous substitutes for indigenous culture cannot grow. Having no roots, they can only age and decay. Studious, sincere youth retires, defeated. American youth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-lloyd-wright/the-multitudinous-substitutes-for-indigenous-culture-cannot-grow/) [Frank Lloyd Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-lloyd-wright/) > [Wherever wolves run free, indigenous cultures have revered them as symbols of loyalty, free will, fearlessness and unity. But wolves haven't had it easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-helene/wherever-wolves-run-free-indigenous-cultures-have-revered-them-as/) [Zoe Helene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-helene/) > [“The situation, therefore, in the colonial countries, is tragic,” Cesaire continued. “Wherever colonization is a fact the indigenous culture begins to rot. And, among…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/the-situation-therefore-in-the-colonial-countries-is-tragic-cesaire/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [“In a world run by the indigenous, no ethnicity is the second race.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/in-a-world-run-by-the-indigenous-no-ethnicity-is-the-second-race/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) ## More by Henry Rosovsky > [Public image is extremely important in American society and I observed personally that the Presidency of John F. Kennedy did much in the public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rosovsky/public-image-is-extremely-important-in-american-society-and-i/) [Henry Rosovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rosovsky/) > [I would not say that Harvard possesses any sort of absolute dominance. And I personally do not take the rankings of schools all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rosovsky/i-would-not-say-that-harvard-possesses-any-sort-of-absolute-dominance/) [Henry Rosovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rosovsky/) > [That doesn't mean that the top fifteen institutions in the ranking somehow don't belong there at all. But what is the difference between number…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rosovsky/that-doesn-t-mean-that-the-top-fifteen-institutions-in-the-ranking/) [Henry Rosovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rosovsky/) > [It is equally unreasonable to run a university as a "participatory democracy," the approach to governance that once existed in Europe. That approach in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rosovsky/it-is-equally-unreasonable-to-run-a-university-as-a-participatory/) [Henry Rosovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rosovsky/) > [The faculty know what they need to develop and they need to work with an administrator with the authority do get it done. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rosovsky/the-faculty-know-what-they-need-to-develop-and-they-need-to-work-with/) [Henry Rosovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rosovsky/) > [Asian colleges would do well to use a broad range of criteria in selecting students and move beyond the unproductive "examination hell. "](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rosovsky/asian-colleges-would-do-well-to-use-a-broad-range-of-criteria-in/) [Henry Rosovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rosovsky/) > [There are many in East Asia who simply judge students on the basis of national tests. The top universities in the United States do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rosovsky/there-are-many-in-east-asia-who-simply-judge-students-on-the-basis-of/) [Henry Rosovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rosovsky/) > [Never underestimate the difficulty of changing false beliefs by facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rosovsky/never-underestimate-the-difficulty-of-changing-false-beliefs-by-facts/) [Henry Rosovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rosovsky/) > [That said, there are a few clear factors that determine the potential of a university to reach the highest levels of excellence. In the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rosovsky/that-said-there-are-a-few-clear-factors-that-determine-the-potential/) [Henry Rosovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rosovsky/) > [Research is an expression of faith in the possibility of progress. The drive that leads scholars to study a topic has to include the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rosovsky/research-is-an-expression-of-faith-in-the-possibility-of-progress-the/) [Henry Rosovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rosovsky/) > [The question of how much English should be used in international research universities is one with which I am extremely familiar. I would even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rosovsky/the-question-of-how-much-english-should-be-used-in-international/) [Henry Rosovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rosovsky/) > [I have not been able to give a concrete answer to the question of how the nations of Asia can create their own unique…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rosovsky/i-have-not-been-able-to-give-a-concrete-answer-to-the-question-of-how/) [Henry Rosovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rosovsky/) > [There is another innovation at Harvard which I think made a tremendous difference and that is the decision to try to recruit the very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rosovsky/there-is-another-innovation-at-harvard-which-i-think-made-a/) [Henry Rosovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rosovsky/) > [Shared governance is often the critical element that is missing in Asian universities, no matter how talented the faculty may be. Either it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rosovsky/shared-governance-is-often-the-critical-element-that-is-missing-in/) [Henry Rosovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rosovsky/) > [Equally important for the promotion of excellence in the university is an emphasis on shared governance. The faculty needs to be involved directly in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rosovsky/equally-important-for-the-promotion-of-excellence-in-the-university/) [Henry Rosovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rosovsky/) [Explore all 32 Henry Rosovsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rosovsky/) ## More Ancient quotes > [“We ought to know the history of our ancient ancestors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/we-ought-to-know-the-history-of-our-ancient-ancestors/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [In ancient times, those who wished to illuminate the world with virtue first brought order to their nations. Wishing to order well their nations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/in-ancient-times-those-who-wished-to-illuminate-the-world-with-virtue/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Ancient eyes had stared at me, filled with ancient grief. And something more. Something so alien and unexpected that I'd almost burst into tears.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/ancient-eyes-had-stared-at-me-filled-with-ancient-grief-and-something/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [“Whenever I think about ancient cultures nostalgia seizes me. Perhaps this is nothing but envy of the sweet slowness of the history of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/whenever-i-think-about-ancient-cultures-nostalgia-seizes-me-perhaps/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [I don't know if I've come of age, but I'm certainly older now. I feel shrunken, as if there's a tiny ancient Oliver Tate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-dunthorne/i-don-t-know-if-i-ve-come-of-age-but-i-m-certainly-older-now-i-feel/) [Joe Dunthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-dunthorne/) > [Tentatively I stood a great lump of wood on the chopping block and bought the axe down on it. It flew into two perfect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-garner/tentatively-i-stood-a-great-lump-of-wood-on-the-chopping-block-and/) [Helen Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-garner/) > [Men must speak English who can write Sanskrit; they must speak a modern language who write, perchance, an ancient and universal one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-must-speak-english-who-can-write-sanskrit-they-must-speak-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The Tao is the center of the universe, the good man's treasure, the bad man's refuge. Honors can be bought with fine words, respect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/the-tao-is-the-center-of-the-universe-the-good-man-s-treasure-the-bad/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [So too, monks, I saw the ancient path, the ancient road traveled by the Perfectly Enlightened Ones of the past. And what is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/so-too-monks-i-saw-the-ancient-path-the-ancient-road-traveled-by-the/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [Ancient societies had anthropomorphic gods: a huge pantheon expanding into centuries of dynastic drama; fathers and sons, martyred heroes, star-crossed lovers, the deaths of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hiddleston/ancient-societies-had-anthropomorphic-gods-a-huge-pantheon-expanding/) [Tom Hiddleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hiddleston/) > [My life shall be free and broad and great, and I will not be the slave to the sense delights which chained my ancient…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-london/my-life-shall-be-free-and-broad-and-great-and-i-will-not-be-the-slave/) [Jack London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-london/) > [Those of us with this ancient compulsion to tell stories sometimes start with a single kernel of something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-p-jones/those-of-us-with-this-ancient-compulsion-to-tell-stories-sometimes/) [Edward P. Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-p-jones/) > [All the stories I have told you are finally as useless as all ancient knowledge is to man and to us. Its images and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/all-the-stories-i-have-told-you-are-finally-as-useless-as-all-ancient/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) > [So what if I'm ninety-three? So what if I'm ancient and cranky and my body's a wreck? If they're willing to accept me and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/so-what-if-i-m-ninety-three-so-what-if-i-m-ancient-and-cranky-and-my/) [Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/) > [Science has revealed a universe that is vast, ancient, violent, strange, and beautiful, a universe of almost infinite variety and possibility one in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-mlodinow/science-has-revealed-a-universe-that-is-vast-ancient-violent-strange/) [Leonard Mlodinow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-mlodinow/) [Browse all 2,415 Ancient quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There seems also to be a tremendous risk to indigenous cultures if we insist that all scholarship be conducted in English. We are, for example, dealing with ancient and very highly-developed cultures in Korea, Japan, China and the Middle East. 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