Influence of English on Local Languages: Perspectives from Key Stakeholders

This study explores stakeholders' perceptions of the influence of English on indigenous/local languages. A phenomenological research design was employed to achieve this objective, involving the purposive selection of twelve participants, including teachers, students, and parents. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather in-depth information from the participants about their lived experiences with the English language. Further, direct observation was employed to collect information about the English language's status, prestige, and dignity. The findings indicate that the prevalence of English contributes to the decline of indigenous languages due to parental indifference, inadequate policy implementation, youth disinterest, and insufficient intergenerational language transmission. The failure to integrate regional languages with financial and technical domains further deteriorates linguistic erosion. This study underscores the need to sensitize stakeholders to actively support multilingual policies and community initiatives actively, ensuring that diverse languages thrive harmoniously.