Multilingualism and Memes

“More than 80% of the content on the internet is English” – Fisherman (1998)

This quote alone highlights that there is a clear dominance of English as the language on the internet. I am sure that in some point of your internet usage you have come across a website or social media application that is originally in English, with the availability of it in another language cast aside as a backup. Why is it that English is dominating the internet? Is it this still the case in the modern world of technology?

Since English is considered a ‘universal language’, it will not come as a surprise that English is the language often chosen by individuals of different nationalities, as the primary form of communication. As an American invention, the internet was originally a monolingual tool with its linguistic roots deep in English. But it seems the spread of the internet in recent times is consuming the world and consuming English. Through globalisation, the internet is now a universal medium that connects individuals across cities and seas. The internet is no longer a monolingual tool, but rather a multilingual community where cultures can unite and identities can flourish.

I can relate to the richness of other languages making a name for themselves online. In my first year of university, I lived in accommodation with a student who was part of the Erasmus scheme and who was French. I found it interesting that they would speak to everyone in English (guess that’s due to being in England duh) but would always converse online in French. I follow them on twitter (which is like the elite social media app) and often see their tweets or retweets… but guess what? They’re in French!!!!

Monolingual old me has no idea what any of the tweets say, but with the help of the ‘translate tweet’ button – the French becomes English. Clearly digital media can offer new opportunities for multilingual interaction and can enable even people like me who speak one language to still interact with people who speak other languages.

The internet is a vast online world where information can be found in an array of languages and communications across continents can be held. But for me? At least now I understand memes in French – and for that, I have to thank the multilingual internet for its inclusivity.

Comment below if you found yourself laughing at any multilingual memes recently!!