Role of Language in the adoption of Technology
How does Hindi as a language perceive technology?
Writers: Suvodeep Misra & Sweta Bisht
This article is written as a part of the studio “History of Human and Digital” and explores how human-computer relations figure in our regional literature. Here, we analyse texts written in native language Hindi and then try to speculate a possible future for it.
A majority of our readings revolve around making an understanding and relating to how the language of Hindi perceives technology and affects the adoption of technology. Our readings were divided between a science fiction novel called ‘बीता हुआ भविष्य’ and two non-fiction news articles.
Analysing Hindi fiction
Published in 1993, the novel follows a pattern of embodying technology as both a destructive force and a constructive one. It emphasises on different scenarios where digital technology could be both harmful but also a possible solution arising from these technologies. Hindi as a language here treats technology as something very foreign, and something that would need extreme caution and prudence when handling before it can be fully trusted. It does not seem to treat technology as the inevitable and rejects it in a manner of speaking.
Humans are seen to be easily influenceable, and digital technology a strong enabler.
The very first story from the book, speaks of climate change and global warming as a consequence of mankind not seeing the signs of the harmful effects of technology. Another story brings forward the concern over the repercussions of the human psyche to augment human intelligence through technology.
Similar to how most stories run with the idea of having a positive ending, and the language changes its tone to a more upbeat one towards the end for most of the stories. The goal of this change in tone seems to be to make the technologies more acceptable and hopeful for society in general. The stories take a turn to make technology seem like a wondrous creation, a resultant of human ingenuity. One that has infinite opportunities, meant to be explored but with caution. Another story in the book highlights how digital technology changes human relations, both in a positive way and a negative one. The author condemns the inappropriate, and the language supports this kind of writing, but seemingly falls short when it comes to explaining the details of why technology causes this problem. Humans are seen to be easily influenceable, and digital technology a strong enabler. The language itself supports the description of human aftereffects and behavioural changes. But does not successfully describe technology for what it is. It does not have the required vocabulary or descriptive ability to make people envision or relate to what is being said.
Analysing Hindi non-fiction
The second part of the readings took us to news articles written today, in Hindi. They follow the same format as puff pieces in English. These puff pieces sensationalise everyday technology and make it relatable. They talk about technology but fail to create a critical understanding by expressing the principles and logic behind it.
When did we (Hindi writers) start alienating language from being a ‘means of expression’ to an ‘evangelist of technology’?
Hindi grossly fails to create the same effect due to multiple reasons. One of those reasons is the undeveloped vernacular of technological terms. Hindi takes a simple phonetic translation of terms in English. One can speculate the desired intention behind this would be to deliver an easy understanding, sensing English as the dominant language of science and technology. But one can argue, that not having native terms makes the idea of technology extremely foreign to native Hindi speakers. Then again having native terms today, after years of using borrowed terms makes it extremely difficult for new terms to be introduced. It is difficult to say what exactly brings us here to this muddled alliance of language and tech today.
A by-product of Hindi non-fiction and technical writings is also to cater to the community as a source of reference for newer advancements in ‘Tech and Language’ depending on the context of language. India as a country currently does not adequately promote technical writing in regional languages. This, by speculation, can be said to have a detrimental effect on adoption of technology among the native language speakers in the country.
And if Hindi as a language has not adopted technologies as their own, it is a possible assumption that even native Hindi speakers have not fully accepted these technologies.
To the Indian context, one cannot rule out the colonial impact it had. Technology and English were introduced as an ‘upgrade’ to development which was given top-bottom and propagated a sense of inferiority towards the natives. It was imposed rather than adopted. Could this have a lineage to non-acceptance today?
Towards a possible future
Language plays a crucial role in how we perceive and propagate meanings and ideologies about a certain subject. Sarukkai very aptly describes this phenomenon with respect to technology.
“Technology enters a culture with a restricted, given set of meanings. Placed in a cultural context, open to gaze of its subjects, the domain of meaning keep getting enlarged. This enlargement of meaning manifest in different ways we handle, refer to and talk about technology”
India as a country is vast both in terms of its culture, and the language her people speak. An assumption can be made that language is one of the key carriers of change and ideas. Now if the carriers themselves do not adapt to the changes the time and the man brings about, how are the speakers of the language expected to have adapted to change? Culture of technology is the reality today and its adoption must reflect in the way we convey our narratives about technology. And since each language has a different structure in the way it deals with the expression, the changing perception must be constantly adapted by the language that is familiar and generative in its manner.
Here we speak of language as an entity in itself. Language is not owned by anyone, yet is used by many. Hindi being one of the most spoken languages in the Indian subcontinent holds a major stake in propagating technological views. Thus, the onus lies not with the language itself but with the scholars of this language who have an influence on readers mind to understand and speculate about technology. We need similar enthusiasm in scholars as Hindi has produced in the domains of literature and art. They carry the responsibility of taking the language forward and keeping it up to date with the changing world. Similarly, at the ground level, the agency resides with every one of us, the Hindi speaking community to bring forward a language of technology through possible and available mediums.
And now we face, the interesting part of our conundrum. Years after the technology has entered the fray of human society, English is now the language that carries it. Where would Hindi stand in this technological realm? And after so many years, will it help society if Hindi adopts technology for its own? When people have already adapted to the hybrid treatment of Hinglish? Or would it rather be detrimental? The easiest part to speculate is that yes, Hindi as a language has to take a more prominent role, but not in terms of more native words or rejecting English lexicons. But rather in terms of more writing in the native tongue, more textbooks, a push from the bowels of society for people to read and write more in the same tongue they speak in. Over time we can expect a change, and one never knows, the belief that English is the carrier of technology may no longer stand true.
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References
- “बीता हुआ भविष्य | Biita Hua Bhavishy | डॉ जयंत विष्णु नार्लीकर — Dr. Jayant Vishnu Narlikar . E Pustakalaya. https://epustakalay.com/book/16490-biita-hua-bhavishy-by-dr-jayant-vishnu-narlikar/.
- Sarukkai, Sundar. “Culture of technology and ICTs.” ICTs and Indian Social Change: Diffusion, Poverty, Governance (2008): 34–58.
