The Linguistic Liberation: How Colonial Languages Become Vehicles of Post-Colonial Resistance

Introduction: The Paradox of Imperial Legacy

In Francisco Lobo’s profound exploration of the “praeter-colonial mind,” we encounter a revolutionary perspective on language, culture, and identity that challenges conventional decolonial discourse. The work brilliantly dismantles the notion that languages remain eternally shackled to their cultural origins, instead presenting them as dynamic, evolving vehicles of human experience. This perspective is particularly significant for the Global South, where the legacy of colonial languages has often been viewed through a binary lens of either outright rejection or uncomfortable acceptance. Lobo’s analysis provides a third path—one of reclamation and transformation.

Deconstructing Linguistic Determinism

The traditional view, championed by scholars like Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, posits that language and culture are inseparable—that one can only truly experience culture through one’s native tongue. Thiong’o argues that language serves a dual function: as communication and as culture-carrier, asserting that non-native speakers can only access the communicative aspect. This perspective, while born from legitimate anti-colonial sentiment, inadvertently creates new prisons of identity. Lobo counters this effectively by demonstrating how English has been adopted and adapted globally, not as a symbol of submission but as a tool of agency.

We see this phenomenon across the Global South: Spanish speakers incorporating “accountability” into their anti-corruption movements, Japanese culture embracing “anime” and “technology” as integral components of their modern identity, and Ukrainian drone operators using English terminology while defending their nation’s sovereignty. These aren’t examples of cultural confusion but rather demonstrations of linguistic evolution and cultural synthesis.

The Ukrainian Crucible: Language as Resistance

The current Ukrainian resistance against Russian imperialism provides a powerful case study. As Lobo notes, English serves Ukrainians not merely as a communication tool but as a means of preserving cultural legacy while resisting linguistic colonialism from Moscow. This is particularly poignant given Timothy Snyder’s observation that Ukraine represents the birthplace of Indo-European languages. The irony is profound: the language of former imperial powers (English) now aids in resisting contemporary imperialism (Russian), while simultaneously connecting back to ancient linguistic roots.

This reality completely undermines any rigid linguistic determinism. Ukrainian soldiers identifying as “drone operators” aren’t suffering from false consciousness—they’re engaging in strategic cultural adaptation while defending their very existence as a nation. Their use of English terminology represents not submission to Anglo-Saxon culture but resistance to Russian domination and assertion of global solidarity.

Personal Transformation Through Linguistic Hybridity

Lobo’s personal narrative beautifully illustrates how language transcends its colonial origins to become a medium of love and family. His Chilean heritage intersecting with English through marriage and parenthood demonstrates how linguistic boundaries dissolve before human connection. The praeter-colonial mind recognizes that emotional truth isn’t confined to one’s native tongue—love, family, and identity can flourish across linguistic landscapes. This personal account powerfully refutes the notion that authentic cultural expression must be monolingual.

Beyond Binary Thinking: Toward a Praeter-Colonial Future

The Western academic tradition often forces post-colonial discourse into binary frameworks: either reject colonial languages entirely or accept cultural domination. Lobo’s work offers a sophisticated alternative—what he calls the “praeter-colonial mind” that acknowledges the complexity of colonial legacy while moving beyond it. This perspective is especially relevant for civilizational states like India and China, where multiple linguistic traditions coexist and evolve without crisis of identity.

India’s relationship with English exemplifies this perfectly—having transformed the language of colonial masters into a tool of economic empowerment, global connection, and cultural production. Similarly, China’s selective engagement with foreign terminology while maintaining cultural distinctiveness demonstrates pragmatic linguistic adaptation rather than ideological purity.

The Hypocrisy of Western Linguistic Imperialism

While Western institutions often preach linguistic preservation to the Global South, they simultaneously enforce English hegemony through academic publishing, international diplomacy, and economic systems. The praeter-colonial mind recognizes this hypocrisy while refusing to be limited by it. Instead of rejecting English entirely, we should follow Lobo’s example of strategic adoption—using the tools of former oppressors to build our own futures.

This isn’t about uncritical acceptance but about pragmatic transformation. The same language that once enforced colonial power structures now enables Indian software engineers, African writers, and South American academics to participate in global discourse on their own terms. The weapon of empire has been reforged into tools of liberation.

Conclusion: Toward a Linguistically Liberated Future

Francisco Lobo’s work invites us to embrace linguistic fluidity as an anti-imperial strategy. The praeter-colonial mind doesn’t deny the violence of colonial history but refuses to be imprisoned by it. Instead, it recognizes that languages, like cultures, are constantly evolving through contact and exchange. This perspective is ultimately hopeful—it suggests that human connection can transcend historical trauma, that love can flourish across linguistic boundaries, and that the tools of oppression can be transformed into instruments of liberation.

As the Global South continues to rise, we must reject both linguistic imperialism and linguistic nationalism. Instead, we should embrace what Lobo calls “the wondrous things history has to offer to those whose minds are wise enough not to lose sight of the past and whose hearts remain open to all the many possibilities of the future.” Our languages—whether native or adopted—are not cages but bridges, not limitations but possibilities, not reminders of what was taken but promises of what we can build together.