English is the lingua franca of the Commonwealth and s considered its most valuable asset. A shared language supports trade, education and soft power. Yet it also firmly establishes inequality in ways that is difficult for the Commonwealth to change.
You may think the Commonwealth’s most enduring inheritance is an institution, rather it happens to be a language. English links all 56 nations across continents, legal systems and markets. It reduces transaction costs in trade, eases diplomacy and gives enormous access to global education and media. Yet this very asset that connects the Commonwealth together is also a quiet constraint, reinforcing social divides and limiting opportunity for those left outside its reach.
English functions as the Commonwealth’s informal operating system. This is the language used in the courts, contracts, higher education and international correspondence. English offers a clear advantage to the governments seeking investment. English-speaking jurisdictions are preferred by many multinational firms while most universities teach in English and global institutions operate through this language. It is true that this language opens doors but not equally.
Education’s hidden divide
The hidden divide that English creates is clearer in the education sector compared to other sectors. English-medium schooling is closely associated with private education, urban residence and higher income in most of the nations across South Asia and Africa. In addition, in countries like India, Nigeria and Sri Lanka, fluency in English strongly grants access to elite universities and professional careers. There are substantial returns for those who master the language early.
For others who don’t master the language or those who are not provided the opportunity to learn English, the barriers are formidable. Rural students and graduates of underfunded state schools are often seen emerging with weak English skills, regardless of their academic ability. This creates a two-tier system where the language proficiency determines life chances rather than merits. Although English is basically a tool of mobility, it often functions as a filter that preserves privilege.
For many years, the Governments have struggled to reconcile this tension. Some governments across the Commonwealth nations have expanded English education without improving teaching quality. This has resulted in producing millions of credentialed but linguistically insecure graduates as the promise of inclusion has not matched the reality of instruction.
Media dominance and narrative power
Commonwealth’s media and cultural economy is also dominated by English. Global news agencies, academic journals, publishing houses and streaming platforms overwhelmingly operate in English. Although this creates shared reference points, it also concentrates narrative power.
English-language outlets that are many based in a small number of countries largely hold debates on climate change, democracy or development. Meanwhile, perspectives from smaller or poorer Commonwealth states struggle for visibility unless expressed fluently in the dominant language. Cultural production also follows a similar pattern. Content done in English-language reaches a larger crowd, attracts more funding and contains greater prestige.
This imbalance is subtle but consequential. Thus we see while some countries shape global conversations, others participate only at the margins. This significantly shows how the language amplifies soft power unevenly.
Labour markets and migration
Proficiency in English translates directly into earnings, in labour markets. Mastering English opens access to professional employment, international organisations and overseas work. Migration flows that has been observed across the Commonwealth over the years reflect this reality. For instance, nurses from South Asia, teachers from Africa and professionals from the Caribbean find opportunities abroad mainly because they operate in English.
Those who are without such skills are left behind, confined to informal or low-paid work even though they are equally capable. English thus becomes a form of capital which can be accumulated early, inherited unevenly and difficult to acquire later. This inequality has harden over the time.
An unresolved policy choice
Then there is the policy dilemma which can be noticed acutely. Promoting English among the people of the Commonwealth enhances competitiveness and global integration. At the same time protecting local languages preserves cultural identity and social cohesion. Attempts to promote English while preserving local languages often result in muddled outcomes.
Only a few Commonwealth governments have been able to articulate a coherent language strategy that balances inclusion with global advantage. Few other governments still acknowledges that dominance of a language carries distributive consequences. However, the Commonwealth as an institution largely treats English as a neutral benefit rather than a political choice that shapes winners and losers.
A quiet reckoning ahead
The Commonwealth has endures its imperial origins with the assistance of English. This language has enabled cooperation among diverse societies and has given the grouping relevance in a fractured world. Yet it also exposes a deeper truth which is shared tools do not guarantee shared opportunities.
The dominance of English might however soften as translation technologies improve eventually. For now, this language continues to reward those who possess it early and penalise those who do not. The Commonwealth’s greatest asset remains not only indispensable but also increasingly uncomfortable. How long that tension can be ignored is an open question.
