I have previously written a long post on the misconceptions around modernization & westernization and westernization and anglicization. Too many people take to English thinking it is the same as modernizing and/or westernizing.

I for one, absolutely think it is possible to accomplish anything and everything — at a cost — with just as much English as necessary and stick to native tongues for the most part. I come from the non-native-English-speaking world. Trying to learn engineering or medicine purely on native languages is somewhat impractical, though attempts have been made. Trying to write computer programs or build internetworks in native languages is almost impossible. But the other aspects of life, I strongly believe, do not have to be English-dominated.

I am almost an activist with such thoughts, though I don’t do active campaigns or protests or activist-y activities.

But this article goes on to argue even the timing to learning English for the non-native-english speakers could make a difference in their overall success.