More handpicked essays just for you.
The growth of the English language
The role of English as a global language
The importance of English as a global language
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Over the years English inarguably has reached a status of a global language and commonly is characterized as a lingua franca. It has become the language that is spoken by millions of people all over the world; as the mother tongue, as the language used for international communication and as the language learned in the millions of schools. Why has particularly English as a language become a global language? Researching this topic, answers to this question can be found in a global power the British Empire and the USA had during the history, especially since World War II (David Crystal, English as a Global Language, 2nd edition, Cambridge University Press, 2003). Most of the improvements which are essential for the mankind have their roots in English speaking areas and that is why English is dominating the globe in medical research, technological innovation and rock ‘n’ roll. In order to visualize the “global” as an adjective in the collocation “global language”, a study has shown the numbers of people speaking the language. According to them, there are about 6000 languages in the world and not surprisingly English is at the top of the list of most dominant. In the world there are 375 million first-language speakers, approximately the same number of second-language speakers and about 750 million foreign-language speakers (David Graddol, The Future of English? A Guide to Forecasting the Popularity of the English Language in the 21st Century. British Council, 1997). According to magazine Economist, more than one billion people speak some form of English. These numbers could make people think that English is really conquering the world which can be both positive and negative. On the one hand, one of the negative effects that I fin... ... middle of paper ... ...foreign language. Nowadays, young people find career opportunities abroad with the huge help of English which allows people to expand their wishes and dreams, to think outside the box and go for something different somewhere else, somewhere far away if you want to. Even though there are advantages as well as disadvantages, the need for international language for communication, politics, economics and security is necessary and English is the best “language candidate” for that function. English is a language spread all over the world and it is used by millions and millions of speakers. According to my opinion, people should use English as a tool to communicate with all cultures but every country must keep their culture and language is a great part of it. In conclusion, language defines identity of a country and everyone should keep their language and explore others.
As a result, this cross-national concept has implications on English and has fostered two additional terminology, World Englishes and World English.World Englishes refers to the different forms of localized variations of English outside of the United States of United Kingdom and is different from the idea of World English. This is related to Kachru’s concept of the circles of English, discussed later. World Englishes is the idea that different variations of English arise through various political and social influences. These language variations vary and in many instances acquire different meanings and lexicon. World English is the concept of English as a Lingua franca and used for global activities, such as business, diplomacy and trade. In this instance, English is following in a long line of global Lingua
Today, 1.9 billion people speak the English language; more than one-third of humanity (U.S. Bureau of the Census). English is also the national language of many countries- countries with a multiple of different cultures- including India and several populous countries in Africa. People in those countries use English to conduct common and o...
English, the language mostly of the colonizers during the British Raj became accepted to the higher strata, educationally, economically and socially progressive class of the Indian society during the post-independence period. English is the language of industrialization and modernization, and now it is the language of globalization. Observing the rapid change in the place of English in India Scrase remarked “english is recognized as an important global or international language, essential for professional employment and significantly, a key component of the cultural capital of middle class Indians”.
The increased concern with different languages was obviously related to the World War but also to the major shift in the quantity of immigrants to America. For centuries, the United States of America has been considered the ultimate country where dreams are made and a place where everyone wants to migrate to for better living standards. It is argued that dialectally diverse nations need a standard language to permit mutual understanding and in a global society, for instance, it is the whole world that can benefit from a national language. French as well as Latin once took on this role as an international medium of communication and in this era, as well as the future years, English is and should be the global voice.
Bilingualism The English language has grown to be the world’s most significant language and its increase to the status of globally spoken language must rank as one of the most significant facts in the educational times gone by of the twentieth century world. It is conceivably suitable, as the new millennium comes closer, that we ought to pause to reproduce on how English reached this point, what might take place next, and what it all means, both for those who converse English and for the large proportion of the world's inhabitants who do not. Uniformly, we need to think the insinuations of these changes on our own position as language education professionals. David Crystal's book, English as a Global Language, (Crystal, 1997) aimed to point out that “English became the world language not because of any intrinsic linguistic qualities, but because at significant moments in history it happened to be 'in the right place at the right time'”. "The Future of English?" (Graddol, 1997) suggests that “English is at a turning point in its development as an international language: it has become a global language at a time when the world itself is undergoing rapid change. Indeed, English is very much a part of the process of transformation, which is creating a more closely interconnected world in which people and machines talk easily to each other across vast spaces.” Reviewing Barbara Mayor and David Graddol, evident is the fact that there are two key indicators of this changeover point in the progress of English. First, the number of people speakers using English as a second language will rapidly outnumber those who articulate it as a first language. Secondly, it is obvious that added people learning English as a foreign language do so in ...
This essay will discuss how the English language contributes to globalization. It also shows some problems that arise from this. Furthermore, we will give or suggest some solutions for these problems.
First of all, English is becoming an international language nowadays, and it is shared by people all over the world instead of only belonging to those who are native speakers of English. Swann (2001) classifies languages into four groups, which are called local languages or peripheral languages, central languages, super-central languages, and hyper-central languages respectively. English, in fact, is the only hyper-central language among all kinds of languages as it is spoken in almost any country for various purposes and it is taught in most countries all over the world. As a result, English has become a global lingual franca, not only used
It has been adopted by different sectors making it one of the most used languages in the globe. This has been attributed to its effective nature, easy learning and rich history. However, conservative groups exist who argues that there should be global language since it may cause the emergence of superior cultures. Nevertheless, it is evident that different cultures ranging from the early polish immigrants, the African American community, the advertising and media will greatly benefit from the globalization of the English language. This will prove in the end that English is indeed a global
English is a very dominant language in the world today. This is due, in part, to the internet. Many of the first computers were American made and designed, making English the first computer recognized character system. The American Code for Info Exchange is the only code which can be used in every computer in the world without distortion. Eighty percent of internet content is in English, but 44% of online users speak another language at home. English will probably remain the most commonly used language on the net for the foreseeable future, for it is the world's most commonly understood one (Fishman 4).
Language is one of the most basic values of a society that differentiates one society from other one. Each country desires to be superior over other countries and spread of its language and their culture to win in a way over other countries language. The growing utilization of English to communicate internationally has been continuing in several decades which makes English as one of the growing language between the countries; as Robson reported that “English is spoken at a useful level by some 1.75 billion people worldwide
It has led to the development of new dialects and modification of existing ones. The British Empire has been able to spread the language across the globe and to date it is the most widespread language and most used in foreign transactions. Currently, the population of non- native English speakers is higher than native English speakers. This is a clear indication that English has become an international language.
ideas on how a global language would be beneficial not only to a country but all its aspects and with
...nology is moving ahead at the speed of light. With all this advancement comes the inevitable need for a language that unifies the world. The need for a common language to conduct our business and economic affairs, and our need to communicate internationally on political and world interventions has made English the leader in world languages. It is not the language spoken first by most, but it the language that the world uses when it comes together to communicate.
Even the mental blocks are removed due to the knowledge expansion, which has no boundaries in today’s world. Any part of the world is easily accessible due to advanced communication and transportation development. The only requirement of the modern world is the global medium, and a common linking language, which is English. English language bridges the gap among the countries, between people, culture and business. And it connects one country with another. All important world events are held in English. The growing importance of English at the national and international level is realised. As an international language, it is used for “cross –cultural communication”. English is the working language of most of the countries of the world. All international conferences, seminars, summit and meet, and other interaction are held in English language. The world is making a remarkable progress in every field; it is not possible to compete with others without a common link
A global language is one that is widespread internationally and used as the common one for communication between various groups and societies. It is the language that is most taught and learnt as a foreign and/ or a second language worldwide. This kind of language has a large amount of prestige, and official or special status. It is the language of politics, international business or economics, international communication, academic conferences, science, technology, tourism, media, publishing of books or journals, newspapers, and health sciences.