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English as the global language
The role of English as a global language
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Argumentative Essay on whether English should be a global language The English language arose from the early Anglo Saxon inhabitants in ancient England and spread to Scotland and other European countries via the British Empire and later to the United States through colonial political and economical influences. It later dispersed to other parts of the world through these same influences to become one of the leading languages of the world. It has over the years developed by adopting different dialects to create a language, which is the standard lingual Franca in many countries. The rapid growth of the English language and its adoption by different cultures across the globe is sufficient ground to make it the global language. According to Crystal, …show more content…
This is because it has different verbs, prepositions, conjunctions, tenses and nouns that make it easy to learn compared to other languages like Chinese and Spanish whose system is hard to grasp. In most cases, many non-English and Chinese speakers will understand the English alphabet faster than the Chinese and Spanish alphabet. Based on the number of people who use it as a language and its easy nature to learn, English is the best candidate as the global language, which should facilitate communication in the changing environment. This draws the line between English and other languages whose usage is predominant across Europe and parts of Asia. In terms of numbers and effectiveness in learning, English is more superior to other languages. Background of the English …show more content…
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
My earlier paper highlights how English is acting as a killer language for native languages. As globalisation has created a global village, the people of different languages need a lingua franca to communicate with one another. At present, English is a true lingua franca and a global language. Crystal opines “a language achieves a genuinely global status when it develops a special role that is recognised in every country.” (Crystal 3) English is spoken in different parts of the world as first, second or foreign language. Crystal calculates that nearly 85% of international organizations and 99% of European organizations are using English as official language. Crystal discovers link between language dominance and economic, technological and cultural power. Language with strong power base propagates as international language. He opines a language achieves its role as international language due to its political and military power. This is very true in case of English. During Roman Empire, Latin was used as an international language. In nineteenth century, English language grows with the growth of Britain. Britain became world power and its imperial policies led to the spread of English around the globe. No doubt, colonialism led to the global use of English. It grows rapidly by coming in touch with local languages, which makes English a hybrid language changing and growing to meet communicative needs. In nineteenth century, it becomes a global language, “a language on which the sun never sets.” (Graddol, future 6) Graddol estimates that approximately 1.5 billion people in the world are using English as a first or second language. It becomes the international currency of science and technology. It occupies a d...
The development of the English language was a combination of cultural, political, social and religious events that each playing their own part shaping the modern English language spoken today as a first language by 400 million people . As Baugh and Cable convey to us in A History of the English Language; ‘It understates matters to say that political, economic, and social forces influence a language’. Although it cannot be identified exactly when the inhabitants of Britain began to speak English, there are some sources that give an insight into the nature of the forces that played a role in its foundation such as: the four medieval manuscripts;
There is no doubt that English has been the dominant global language for a century, but is it the language of future? Thousands of people have thousands of answers. Maybe it still need time to tell. As David Crystal (1...
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).
Zelander, Emilie. “English as a Global Language – Good or Bad?.” MittUniversite: Mid Sweden Univeristy. N.p., 2006 Web 13 Oct. 2013.
Old English (450-1100 AD), which is also referred to as Anglo-Saxon, is thought historically to be the earliest form of the English language. Originating with the arrival of three West Germanic tribes, who encroached
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.
2.1. What is the difference between a 'S' and a 'S'? ENGLISH AS A GLOBAL LANGUAGE AND ITS IMPORTANCE IN THE COMMUNICATION ERA The English Language has emerged as a global language and continues to reign as one of the prime languages used for various communications in several parts of the world. It is taught as either the first or the second language in more than 100 countries around the world including Russia, China, and France (Crystal, 1997).
English is without a doubt the actual universal language. English is the world’s second biggest native language, the authorized language in 70 countries, and English speaking countries are responsible for about 40% of the word total GMP. English can be at least understood everywhere amongst scholars and “educated people, as it is the world media language, the language of cinema, television, pop music in the computer world. People all over the world know numerous English words, their pronunciation and their meaning. According to “English as a Universal Language,” written by Carlos Carrion Torres, “English first began to spread during the 16th century with the British Empire and was strongly reinforced in the 20th century by the U.S. world domination in economic, political and military aspects and by the huge influence of American movies.” Because of its easy verb conjugation and Latin roots English is also the ideal language to establish a universal language. By establishing a standard of universal language it will be easier to communicate domestically and internationally, which can be beneficial for societal
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.
In parallel with the spread of globalization, English has undoubtedly become an international means of communication. Being a lingua franca, that is any of various languages used as common or commercial tongues among peoples of diverse speech (the Merriam-Webster dictionary), English has effectively exerted its power as the primary language in many spheres of activity, such as culture, economy or diplomacy.
Language is the medium that has been used in transferring our thoughts which is produced in mind, in order to communicate with people around us. After World War 2, English language has become lingua franca because of the socioeconomic demands and the revolution of linguistics (Hutchinson and Water, 2001). In addition, English language is officially the most vital language in the world. Globalization has encouraged all the people around the world to use English language in their communication especially in the education system. So, it is important to acquire English language.
The main reasons of English currently being the global language are: the need for the some common language to ease communication in the modern global society; special features of English language; and the economic and political dominance of Great Britain and the US in the last century that ensure the spread of English around the world.
In the era globalization, it is undeniable that the common usage of English has become the international language of the world in the many fields such as in the field of science, aviation, computing, education, politics, business and etc. English play a critical role 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.