We are living in a globalized era where the world has become a global village. Globalization has pervaded virtually every sphere of human life today. Increased flow of information owing to advances in information technology has made it possible for people from all over the world to interact and exchange ideas. Further, globalization has led to increased labor mobility as the number of multinational corporations rise with each passing day. This has led to people being deployed in different parts of the world away from their home countries. In such settings, one thing that has become increasingly pertinent is the need to know more than one language. Multilingualism is inevitable today. For one to fit in the contemporary society characterized by an unprecedented interconnectivity, knowledge of more than one language is not only an added advantage, but also almost a must. It enables one to interact with peers from all over the world effectively and with easy as shall be discussed in this paper.
While globalization may have increased the need to acquire more than one language, bilingualism or multilingualism is not a new phenomenon. Individuals and whole communities around the globe have been compelled to learn additional languages for a number of various. These reasons include colonization, trade and intermarriages. Further the promotion of second language acquisitions is also not a new concept because non-native education was common during certain eras such as during the Roman Empire (Tochon 107). During this era, education was available to colonies only through the medium of Latin, which was a non-indigenous language for many areas of the empire hence; the natives in such areas had to learn it. This practice continued int...
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Works Cited
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Even though the dominance of a language can allow for the loss of a culture, it can also bring awareness. In schools, local community centers and other various places, foreign languages are taught, not only do non-native speakers take on these languages but native speakers do as well to keep their culture. By doing so it “revitalizes cultures and cultural artifacts through foreign influences, technologies, and markets.” (Gerdes
Most people who grow up with a foreign language spoken in there house grow up with an advantage in society. This advantage can only occur once the individual learning that foreign language also learns the dominant language spoken in that country. Once both of these languages are learned and mastered, the individual has now placed them se...
Crawford, James. “A nation divided by one language.” Guardian.co.uk. 8 Mar 2001. Web. 11 October 2014
Nevertheless, having two official languages does not restrict an individual from learning a different language or communicating with it – in fact, it is favored. What having two official languages does however, it allows people from different backgrounds to understand each other and their worldviews: creating a sense of
In today’s society, especially in the United States, most people are monolingual English speakers. As a result, these monolingual speakers are at a significant disadvantage compared to those who speak more than one language fluently. This disadvantage is crucial to realize since it is important to learn how individuals and the nation can be enhanced. Multilingual speakers have an advantage in global affairs that involve countries that speak different languages. Speaking multiple languages makes it easier to communicate with people when involved in foreign affairs. Those who speak multiple languages are also more aware of other cultures in society. Monolingual speakers are not as exposed to other cultures and have difficulty understanding or even recognizing them. Furthermore, being multilingual increases your
Learning a language is quite possibly one of the most difficult and time- consuming endeavors a person could ever undertake. Therefore, it comes as no surprise, that a limited number of second languages are taught in schools across the western world, and languages are sometimes failed to be passed on to children growing up in a different country than their parents did. Even in Canada, an officially bilingual country, only 15% of Canadians speak English and one unofficial language (Statistics Canada 2008) and in America, only 21% of the population is versed in two languages (Logan, 2003). It has become apparent that there is a need for Canadians and Americans to learn a second language. For a country to survive, it needs to rely on other countries as there is no one country that can produce within it’s borders all the means to meet the needs of it’s people. Furthermore, with the threat of international terrorism, the economic crisis and environmental ruin looming above countries all over the world, governments and organizations need to work together to come up with solutions. These cross culture collaborations would not be possible without the ability of even a few people present to speak each other’s languages. Conversely, by remaining monolingual, skills and knowledge will become concentrated only in certain countries and as the transfer of knowledge will cease the rate of human advancement will slow. This report intends to discuss the interpersonal and personal benefits of learning a second language, and investigate different ways of learning. To accomplish this, I have conducted secondary research into the interpersonal and personal benefits of learning another language. These particular areas of research were cho...
Thomas, David. “Why do the English need to speak a foreign language when foreigners all speak English?” Editorial. Mail Online. Daily Mail and General Trust plc, 23 Jan. 2012. Web 2 Feb. 2012.
INTRODUCTION Attention Getter: As Nadia Alam, a multilingual Ursuline student (Alam personal interview), put in Ursuline’s Lions Roar, “Language barriers are an idea of the past, by learning a foreign language, one is able to talk to anyone” (5 Alam “Speaking on”). Languages are a fascinating and extremely useful tool in communicating and sharing ideas and cultures. Have you ever seen people in movies or on the streets having conversations in a foreign language and wondered, “How cool would it be to be one of those people who makes speaking in a different language look like one of the easiest things to do?” Credibility statement: Growing up, my middle school’s foreign language department only taught one language, Spanish, and we only had one teacher, who taught us the same lessons every year.
...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.
Being multilingual has great importance. As previously presented, it keeps cultural diversity alive and creates better communication with the rest of the ...
Since the establishment of the British Empire, the spread of English language has been experienced in many parts of the globe. The success can be attributed significantly to the colonization activities that the empire had embarked on. They would train the indigenous community English language as they suppressed the local dialect. This massive spread is termed as lingual imperialism (Osterhammel 2005, pp. 14). The English language has become the first and second language of many nations across the world, and this makes it an international language. The native’s proportion to the non-native who speaks English cannot be compared with nations in the isle of Britain and far are speaking the language .considering that more than 70%
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.
Language. It is a sign of who we are and where we come from. As language defines us, so does it unite us, but it can also impose barriers that drive us apart. As our society aggressively pursues globalization, individuals who maintain cultural sensitivity and strive for effective communication despite language barriers will be an increasingly important commodity; individuals who can also pass the gift of adept communication to others will be invaluable. On the eve of my college graduation, the culmination of four years ' immersion in language and communication and the beginning of a lifetime of educating others in these disciplines, I feel increasingly the weight of
In an international economy, knowledge - and knowledge of language - is power. Knowing a second language is more valuable than ever. I believe that citizens who speak English and another language will be a great resource for our nation in the coming years. To that end, I am encouraging schools in the United States to adopt the dual language approach, which we also sometimes refer to as "English plus one." This approach challenges young people to meet high academic standards in two languages.
As time goes by and as the global community develops, the world grows more and more international, making second or third language acquisition become necessary to the majority. With the growing importance of multiple language ability, more and more parents think of bilingual or multilingual education, which means acquisitions of two or more languages, for their kids. In fact, we do have many reasons showing why multilingual education is important and beneficial, such as aspects of interpersonal relationship, employment, brain health, and so on.