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English as an international language
English as an international language
English as an international language
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English Is Everywhere
There are about 6,500 spoken languages in the modern world. However, about 2,000 of these languages have fewer than 1,000 speakers. By 2010, 359 million people spoke English as their first language. It is probably the 3rd popular language by the number of its native speakers. However, when the native and the non-native speakers of English are combined, it turns to be probably the most commonly spoken language in the world. In the following essay, we will explain what English is drawing on communities where English is used as the national language and the way English is used around the world. We will also discuss the association of English with technical and scientific communication, education and employment. One more point that will be dicussed in this essay is the extent to which English is open to change and the emergence of world Englishes.
By Kashru, the world of English is divided into three circles. The three circles are the Inner
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This opens ups lots of possibilities for the person in terms of the countries s/he could choose to seek work in one day. Careers that involve lots of traveling or international exposure use English as their official language, and many employers in these sectors are likely to require evidence of a certain level of proficiency in English language before they ever consider employing anyone. This means that if some can speak English, s/he will find that they have a greater number of possible careers to choose from after they finish their education.
Languages change for a variety of reasons. Large-scale shifts often occur in response to social, economic and political pressures. History records many examples of language change fueled by invasions, colonization and migration. Even without these kinds of influences, a language can change dramatically if enough users alter the way they speak
The author, Bill Bryson, briefly introduces and describes the history of English. In this book, The Mother Tongue, Bryson uses an interesting way and scholarly manner to guide readers through the various linguistic and social movements in the English language, the center of the world language as well as the export of manufactured goods. He gives different kinds of instances by comparing with various languages to present how the language merged together of interacting.
Language has been said to effect culture and a person’s way of thinking; in addition to culture effecting language. Throughout the last 100 years there have been apparent and subtle changes in the English language. The changes an English speaking person may see throughout their life time are different catchphrases, the way language is written, the type of formality used, and how deeply English is affected by cultures; as well as how it effects other cultures around the world.
Crystal, David. The English Language: A Guided Tour of the Language. London: Penguin Books, 2002
Speaking a language other than your mother tongue opens a door onto the world. Becoming proficient in a foreign tongue equates to a wider range of options in love, career, and friendships.
English in India is taught and learned as a second language. The significance of the ability to speak or write English has notably increased in the 20th century. English has become the de facto standard in India not because it has been approved by any ‘standards’ organization but because it is extensively used by many information and technology industries which are acknowledged as being standard.
Firstly, having opportunities to learn new languages are one of many benefits from relationships between people from different countries. Most countries have their own language, so it is essential to learn another language in order to build relationships with people from other countries. For example, I only know how to speak Vietnamese before coming to United States. However knowing that I need to establish new relationships when I come to United States, I must learn English. Knowing English has benefited me greatly because I am able to communicate with other people at school. More importantly, I have more advantages and opportunities when applying for jobs by knowing more than one language.
...ncements in their current employment. Over all, a good English education will help with enhancing a person’s life.
Language change can be caused by numerous factors including political and social shifts. As societies evolve the pre-existing language is often replaced by a newer more popular one. Language change also happens as a result of time. Different people in a society use their language in ways that vary depending on their age, gender, race and social economic class. When language change is a result of large political and social shifts it can happen very rapidly. Many of the examples studied in this course document languages being forced out of use by new political parties. Adult speakers are no longer allowed to speak publicly in their native tongue and young speakers are taught a new language. If a language does not have new speakers using it, it will die out with the silent elders. The subtle language changes that take place over time often go unnoticed until they are more main-stream. As this class has shown people of one regional area can vary greatly in how they use their native language. Generational differences appear in language through ...
...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.
Kachru, B. B. (1992). Teaching world Englishes. The other tongue: English across cultures, 2, 355-366.
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
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.
English’s proliferation throughout international education and international media has caused most countries with higher education and access to the media, such as mainland Europe, to already have significant exposure to the language. This has caused a large percent of the population, especially in the younger generations, to have some degree of English proficiency (Modiano, 2009). Additionally, according to Dombi (2011), English is the most highly desired language to learn in most European countries, likely do to its presence in institutions of higher
Sharma, B., 2008. “World Englishes, English as a Lingua Franca, and English Pedagogy”, Journal of NELTA 13 (2), pp. 121-130. Available from
Also English is the language that consociate the whole World (Pike, 2013). It is important to learn English for being a global citizen - a person that can live anywhere, thrive anywhere, and speak to anyone (Pike, 2013), the more people learn English, the more people can approach to the World. That means different countries can exchange their idea, knowledge and technology by using English. English lead our country to be more developed and wealthy.