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Growth of English as a global language in culture
Importance of the English language as a global language
The impact of English as an international language
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Recommended: Growth of English as a global language in culture
English holds the status of being the only global language, causing other languages unable to compete with it. English is becoming very powerful and is widely spoken all over the world, whether as a first or second language. While the dominance of English is eradicating other languages it cannot be discriminated, it is argued that English as a global language is an advantage as it facilitates commerce and trade. There are many disadvantages that outweigh the advantages of having English as a global language, as the death of a language is not good as it causes a loss of one’s identity. When a language slowly dies out, there becomes a global loss of cognitive assets. Crystal.D (2003) explores English as a global language and acknowledges the dangers of having a global language. Hale and Basides (2013) argue the political aspect of a global language, becoming a threat to many nations who are disadvantaged. Zou. H (2012) questions the interrelationship between language, identity and cultural differences of having a global language. Majidi. A (2013) and Genc. B (2010) argues the shift of a global language. While English is powerfully positioned as the first global language, it should always be resisted for its cultural and linguistic hegemony. Having English as a global language, allows many companies to facilitate trade negotiations with one another, furthermore allowing people to communicate with each other without the help of translators. While having English as a global language it cannot be entirely dismissed, it is argued that translation problems from other languages into English cause serious problems for people doing business. (Genc. 2010. P. 3). English as a global language causes other languages to become irrelevant, this... ... middle of paper ... ...fore having a global language causes many people to become unmotivated to learn other languages; however it is up to many people to pass their mother language on to their children. (Majidi. 2013. P. 5) if people paid more initiation in keeping their mother language the case of disadvantage will become diminished. The point is, one’s mother language plays an important role in our life, it is important to keep it, because it shows where we belong in society, and distinguishes one social group from another. Ultimately, English is rapidly rising, causing other languages unable to compete with it, this is not good, as having a global language as the loss of language is considered a loss of identity for all people. While having English as a global language may offer positive aspects for everyone, it can never replace the identity and cultural of ones mother language.
This leads to the negative viewpoint of cultural globalization, that “[it] can lead to a utopian world, [and] some believe it will cause less dominant cultures to be obliterated and economically developed cultures to prosper.” (Issit 1). Although the dominance of English allows for people to speak a common language many can understand, a downside would be losing knowledge of other cultures.
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...
A language that connects us all Special edition: Viktor Navorski shares his story of how a man with no country makes a home for himself in a terminal simply by learning English! We are now a world dependent on technology. Interactions between people are mostly, if not solely based on international relations of ideas, culture and money but what I believe is a major factor that impacts our experiences on the world wide web is the language. Otherwise known as a lingua franca, English is spoken on an international scale by native and non-native speakers. It acts as a tool for communicating ideas and thoughts between people, as well as for business, travelling and political purposes.
Actually, the majority of people in the world “speak 1.69 languages- not high enough to conclude that the average person is bilingual” (source C). Having the ability to communicate in one language can help others communicate in everyday life from walking through town and shopping to making deals in business. Having a society that is monolingual can improve economies and relations throughout the world. Also, there was a survey in 2007 to determine the number of 5 year olds and older who spoke a language other than English at home. Out of the 280,950,438 people, 225,505,953 of them spoke only English at home (source E). This means that again 20% of people spoke a language other than English at home. English is a popular language, not just in English speaking countries, but also in countries that it is not the primary language. As the world changes, English becomes more and more of a necessity for society to communicate. As time progresses, English may be the only language needed to communicate more for people around the world. Through the globalization of the English language, its effects would greatly improve society by shortening time lost in language barriers and improve understandings of
Therefore, this is able to encourage the ability to communicate and appreciate the depth and diversity of the world. Communication with two different countries, or three, or four, will further bring the world closer together, in hopes of closing the divide between some countries. By learning a second language, it can significantly broaden your native language as it gives you stronger vocabulary skills, improved literacy skills and a better understanding of the grammar and construction of your own native language. Furthermore, this can help you in other educational studies. Though it is possible to travel to another country without acquiring the native language, the experience you will have is greatly diminished as you will not see beyond the surface of their culture. Additionally, knowing the native language makes travelling easier, by being able to order meals in restaurants, ask and understand directions. Additionally, it makes it easier to find accommodation, it’s more enjoyable, informative and more satisfying. You are able to further understand and appreciate international literature, music and films, by being able to understand word plays, innuendoes, cultural references, metaphors and further improve your ability to speak the
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.
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
With the world learning more languages than that of its cultural mother tongue – children now being taught English alongside their native tongue at school – It is inevitable that more and more languages will lose their significance and slowly die away. We will see English become more diverse and develop pidgins of the language within countries. Ultimately the term lingua franca will be obsolete as the world will be speaking a dialect of English from birth. David Crystal (1997p.140) has a similar view and adds, English, if it is the only language left to be learned will be the “greatest intellectual disaster that this planet has ever known”.
English has come to be the international language and the language of global communication. In the Globalisation English has been made a compulsory ingredient of a successful personality as it is an important tool generally used in international communications all over the world.
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 is universal. People voice their ideas, emotions, and thoughts across to the world through language. But, how does people’s native language play a role? A native language is a person's blueprint for their voice. Native language gives homage to people’s culture and home life. It can open doors to education and careers. Native language surrounds people, and molds people. It is plastered in books, and street signs, and helps to recollect their native country. What if language decreased to just English, and no another language existed. People would mirror one another, and have no idea of diversity. So where is it written in stone that language should be limited to English? A native language adds different circumstances in people’s life.
English is an international language that is considered as a language of business and worldwide communication. Therefore, many countries have been influenced by it and have adopted English as a medium of instruction. There have been many debates on whether English as a medium of instruction has a good or bad impact on those countries where English is not the first language. Some people claim that English is one of the ways of development, while others clearly states that English as a medium of instruction may have some negative impacts on non-English speakers. The essay will clearly show that the usage of English as a medium of instruction may create some difficulties for students in learning effectively and for the countries to promote its
Although I am Chinese, I am writing this essay in English. In fact, I spend most of my time communicating with others, expressing myself, and learning new knowledge in English. Regardless of my race, I, similar to many people across the world, use English as a primary language in my daily life. Most will agree that English is the international language of the world. To this day, English has been the most widely spread language around the globe. It is the official language of over 50 countries and the third most spoken language worldwide (Lewis, 2010). However, despite the contributions English has made to the merging of a global village, the spreading of English will lead to the displacement of local languages and cultural identities. It threatens
In his article “Why a Global Language?” David Crystal explains what is a global language, what makes a global language, and why do we need a global language. Moreover, in his article “Why a Global Language?” Crystal explains how English is the “global language,” it can be found all around the world, even headlines in other countries are written in English (Crystal 167). However, Crystal acknowledges that not everyone understands English. English is not everyone’s first language and those people, including myself, may feel threatened because English is growing so quickly, and it makes their first languages seem insignificant (Crystal 167). To add, Crystal acknowledges that it is natural for people to feel overwhelmed, or threatened by English, but as English grows, everyone is able to benefit more from one global language (Crystal 168). I am of two minds about Crystal claim that Engli...
First, English is the tool that allows communication with people from other countries within the globalized world in which we lived. It is indisputable: English has become the global language of communication par excellence, one of the most popular in the world. It is an