The History of English - English as a Global Language (original) (raw)
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English Global Language English as a Global Language; An Overview
Today, English has truly become a global language. English is used in international travel, trade, science, medicine and on the Internet. The accent and the structural features of English have substantially changed in the past 1,500 years. Speakers of English as a foreign language continue to exert pressure on it to conform and therefore, English as a means of international communication has become and will be easier for speakers of other languages to learn and to use. Without a serious linguistic competitor, English will continue to be a means of world communication, due to its' adaptability, minimal inflectional morphology, non-tonal phonology, non-logographic script and a complex interplay of social, economic, technological and historical factors.
Chapter 1: The spread of english in the world 1 English as a global language
In the year of 2013 English Language Day celebrates 'English the Global Language'. A language that was the tongue of three tribes 1,500 years ago is today the language of nearly two billion people. It has three-times more non-native speakers than native speakers. No other language comes close to matching that, and it is that that makes English global. It is the modern lingua franca, the language used by the Russians to talk to the Nigerians, the Germans to talk to the Spanish, the Chinese to talk to the Brazilians.
How Does a Language Become Global?
Exploring Language in Global Contexts, 2022
In this chapter we will look at how a language becomes a global language with a specific focus on English. We will define the characteristics of a global language and trace the historical, political, economic and cultural developments which led English to become a global language. We will then see a framework we can use for describing the use and status of English in the world today. The effects of English as a global language on people, languages and cultures are complex and multifaceted, but undoubtedly include a range of risks or dangers. We will outline the most prominent of these in this chapter. Finally, we will discuss the factors which may stop English being a global language and some possible future scenarios for language use globally. Guiding Questions What is a global language? How did English become a global language? How can we describe the use and status of English in the world today? What are the risks posed by a global language? What could stop English being a global language? What are some future scenarios for language use globally? What is a global language? Crystal (2003) says that a global language is a language which has "a special role that is recognized in every country" (p. 3). This special role consists of three components: native language, official language, and foreign language. The first component means that the language must be the first language of the majority of people in some countries. The second means that the language must have legal status as the only or one of the official languages of various countries. Such a language is the main one used in government, broadcasting, the media and the education system. The third means that the language is prioritised in language education in various countries. That is, it is the language which students will most likely be required to study in school and further education (Crystal, 2003, 2006). Several languages could be considered candidates for the title of global language. For example, at the time of writing, Spanish is the native language of 489 million people, the official language of 21 countries and is studied as a second or foreign language by more than 22 million people across 110 countries (Cervantes Institute, 2020). Mandarin Chinese is the native language of more than 920 million people, has official status in the People's Republic of China (PRC), Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR), Taiwan and Singapore, and is studied by around 100 million people as a second or foreign language (Gil, 2021; Zhou, 2020). However, it is English, more than any other language, which best fulfills this definition. It is the This is the pre-published version. The published version appears in J. Gil & S. Marsen (Eds.), Exploring Language in Global Contexts (pp. 95-111). Routledge. This is the pre-published version. The published version appears in J. Gil & S. Marsen (Eds.), Exploring Language in Global Contexts (pp. 95-111). Routledge.
Globish Journal, 2012
Inevitably to say that English has reached a status of the world lingua franca as it covers almost all of aspects of human life. It is arguably justified by both the wide geographical spread of English and the large number of its speakers as it is at least used as a foreign language. Compared to other foreign languages, English has unique characteristics that allow it to be easily acquired and a friendly language to foreign learners. A status as a global language is often taken for granted due to merely functional reasons; however its linguistic state does not occur coincidently. There are some arguments indicating how this language conquers political, linguistic, economic and demographic boundaries. The article presents those that are viewed essential and critical to the process of the making of the only language in the globe.
Reexamining the International Importance of Languages
HCIAS Working Papers on Ibero-America, 2022
This paper addresses the scientific and social interests in the comparative analysis of the international importance of language. In order to classify the different approaches to this analysis according to the criteria on which they are based, the following typology is proposed: the perception of importance, the estimation of importance, and the calculation of complex indexes. Secondly, the study provides an update to the international language index and its indicators for the year 2020. Finally, the results are analyzed and compared with those of the previous indexes. The analysis provides a picture of the plural and polycentric constellation of international languages including Spanish and Portuguese, defined by their areas of influence and spread.
The International Importance of Languages
The goal is to present an update of the “international importance of language index” calculated and first proposed by Marqués de Tamarón, and applied later by Jaime Otero. This update is done first by bestowing special attention upon Spanish, and second, by applying a methodology equivalent to the one used 20 years ago by the aforementioned authors. In this way, it will be possible to appreciate how Spanish and other languages have evolved over the past two decades.