The main role of English as international language and the impact of language in International Relations (original) (raw)

The main role of English as international language and the impact of language in International Relations
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Abstract

This article analyzes how English became the official language of international diplomacy and international affairs. English is the most extensively used diplomatic language, and it is the first choice of both the public and the elites. Its selection as a language of diplomacy and international relations was not made by chance; rather, it was based on the economic and political position of the countries that employed it, as well as the role they played on a global scale. A diplomatic language is unique in that it does not appear to be a simple method of communication, however, it is the cornerstone of diplomatic substance, and it has been that way since the diplomatic function’s inception. This language, which has been utilized in international institutions’ meetings and works, has already taken on the features of a global language. The English language retains its leader status, allowing for the successful negotiation of diplomatic agreements with a wide variety of allies.

Introduction

Because English is employed as a common language, for all people living on our world in the twenty-first century, the entire globe has become narrow, available, affordable, and familiar, notwithstanding certain differences in habits, cultures, customs, areas. Because of its universal properties, English has been acknowledged as the global language by speakers of hundreds of different languages. Since science and technology have progressed, there have been significant changes in the lives of people all around the world. Furthermore, business, trade, and commerce have become more worldwide, with most corporate organizations having offices in a variety of nations. English is used as a common language and a global language in science, technology, business,

education, travel, tourism, and other industries to maintain global links. 1{ }^{1} It is the most widely used language not just by scientists, businesses, and the internet, but also in higher education and the tourism industries. In today’s globalized world, English is employed in practically every industry, it is necessary to analyze its position as a global language.

The usage of English has extended throughout Europe, as well as the rest of the world. This has occurred despite Britain’s and America’s progress in industry, economy, culture, and other areas. Prior to the twentieth century, French was regarded as a basic language, and it was taught as the first language in many high schools. Despite this, English was not entirely concealed. It has been studied as a second language since the turn of the twentieth century, when it became a global language. The official language of international relations is English, with a special focus on its role in the development of diplomacy 2{ }^{2}.

THE LIST OF COUNTRIES ACCORDING TO ENGLISH SPEAKING PEOPLE
COUNTRIES %\% of English speakers Total of English speakers
USA 94.2 298,444,149298,444,149
India 10.35 125,226,449125,226,449
Pakistan 49 92,316,04992,316,049
Nigeria 53 82,941,00082,941,000
United Kingdom 97.74 63,962,00063,962,000
Filipine 56.63 57,292,88457,292,884
Germany 64 51,584,00051,584,000
Bangladesh 18 29,398,15829,398,158
Canada 85.63 28,360,24028,360,240

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  1. 1{ }^{1} use. IEEE Draft Standard for an Architectural Framework for the Internet of Things (IoT). New York, Usa leee, 2018.
    2{ }^{2} Svavarsdóttir, Ásta, et al. “English Influence on the Spoken Language - with a Special Focus on Its Social, Semantic and Functional Conditioning.” International Journal of the Sociology of Language, vol. 2010, no. 204, Jan. 2010, 10.1515/ijsl.2010.030. ↩︎

The main role of English as international language and the impact of language in International Relations

Egypt 35 28,101,32528,101,325
France 39 25,500,00025,500,000
Italy 34 20,300,00020,300,000
Ghana 66.67 18,000,00018,000,000
Australia 97.03 17,337,83317,337,833
Thailand 27.16 17,121,18717,121,187
South Africa 31 16,424,41716,424,417

Table: List of nations based on the number of English speakers

Figure 1 shows the percentage of English speakers by country and dependency as of 2014.

2. Equality in term of languages

Language is a shared resource. This suggests that “the larger the exchange value, the more users there are.” In other words, the greater the communicative value of a language for an individual speaker, the more speakers there are. As a result, its cultural worth as a commodity rises. Its great value encourages more individuals to learn it, and favorable feedback spreads like wildfire.

According to its range of usage and social purpose, a language may be classified into the following levels: ethnic language, common official language, regional common international language, and international language. According to research, humanity’s language system has a “star” structure. There is one language that serves as a “interlanguage” at each level of the system. 3{ }^{3} Those interlanguages serve the roles of common official language, regional common language, and international language, as well as others. In theory, economic and political circumstances, not linguistic qualities, determine which languages play the primary role at each level. The linguistic system’s components, i.e. the many languages, are not equal. As a result of their inequality, their speakers are also disparate. It is obvious that if all interlanguages were ethnic languages, certain people in the world would be able to speak solely in their mother tongues on every level. However, other people are required to learn three more languages in order to complete the same objective! Such a system is structurally unstable and fragile. We may transform the star structure to a dispersed structure to improve the quality system. It’s a question of figuring out how to do rid of “level” in the system so

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  1. 3{ }^{3} Mahmoodzadeh, Masoud. “Investigating Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety within the EFL Learner’s Interlanguage System: The Case of Iranian Learners.” Journal of Language Teaching and Research, vol. 3, no. 3, 1 May 2012, 10.4304/jltr.3.3.466-476. Accessed 27 Aug. 2019 ↩︎

that all languages can communicate. That is obviously impossible, because no one can be expected to know 6,000 or more languages! Another option is to “compact” the tiers in the system. That implies everyone must be able to communicate in two languages: his native tongue and a common language. A universal dual-language system might be constructed in this way. From the standpoint of perfect equality, everyone would have to acquire a common language in addition to his mother tongue. Complete equality and universal bilingualism are only achievable if that requirement is met. Certainly, the common language that everyone would be required to learn would not be anyone’s mother tongue. The concept would be jeopardized if this were not the case. Only a neutral language can be used as the needed language. In 1920, the League of Nations was approached with this notion. It’s now time to put it into action. he English language now serves as such a common language. Some academics believe that the system would be acceptable if individuals who speak “strong” languages could honetarily compensate those who speak “weak” languages for the cost of acquiring them. 4{ }^{4} However, reality tells us that English has already become, and will continue to become, a tree on which money grows.

3. English language as an international language

With ever-increasing levels of interconnectedness and globalization throughout the world, the need of quick and suitable ways of communication has risen dramatically in the modern world. It is evident that a common language is required to interact with the current burgeoning business and trade amongst companies all over the world. As information technology advances and the

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economy become more globalized, it is clear that the majority of people throughout the world communicate with individuals from different places in only one globally recognized language, English. The fastest-growing language in the planet is English,and it serves as a business language by connecting the East and the West, as well as the North and the South. 5{ }^{5} Science, engineering, and technology, medical, trade and commerce, education, tourism, the internet, banking, advertising, transportation, and pharmacy are just some of the industries that employ English. Without a sure, English has a unique position since it is the language that is so widely utilized and firmly established as a dominating global language in the aforementioned domains, and its domination has become like a snowball that is impossible to stop. Furthermore, nearly all publications in science, engineering, information technology, medical, tourism, and business, among other fields, are published solely in English, therefore most students who move to foreign countries to seek higher education should be fluent in this language. In foreign nations, almost all courses are taught in English. Furthermore, English has become a necessary skill for anybody wishing to work in a foreign country or for a multinational corporation. It is also the most widely used language on the internet, in electronic media, and in the press. Only English is the only language in which 85 percent of scientific articles are published. Despite the fact that Mandarin, the Chinese language, is spoken by the overwhelming of the world’s population, English has gained its reputation as a global language solely because Mandarin is restricted to a specific region of the globe, but English is spoken all over the globe. Despite the fact that Mandarin has the biggest number of speakers worldwide, the

[1]

  1. 5{ }^{5} Micu, Camelia C., and Robin A. Coulter. “Advertising in English in Nonnative English-Speaking Markets: The Effect of Language and Self-Referencing in Advertising in Romania on Ad Attitudes.” Journal of East-West Business, vol. 16, no. 1, 17 Mar. 2010, pp. 67-84, 10.1080/10669860903558433. Accessed 2 June 2021. ↩︎

Chinese are increasingly studying English in order to develop their company globally.

E-business has been progressing and achieving good results in the sector of trade and commerce, as it is largely utilized on the internet. It is also the language used by various international organizations such as the United Nations, WHO, UNESCO, UNICEF, OPEC, ASEAN, UNHRC, WTO, BRICS, INTERPOL, and others. One-third of these global organizations utilize only English, while English is also utilized by 90%90 \% of Asian international organizations 6{ }^{6}. Because different people speak different languages in different regions of the world, there is a need for a common language that is spoken by the majority of people worldwide. English has now become the global language, with people speaking it in every country on the earth. Despite the fact that English is the native language of the United States, the United Kingdom, Zealand, Canada, and South Africa, it is not the most widely spoken language in the world, it is spoken by a greater number of non-native speakers across the world. Around sixty nations have given it official language status, meaning it is used in citizen contacts with government officials, and fifteen countries use it as a de facto official language, but not as a main language. English is the official language of fifty-four nations, and it is also the language of higher education teaching. English is the official language of 55 sovereign nations and 27 non-sovereign entities, according to current figures. At the regional or local level, numerous national subdivisions have made English an official language. As a result, English has been designated as a worldwide language to suit the requirements of people all over the world.

[1]

  1. 6{ }^{6} Kanoksilapatham, Budsaba. “Promoting Global English While Forging Young Northeastern Thai Learners’ Identity.” 3L the Southeast Asian Journal of English Language Studies, vol. 22, no. 3, 25 Nov. 2016, pp. 127-140, 10.17576/31-2016-2203-09. ↩︎

Despite the fact that English was the first West Germanic language spoken in medieval England, it has since evolved into a worldwide lingua franca. Several countries, including the United Kingdom, the USA, Australia, Canada, and Ireland, have adopted this policy, it has been the first language for the majority of the people. It is spoken as a first language by around 375 million people and as a second language by over 750 million people.

4. English language in international relation

During their meetings, officials from international organizations needed to converse to one another and express their perspectives. It could be simpler to communicate if each of them spoke in his own language. That was made possible by the existence of trained translators at first. Despite the fact that this approach allowed for the maintenance of equal dignity for all, the translation of speeches and international agreements grew more complex as the number of languages increased. As a result, the translation process became prohibitively expensive and inefficient. As a result, the usage of translators has become nearly impossible. To avoid such issues, it was vital to utilize a single language. Following the end of World War I, a large number of UN member nations declared English to be an official language. The fact that more than half of UN member countries choose to communicate in English demonstrates the importance of English as a lingua franca. Something similar has happened in the past with other international organizations. Almost many of the world’s most powerful business and political leaders prefer to communicate in English. The European Union is the most important European organization that facilitates collaboration among member states or aspires to be a part of it. It was vital to declare English the organization’s official language in order to facilitate more effective collaboration. All UN activities, including

international meetings between heads of state, summits, and other gatherings, are conducted in this language.

All international legislation, decrees, dialogues, and debates are conducted in English. NATO is likewise a global organization that operates in English due to the requirement for its member nations to communicate in a common language. Another notable international institution is the League of Nations. Since its inception in 1919, the language that would be employed to allow the growth of its meetings has been a priority. It started off as a European organization that spoke English, French, and Spanish. In more than 100 countries, there is a huge desire for linguistic coherence." ‘When it comes to the use of a given language, the presence of a huge number of people in international organizations may produce ambiguity and instability.’ 7{ }^{7} This also emphasizes the communication difficulties posed by the presence of a large number of spoken languages in distinct countries. Regardless, English is the most often used language in international politics and relations. In all, English has been declared as the official language of almost 12,000 international organizations.

5. The English language’s function in diplomacy

Language is not a simple instrument, yet it is frequently at the heart of diplomatic work. Diplomacy is the backbone of inter-state or interorganizational relations. There are a few different interpretations of what it means. Diplomacy may be defined as the use of intelligence and deception in

[1]

  1. 7{ }^{7} Lanyon, Lucette, et al. “What Really Matters to People with Aphasia When It Comes to Group Work? A Qualitative Investigation of Factors Impacting Participation and Integration.” International Journal of Language ↩︎

the formation of formal relations between governments of sovereign states. When the Treaty of Versailles was written in both English and French, the language of diplomacy at the time, English primarily evolved in the sphere of diplomacy. The importance of oral communication among participants in diplomatic discussions cannot be overstated. As a result, it is vital to examine the criteria for spoken communication. Oral communication is still one of the clearest forms of communication; it is the foundation of human interaction, and there are less risks of miscommunication. Written communication, such as telegrams and emails, is highly valuable, but it can never replace a pleasant or confidential conversation held in the presence of two or more people. Diplomats are appointed by their government to represent and implement their country’s foreign policy. Diplomats must have a wide range of skills due to the importance of their job. Diplomats communicate in English, which has already acquired the features of a global language. Diplomatic language is of particular importance since it does not appear to be a simple instrument, but it is the main pillar of the diplomatic call, and it has always been that way.

6. Conclusion

We discussed the impact of the expansion of English as lingua franca on the fact that more than half of the world’s countries prefer to communicate and work in English. English has become the language of the world because it is used by many organizations and governments. Diplomacy is the basis of interstate or inter-organizational relations. Although diplomatic language does not seem to be a simple tool, it is very important because it is the basis of every diplomatic problem. The usage of one language, English, has resulted from the

requirement for collaboration between member nations of international organizations. In a nutshell, the argument I’m trying to convey in this post is that English has been a dominant language for many years and has become ingrained in our everyday life. Millions of people, like me, are still learning and speaking this language. Unity of people under one language, in my opinion, is beneficial both socially and politically.

References