Presentation. 7th grade. English as a global language

English as a global language

As the global communication expands throughout the world, so does the need for a global language. English has become the lingua franca in many parts of the world.

This essay will discuss the merits and demerits caused

by English as a global language.

English is a very effective language as it is proved by the native and non-native speakers all over the world.

Statistics suggest that nearly half of the world population

is familiar with this language. Moreover, English is easier

to learn than any other language. For example, unlike Chinese, English has only 26 alphabets which put together to form words.

Adding to that, a number of English words are borrowed from many other languages and many English words are adopted in other languages and are used as part of their

own language. Furthermore, English is the language of technology.

To make the best use of internet knowing English is necessary. Also, any international meeting will be probably done in English.

It also makes tourism easy, as it helps in better understanding among the people.

People often talk about English as a global language or  lingua franca . With more than 350 million people around the world speaking English as a first language and more than 430 million speaking it as a second language, there are English speakers in most countries around the world.

Why is English so popular, though?

And why has it become a global language?

People often call English the international language

of business, and it’s increasingly true

as international trade expands every year, bringing new countries into contact. Many of the best MBA programs are taught in English, so speaking it well can put you in a position to get the best training and credentials. Most multinational companies require a certain degree of English proficiency from potential employees so in order to get a position with a top company, more and people are  learning English .

If your ambitions lie in science

or medicine, you can’t neglect

English either.

Much of the technical terminology

is based on English words, and if you want to learn about the latest developments and discoveries from around the world, you’ll read about them in journals and research reports published in English, no matter whether the scientists who wrote them are from China or Norway.

And, of course, with good conversational English, you’ll be able

to network and make important contacts at conferences and seminars.

English also opens doors in the academic world. Of course, if the best program in your field is in an English-speaking country, English will give you the opportunity

to study with the top scholars.

Western universities are attracting more

and more visiting scholars, students and professors from all around the world, and

their common working language is English.

As well as studying and teaching, attending international conferences and publishing

in foreign journals are some of the key steps to success in academia.

In order to speak at these conferences

or publish in these journals, excellent English is essential.

Journalists and writers around the world

are finding a good command of English

to be an increasingly useful skill.

Even if you’re writing your articles and doing interviews in your own language, with good English you can get background material

from international wire services and papers

and magazines from around the world.

You can interview foreign businessmen, diplomats and maybe even get sent to cover overseas stories.

Good English skills mean that you are not reliant on translators and can work faster and more accurately with English information sources.

If you want a  career in travel , English

is absolutely essential.

As the international language

of aviation, pilots and cabin crew all need to speak English.

Even if you’re not up in the air, speaking English accurately will ensure you

are able to communicate with clients and suppliers all over the world.

English is the international language of business, commerce, science, medicine, and many other key areas. Even in diplomacy, where French once ruled supreme, English is now dominant in most regions of the world.

According to David Graddol’s extensive survey for the British Council, the number of non-native or second language speakers

of English now outnumbers those of primary or native speakers.

International tourism is growing, but the proportion

of encounters involving a native English speaker is declining (1.9).

There were around 763 million international travellers in 2004,

but nearly 75% of visits involved visitors from a non-English-speaking country travelling

to a non-English-speaking

destination.

This demonstrates the … growing role for global English.

Why English?

The renowned linguist,

David Crystal, suggests that

“ a language becomes a global language because of the power

of the people who speak it.”

The ‘power’ of English was initially based on political and military factors, most notably the expansion of the British Empire. Later the role of English as the language of the scientific, industrial, financial

and economic revolutions further increased its influence.

Crystal stresses that the increasing importance of English is not because

of the structure of the language itself. English, he points out, is not particularly accessible to speakers

of other languages.

It has eccentric spelling and pronunciation patterns —  cough, 

for example.

It also has the largest lexicon (number

of words)of any European language.

The Oxford English Dictionary runs

to 23 volumes and 615,000 words.

The world’s most used language gives the most words to use —  see here

Adaptability

Other linguists feel that Crystal undervalues the special nature of the English language. Robert McCrum argues that English “does a good job”

in allowing non-native speakers to adapt to it.

In an  interview with the Boston Globe  McCrum focuses on its ‘democratic’ nature:Q.

You make a distinction in the book between the imperial roots of English internationally, but the language not being imperious.

• The French have always been very imperious. Whenever they have a cultural decision to make it’s always top down. With English, it’s always bottom up… implicitly … there’s a quality to the English language which is different from German or French or Chinese.
• That quality is approachability, usefulness, adaptability.

English is a Germanic language in its grammar, syntax and key vocabulary. Though only 30% of English words are Anglo Saxon, they make up around 70%

of those used in common conversation.

The top ten most commonly used verbs —  be, have, do, say, make, go, take, come, see, get —  are all survivors from old English.

What makes the English language flexible, however, is that its lexicon (vocabulary)borrows heavily from other languages — particularly Latin, Greek

and French. These ‘loanwords’ are either integrated through usage or disappear into obscurity.

Adopting loan words has been a useful evolutionary strategy for language survival.

Just overthrown the government?

Save on translation fees by writing the French  coup d’etat  on your application

to rejoin the UN.

Or perhaps something a little more soothing like from English, like  regime change.

And sorry half-the-world those non alphabetic characters do not play nice with IT systems.

It would be so much easier if you used our letters.

We are happy to borrow your  futon  but are customers just can’t deal with ( 布団 )

It is an undeniable fact that there is a need for

a common language to communicate with the present growing commerce and trade between companies from all over the world.

With the development of informatization as well as globalization, it is evident that most people all over the world are communicating with the people of other regions in only one internationally recognized language, that is, English.

English is the language that is almost used between

an agent and an international company.

English, being the first world language, is said to be

the first global lingua franca and it is the most widely used language in the world in international trade, diplomacy, mass entertainment, international telecommunications and scientific publications as well as publishing newspapers and other books.

In conclusion, I believe that there are more advantages than disadvantages in globalizing English language.

In future, the demand for English would rise as more number of people are learning this language and would decrease the nation barrier.