English as a Global Language Essay

In recent decades, the entire world has bared witness to the rise of English as the world’s primary language. Apart from being the primary forms of communication for ordinary people, English has also poses as a means of communication in other domains such as mass communications, economics, engineering, business, aviation, political affairs, and entertainment. The question has thus become apparent, how did English become the world’s lingua franca? Originally, English was only spoken as a vernacular language of people within the British Isles, but since the expansion of the British Empire from the middle ages to the middle of 18th century, the English colonizers have taken their local dialect to the territories they conquer (Schitz, 2004). With the exception of Egypt and Sudan, figure 1 shows that most of the nations under the British Empire’s control manifest the influence of the English language to the local populace. Figure 1 (Schitz, 2004) Today, the English language is considered the primary language of most countries such as the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, Asia, Africa (Schitz, 2004). Putting the number of speakers aside, the placement of English in the pedestal of global language can also be attributed to the stature of the global superpower. From the very reason of the spread of English to the world’s consciousness, power plays a vital role in recognition of language. David Crystal explains that language itself is dependent, in a sense that language only exists in the human senses of those who speak it, when such people of a particular language succeed, their language comes with them (1997, 7). As mentioned in the previous paragraph, the United States being a superpower nation is the major factor why English is a global language. And being the emblem for world dominance for the last five decades reflects that power has played a vital role in the emergence of the United States’ brand of English as a global language (Bruthiaux, 2003, 9). Gillaume Schitz (2004) relates the strength of America as a superpower to the constant migrations in the country in recent decades. Figure 2 (Schitz, 2004) Based on Schitz’s analysis, the diction and/or accent of American English varies dependent of the regions within the American geography, but regardless of the diversity of the American English norms, generally, American English is a world standard because of its stature among the world’s nations. In a similar magnitude, the American English language contributes to success in various fields such as culture, business and economy while complementing the fact that the success of the United States in other facets of human endeavour also establishes English as a global language. For instance, the multinational fast-food chain McDonalds primarily invaded the food industries of non-English speaking nations through the introduction of their food products to the markets of most countries in the world. English as a global language provides an extensive communication system in the advent of globalization through overseas employment, tourism, international security and information dissemination (Crystal, 1997, 100). Overseas employment requires a universal language since there are applicants and employers who do not understand the native language of one another. Similar principles can be applied in the art of music, a song cannot grasp international success and recognition if the lyrics cannot be understood (Crystal, 1997, 104). Braj B. Kachru (1995) has come up with the three circle model to represent English as a global language by categorizing the use of English as primary, secondary, and tertiary language. The drastic change in the world’s collective culture is another considerable factor on why English is the global language. Much of this is brought about by the fact that most influences on the world’s cultural trends come from Americans. The technology of personal computers for instance, contributes to the proliferation of English in the context of a global language because the American life has transformed the personal computer from a sophisticated technological device to a standard business tool and home appliance. And as David Groddol indicates, English is used in most computer and internet applications simply because most of these applications are made by Americans (Graddol, 1997, 4). In addition to the trend that most transactions today are processed in computers and that the internet can be used as a means of education and resource for information (Graddol, 1997, 4). Technology in terms of communication is another vital factor that manifests the reason why English is the language of globalization (Crystal, 1997, 86), since English can serve as the universal medium to share cultures. English can also serve as the universal informant of international affairs and other international issues. English should be the world language simply because it has become popular over the centuries. The rise and fall of the British empire, the drastic changes in culture, economy, bussiness, technology and communication contribute to putting the english language in the pedestal of universality. The given points in the essay answers the question should english be become the world’s language, and justifies the answers to the said questions as well. In this sense, english can be the only medium that can unite a diverse world. References Bruthiaux, P. Tonkin, H. , and Reagan, T. G. (Eds). (2003). Contexts and Trends for English as a Global Language. In Language in the Twenty-first Century. Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company. Crystal, D. (1997). English as a Global Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Graddol, D. (1997) The Future of English?. London: The British Council. Kachru, B, B. , Quirk, R. and Widdowson, H. G. (Eds). (1985) Standards, codification and sociolinguistic realism: The English language in the Outer Circle. In English in the world: Teaching and learning the language and literatures. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Schitz, Guilaume. â€Å"Lecture 7 – World-Wide English. † 6 February 2004. eHistLing. 3 March 2008