English as a global language

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.
What is GLOBAL LANGUAGE?

There is no official definition of "global" or "world" language, but it essentially

refers to a language that is learned and spoken internationally, and is
characterized not only by the number of its native and second language
speakers, but also by its geographical distribution, and its use in international
organizations and in diplomatic relations. A global language acts as a “lingua
franca”, a common language that enables people from diverse backgrounds and
ethnicities to communicate on a more or less equitable basis.

Historically, the essential factor for the establishment of a global language is that it
is spoken by those who wield power. Latin was the lingua franca of its time, although
it was only ever a minority language within the Roman Empire as a whole. Crucially,
though, it was the language of the powerful leaders and administrators and of the
Roman military - and, later, of the ecclesiastical power of the Roman Catholic Church -
and this is what drove its rise to (arguably) global language status. Thus, language can
be said to have no independent existence of its own, and a particular language only
dominates when its speakers dominate (and, by extension, fails when the people who
speak it fail).

The influence of any language is a combination of three main things: the number of
countries using it as their first language or mother-tongue, the number of countries
adopting it as their official language, and the number of countries teaching it as their
foreign language of choice in schools. The intrinsic structural qualities of a language,
the size of its vocabulary, the quality of its literature throughout history, and its
association with great cultures or religions, are all important factors in the popularity of
any language. But, at base, history shows us that a language becomes a global
language mainly due to the political power of its native speakers, and the economic
power with which it is able to maintain and expand its position.

WHY GLOBAL LANGUAGE IS NEEDED?

It is often argued that the modern “global village” needs a “global language”, and that
(particularly in a world of modern communications, globalized trade and easy
international travel) a single lingua franca has never been more important. With the advent
since 1945 of large international bodies such as the United Nations and its various offshoots -
the UN now has over 50 different agencies and programs from the World Bank, World Health
Organization and UNICEF to more obscure arms like the Universal Postal Union - as well as
collective organizations such as the Commonwealth and the European Union, the pressure to
establish a worldwide lingua franca has never been greater. As just one example of why a
lingua franca is useful, consider that up to one-third of the administration costs of the European
Community is taken up by translations into the various member languages.
ADVANTAGE AND DISADVANTAGE OF GLOBAL LANGUAGE

 There is a risk that the increased adoption of a global language may lead to
the weakening and eventually the disappearance of some minority
languages (and, ultimately, it is feared, ALL other languages). It is
estimated that up to 80% of the world’s 6,000 or so living languages may
die out within the next century, and some commentators believe that a too-
dominant global language may be a major contributing factor in this trend.
However, it seem likely that this is really only a direct threat in areas where the
global language is the natural first language (e.g. North America, Australia, Celtic
parts of Britain, etc). Conversely, there is also some evidence that the very threat
of subjugation by a dominant language can actually galvanize and strengthen
movements to support and protect minority languages (e.g. Welsh in Wales,
French in Canada).
 There is concern that natural speakers of the global language may be at an
unfair advantage over those who are operating in their second, or even
third, language.
 The insistence on one language to the exclusion of others may also be
seen as a threat to freedom of speech and to the ideals of multiculturalism.
  Another potential pitfall is linguistic complacency on the part of natural speakers
of a global language, a laziness and arrogance resulting from the lack of
motivation to learn other languages. Arguably, this can already be observed in
many Britons and Americans.

As can be seen in more detail in the section on English Today, on almost any basis, English is
the nearest thing there has ever been to a global language. Its worldwide reach is much
greater than anything achieved historically by Latin or French, and there has never been a
language as widely spoken as English. Many would reasonably claim that, in the fields of
business, academics, science, computing, education, transportation, politics and entertainment,
English is already established as the de facto lingua franca
TOP 10 HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL REASONS WHY THE WORLD SPEAKS ENGLISH
TODAY
1. WAR AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE
2. MIGRATION AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE
3. THE BLACK PAGUE AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE
4. RELIGION AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE
5.COLONIZATION AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE
6. LITERATURE AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE
7. SCIENCE AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE
8. INDUSTRY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE
9.ENTERTAINMENT AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE
10. THE INTERNET AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE

https://www.gonaturalenglish.com/english-global-language/

2.1. Facts and numbers-English as a global language

According to the Ethnologue.com the English language is the third
largest in the world after Chinese and Spanish. It is spoken in 112
countries by 328 million speakers. The special phenomenon is that
English is spoken all over the world and is not only restricted to one area, as
is Chinese. Edward Finegan summarizes this by saying that “ [t]hough
Chinese is spoken by a greater number of people, English is spoken around
the globe and has wider dispersion than any other language” ( Finegan 1989:
77). From its homeland, the United Kingdom, it has spread to other countries
and continents like America, Australia, New Zealand and Africa and became
the lingua franca in many countries (cf. Finegan 1989:77f). English functions
as the sole official language in countries like Ghana, the Bahamas or Jamaica
but it is also established as an official language along with other languages
in countries like Tanzania, Singapore and Pakistan (cf. Finegan 1989:78).
Even where English is not officially established it is used and taken for
granted, as it is in the United States (cf. Finegan 1989:77f).

One thing that all linguists and researchers of languages are sure of is the
role that English plays nowadays. Anderman and Rogers point out that it has
developed into a lingua franca ( Anderman & Rogers 2005:1) which gives
people the opportunity to communicate more easily and overcome borders
( Anderman & Rogers 2005:180). Joshua A. Fishman sees “ [ . . . ] the
expansive reach of English [as] undeniable and [ . . . ] unstoppable”
( Fishman 2000:1) and Hans Sauer even defines it as “the most important
language in the world” ( Saur 2006:187). David Crystal proves that
English is a global language by giving a short definition of the term:
“A language achieves a genuinely global status when it develops a
special role that is recognized in every country” ( Crystal 1997:2).
That means, the language is not only mother tongue in many
countries but is also present in other areas where it is either the
official language or the language which is mostly taught to children,
though it has no official status (cf. Crystal 1997:3). The fact that
English has gone through this “three-pronged development - of first-
language, official-language, and foreign-language speakers” ( Crystal
1997:4) gives it the status of a global language.

Nowadays it seems almost impossible to escape the influence of the English

language: “ [. . . ] [T]he majority of the world's population are [ . . . ] exposed
to English every day- via American brand names, ads and commercials,
through subtitled anglophone TV, film and DVD productions [ . . . ], lyrics and
titles of all kinds” ( Gottlieb 2005:162). David Crystal even sees English as
the most influential language ever when it comes to international relations
(cf. Crystal 2000:70).

English as a Global Language:Status

A language which is globally recognized, understood, and having its users scattered everywhere is
known as the global language. In favor of the status of English language, British Council views that
English is now spoken by a quarter of the world’s population, enabling a true single market in knowledge
and ideas. Non-native speakers now substantially outnumber native speakers and as result, English
increasingly belongs to the world rather than to any one country. Since its history, its craze has been
increasing continuously. English language has been recorded as the global language since it has been
used in different fields like; education, science, commerce, business, politics, diplomacy economics,
tourism, trade, space study, media, net-internet, computer, bilateral-multilateral visits and summits
and so on. In regards of global language, Crystal (2003) says that English is the language that has spread
throughout the world most extensively and is dominating in a number of important fields including
international commerce, education, and communication. In the linguistic globe, on the basis of its users
and way the use, it can be classified into various forms.
English as a Global Language: Scope

As anything has high coverage, scope and influence, it provides opportunities and hopes to its users
obviously. So does the English language to its users earlier, sooner or later. As there is awell known
saying that the one who has language to speak can sell the flour faster than the other who has to sell
rice but no language. Same is the case in the English language use. One who has the better competence
and performance in English language can be the citizen of the world and do have the better chances of
living, trekking, studying, employment, trading, mutual friendship and socialization across and around
the world. Euromonitor International (a research on the benefits of English language for individuals and
societies) Report (2010) emphasizes; Most companies interviewed said that staffs with English
language skills had a strong advantage over other employees. For each of the five researched
countries, around two-thirds of interviewees stated that employee with English language skills progress
more quickly within the company and that English is beneficial for company growth (p. 8). The report
shows that having English language with working staffs is helpful to perform the targeted tasks easily.
Likewise, those students who have the access of TOEFL, IELTS, GRE and so on, they can apply for
hundreds of worldwide universities for their higher studies. The British Council has around 400 IELTS
centers around the world and thousands of students get access to study abroad per year. One and all
can be benefited by perceiving the worldwide opportunities and be able to exchange their own views,
ideas, and necessities orally or in written forms so that out of your context could know who you are
and you yourself could know who others are. Some of the possible areas of scope of English language
are as:

English in Business Most of the people are involved in business. English is being the lingua-franca,
people do give and take in it. It is the most important means of business in border areas. Graddol
(1997) says that about 80% people use English while they are in business in Europe. Not only in Europe,
it is also used in global business which is happened under the control of World Trade Organization
(WTO).

English in the Medium of Instruction It is used as the medium of instruction both in school and higher
education. The worldwide estimation shows that those countries having English medium based
education have been performing well. Regarding the evaluation of best education system, Pearson
Education Group conducts researches per year. It’s report of 2015/16 shows that the countries which
give the high priority to English education have gained better ranks than others, no matter whether
the countries are native or non-native. In the study, South Korea, Japan, Honkong, Switzerland, etc are
in the respective rank. Same is the case in Nepal. As we observe the every year’s SLC result, English
medium based private schools are showing better performance than public school. We conclude that
for better and quality education, English medium based instruction is necessary.Moreover, there are
thousands of language centers which provide English language classes to the people for their wider
communication.

English in Publication and Media The best opportunity around the world for name, fame, money and
mind is publication and media. It is supposed that without books and media no one can gain the
information. The matter is not confined with publication and media only, the more important is the
language which is used in them. Obviously, English language takes that place. Regarding the domination
of English language in third-world book publication, Ashcroft, Griffiths and Tiffin (as cited in Expanding
Horizon in English) declare that in India, half of the book titles are published in English, while only 2% of
the population is literate in English. In addition to this, 1/3rd. of the books are published in English all
over the world. The same domination of English is in media also. Media are the most powerful means
of communication. Most of the famous TV channels, radio broadcastings, daily newspapers, weekly,
fortnightly, monthlyand periodic journals, etc are in English. Crystal (3003) mentions that in the1990s
the journal Linguistics Abstracts was reviewing the content of over 160 linguistics journals worldwide:
nearly 70 per cent were published entirely in English. In the physical sciences the figure may reach 80
percent or more. Through media, people can listen, watch and learn English language wherever they
are.

English as a Lingua-franca As a lingua-franca, English language is used as a means of communication

among bi- or multi-lingual speakers for different purposes all over the world. Crystal (2003)
emphasizes that as there was no common language between/ among the bi- or multilingual speakers,
the communication couldn’t take place properly but as English takes that place, it becomes easy for all.
Again, he declares that different sorts of pidgins are also used as lingua-franca but having limited
functions, they can’t cover the diverse forms of communication. As a lingua-franca, it is mainly used in
international political activities, world-wide organizational transaction and trade and business around
the world

English for Disseminating Culture, Heritage and Tradition Language shapes the culture and vice-versa.
Language speaks the culture and helps to preserve it for a long time. English language has gained the
world wide status due which it can carry the culture, tradition and heritage wherever it is spoken. As
the concept of world Englishes developed, the gap among the speakers of inner circle, outer circle and
expanding circle as Kachru sees( as cited in Crystal, 2003) has been already fulfilled. At the time of
convergence those who learn English language, should learn the English culture also. But, as the concept
of divergent is accepted, the concept of language learning gets changed which emphasizes on the
English language learning in non-native speakers’ own cultural context which obviously helps for the
development of diverse culture all over the world. This is how English language learning becomes
medium of relaying culture, tradition and heritage through different books, records, media, websites,
visitors and so on. Becoming English as a global language, it creates lots of hopes and waves of
opportunities in the world. An individual can get bread and butter if he/ she is competent in English.
Besides this, they can perceive the world easily since most of the sources of information are in English.

English in Technology It is the age of technology without which its people can’t survive as being
human being in the world. Information and communication is entirely controlled by modern technology
where as the technology is dominated by English language. So, without having the knowledge of
English, nobody can handle the technology and be benefited from it. Computers, Internet, websites,
mobile, laptop, etc are some of the examples of technology. But regarding the use of English in
technology, Graddol (2006), says, It is often claimed that English dominates computers and the
internet, and that those wishing to use either must first learn English. That may have been true in the
early days of the technology, but lack of English is no longer the barrier it once was..

English as a Global Language: Challenges

There are thousands of languages and cultures all over different countries. As English has been used
globally, the minorities languages and cultures have been extincted .Emphasizing on the demerit side of
English, Crystal (2003) says that thousands of language have been lost and out of remaining 6000
languages, about 50% will be lost by next century. If it possibly happen, imagination of world diversity
will be no more existed. In contrary, Graddol (2006) observes the situation of it from different angle. In
his book he presented the fact that the no. of internet users by using English language were 51.3% in
2000 where as only 31% in 2005. From these two estimations, it is understood that the future of English
in one way is so brightful, on the other, the matter of worrisome. English is the global language which
speakers are scattered everywhere but not the first with respect to the numbers. It is Chinese language
which has the largest numbers of speakers but limited within China only. But, the contemporary status
and practices started by Chinese government show that it is going to challenge the status of English
language no sooner than later. Once there was the British imperialism, but in these days linguistic
hegemony, especially of British and American English throughout the world. Though English language
policy shifting from convergence to divergence and ensuring the existence of local languages and
cultures, it is not the time to be sure and certain since the powerful languages are doing linguistic
business for their own language development.

Understanding the 7 Struggles

Non-native colleagues might:

1.    have diffi culty understanding various  accents or dialects;

2.    be unfamiliar with slang and certain expressions ;

3.    need more time to process a question and prepare an answer , thus a

reaction might not be as prompt as one would expect;

4.     feel insecure about speaking up in public;

5.    feel frustrated because they feel they have more to say on the

subject than they are able to express;

6.    miss or misunderstand subtle or indirect expressions ;

7.    may feel unqualifi ed to participate in a discussion or meeting.

Mrs. Snow was pleased with Suzy’s clarifi cation. This sounded like a
problem with an extremely easy solution! The non-native English
speakers could join an English class! Suzy said that would be a good
start, and added: “We as native speakers have to take action as well –
after all, it takes two to tango.”

For the next quarterly meeting, Mrs. Snow hired a facilitator who used a
simulation game to replicate the communication patterns in their team.
Through this simulation, they truly experienced each other’s struggles
and together they came up with a smart list of seven solutions:

7 Solutions to help native speakers improve communication

1.    slow down or limit the amount of diffi cult words and  jargon;

2.    do not over-use expressions , especially those that may not translate
well into another language;

3.    take your time before jumping into a discussion,  give space to

others;

4.    encourage colleagues before a meeting starts, emphasize that you

want to hear their opinion on a certain subject;

5.    take note of non-verbal communication and remember  not to

misunderstand English skills for knowledge of a certain subject nor for
intelligence;

6.    make sure your message is being understood,   repeat the message by

paraphrasing and try to keep it simple!

7.    remember that business etiquette varies by culture ; maybe your

colleagues feel they are not entitled to voice their opinion; or in their
own language they use a diff erent speech pattern!