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The English Language

The document discusses the English language, including that it originated from Anglisc spoken by Germanic tribes who invaded England, is now spoken as a primary or secondary language in many countries, and has spread globally through British colonialism, American power after World War II, and American pop culture.

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Justine Airra Ondoy
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11 views

The English Language

The document discusses the English language, including that it originated from Anglisc spoken by Germanic tribes who invaded England, is now spoken as a primary or secondary language in many countries, and has spread globally through British colonialism, American power after World War II, and American pop culture.

Uploaded by

Justine Airra Ondoy
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

The term "English" is derived from Anglisc, the speech of the Angles—one of the three
Germanic tribes that invaded England during the fifth century. The English language is
the primary language of several countries, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand,
the United Kingdom and many of its former colonies, and the United States, and the
second language in a number of multilingual countries, including India, Singapore, and
the Philippines.

It's an official language in several African countries as well, such as Liberia, Nigeria, and
South Africa, but is spoken worldwide in more than 100. It's learned around the world by
children in school as a foreign language and often becomes a common denominator
between people of different nationalities when they meet while traveling, doing
business, or in other contexts.

According to Christine Kenneally in her book "The First Word," "Today there are about
6,000 languages in the world, and half of the world's population speaks only 10 of them.
English is the single most dominant of these 10.1

British colonialism initiated the spread of English across the globe; it has been spoken
nearly everywhere and has become even more prevalent since World War II, with the
global reach of American power."

The influence of the English language has also spread globally through American pop
culture, music, movies, advertising, and TV shows.

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