English as 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 or dialect systematically used to
make communication possible between people who
do not share a native language or dialect, in
particular.

 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.
 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 -

 It was British imperial and industrial power
that sent English around the globe between
the 17th and 20th Century. The legacy of
British imperialism has left many counties with
the language thoroughly institutionalized in
their courts, parliament, civil service, schools
and higher education establishments.
 In other counties, English provides a neutral
means of communication between different
ethnic groups.

 It has been largely American economic and cultural
supremacy - in music, film and television; business
and finance; computing, information technology and
the Internet; even drugs - that has consolidated the
position of the English language and continues to
maintain it today.
 American dominance and influence worldwide makes
English crucially important for developing
international markets, especially in the areas of
tourism and advertising, and mastery of English also
provides access to scientific, technological and
academic resources which would otherwise be denied
developing countries.

 Books
 Newspapers
 Airports
 Air traffic control
 International business & Academic conferences
 Science
 Technology
 Diplomacy
 Sports
 International competitions
 Pop music
 Advertising

 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.

English as Global Language

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English as Global Language