This summary covers the entire syllabys of A-level English language regarding the topic English as a Global Language. It discusses several models and theorists to understand the subject, and information is organized in a readable and comprehensive way. This document is ideal to write essays and rev...
English: world's second most spoken language, but most spread
- most societies: english is native or second language
- official language in 70 countries
- Mandarin more spoken, English more geographically spread ---> in
5 continents
- spoke by approx. 2 billion people in total
- demand to learn english has grown exponentially
The world's languages
the growth of different global languages often reflects the geography and
history of different speaking groups
- Esperanto: first attempt to create a global language
● failed: only around 3 million speakers worldwide currently
- attempt to create an artificial global language failed:
● languages represent an individual's national identity
● esperanto failed to have an influence over other languages
Language takeovers
nowadays, the world spread of languages is dominated by few
languages - large number of speakers
- languages die as their last speakers pass away
● spoken traditions lost
- English is usually the language which replaces dying ones --->
takeover
Lingua Franca: a language that is adopted as a common language
between speakers whose native languages are different.
- Latin: language of Roman Empire
- Spanish: language of Spanish colonies in S.America
- English is distinctive - many variations of english are currently
used worldwide.
,language steamrollers: a group (population) which has an economic
advantage over another group (which it exploits) will impose their
language - Jared Diamond
- invasive language takes over language of local group - question of
power
- invasors kill the speakers of local language
English:
- growth of language is linked to Britain's naval and trading power -
colonisation of many world regions
- native languages were often suppressed by British rulers
- 17th century: arrival of British to N.America
● 18th century - English dominant in the region
- constantly changing - only languages which do not change are
dead ones - Latin.
The future of English
1) will change in the same way as Latin: break up into related by
separate languages - Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian…
2) global village: different varieties of english will converge into one
How did English become a global language?
- English was brought to Britain as Anglo-Saxon by a tribe in
N.Germany - the Anglo-Saxons, after the Romans left
- came under threat due to the invasion of the Vikings - between
800 CE and 1000 CE - they spoke Old Norse
- Alfred the Greats victory stopped the Viking advance, saved
Anglo-Saxon - Old English
- after 1066, English disappeared due to the Norman Invasion -
William the Conqueror
- Norman French became the language of government, Anglo-
Saxon was spoken by the peasants
- english re-emerged as a combination of English and French 300
years later
- battles between the Church (latin) and those who wanted to
change to change the Bible to English - English became dominant
, - British Empire - critical in spreading the language, lost importance
by the 20th century, however English was sustained by the
English-speaking US economy, politics, military and media
- spread of English due to the Internet - forefront of global
development.
David Crystal: “the reason why a language is widely used is because of
the power of the people who speak it” -
The status of English as a global language
indicators that English is a global language:
- high number of native speakers - 375 million
- users spread over large geographical area - all five continents
- political + economic affairs must be stable so that the language
can spread without opposition - English is recognized as the
international language international affairs and organisations
It could be argued however that English is at risk:
- the growth of important Asian, S.American and Pacific economies
could remove the focus from English to languages such as
Mandarin.
- ideas and wealth generated in these areas may not be
communicated in English - competition in the school curriculum
- the balance has also been shifting in Britain: the introduction of
languages such as Spanish to the country.
English as a second language is important: it is sustainable for official
government and business functions, as well as social and recreational
use - second language users can usually switch between their
languages fluently - Singapore
Variations in English
The number of people learning + speaking English as a foreign language
is larger than the number of native speakers
- all varieties of English do not have an equal status
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