Will chinese replace english as the global language. Elf is also defined functionally by its use in intercultural communication rather than formally by its reference to nativespeaker norms whereas english as a second or foreign language aims at meeting native speaker norms and gives prominence. The advantages provided by english as a global language will continue to outweigh the disadvantages. An interesting article, though i think the power of global media and the internet to spread the english language is liable to define the situation, rather than a technological response. Northrup how english became the global language world. How english became the global language ef english live. Mar 29, 20 how english became a global language jeff roy. English as a global language with millions of popular intuitions at a level which had simply not existed a decade before. But the idea of english as a global language doesnt mean what they think it does at least, not according to people ive interviewed whose professions are bound up especially closely in what. English global language because of the power of the people who speak it the renowned linguist, david crystal, suggests that a language becomes a global language because of the power of. Preface to the second edition although english as a global language did not appear until 1997, it was actually written in 1995, which in 2002 seems a very long time ago, as far as global linguistic developments are concerned.
English is closely related to frisian and low saxon, and its. What is interesting is how english become so widely spread. Oct 01, 2017 viking influence on the english language. Northrup how english became the global language world of. Historically, the essential factor for the establishment of a global language is that it is spoken by those who wield power. How english became the global language by david northrup. It is named after the angles, one of the germanic tribes that migrated to the area of great britain that later took their name, england. Survival the global rise of english is a complex topic, and it deserves the kind of careful treatment found in. According to crystal, what makes a language the global language is not the number of people who speak the language but the power of the speakers 7. English is now the dominant or official language in 75 territories.
How did english become the worlds most spoken language. Today 400 million people speak english as their native language, and almost 1. A short history of a global language by simon horobin 2016 english pdf. The history of english is then depicted to understand the spread english in the world. English is taught as a foreign language in over 100 countries. 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. And how has it evolved into the language used today. The english language is spoken by more than a billion people throughout the world. But of course this presentation goes deeper and mentions six historical factors that have contributed to make english the. How english became a global language linkedin slideshare. Pdf more people are trying to learn english than any other language in the world.
English has become the most global language, the language of business, science, education, politics, pop music and film industry. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. English is a west germanic language that was first spoken in early medieval england and eventually became a global lingua franca. It is the principal language spoken in britain, the usa, canada, australia, new zealand, and some other countries such as uganda and botswana. What does a language need in order for it to become the global language. Jan 01, 20 cultural globalization, of which the emergence of english as the worlds first global language is a prime example, has been comparatively neglected.
Into the early 20th century, french was the leading language of diplomacy, and french was probably the language europeans. In this book, the first written about the globalization of the english language by a professional historian, the exploration of englishs global ascendancy receives its proper historical due. A short history of a global language horobin, simon on. I agree with phil dane on some of the reasons why english became a global lingua franca, but not about his suggested timing. How english became english by simon horobin overdrive. Why has english become the language for all the written. English is the language of political negotiations and international business. More people are trying to learn english than any other language in the world. True, too, even if people dont admire us, they might value english if it were a global lingua franca. English as a global langu age second edition davidcrystal,worldauthorityontheenglishlanguage,presentsalively andfactualaccountoftheriseofenglishasagloballanguageandex.
Of course english is a global language,they would say. Jul 26, 2018 i agree with phil dane on some of the reasons why english became a global lingua franca, but not about his suggested timing. Simon horobin investigates the evolution of the english language, examining how the language continues to adapt even today, as english continues to find new speakers and new uses. Both names derive from anglia, a peninsula in the baltic sea. The essential reason to make a language global or international is the power of its people. Dynamic, accurate, machine translation in to audio is exceptionally hard, in to writing it is still very hard. But of course this presentation goes deeper and mentions six historical factors that have contributed to make english the most spoken language of. Why did english become a universal language and when. How did english become a socalled universal language. In this book, the first written about the globalization of the english language by a professional historian, the exploration of english s global ascendancy receives its proper historical due. 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. How english became the global language is a stimulating and worthwhile read in its own right, but is also a model for interdisciplinary approaches to complex social phenomena. In this book, the first written about the globalization of the english language by a professional historian, while there have been many books on the history of globalization to date, most have.
Australia and new zealand, so that by the late 19th century its reach was truly global, and in the latter half of the 20th century, widespread international use of english was much reinforced by the global economic. A short history of a global language by horobin, simon isbn. Elf is also defined functionally by its use in intercultural communication rather than formally by its reference to nativespeaker norms whereas english as a second or foreign language aims at meeting native speaker norms and gives prominence to. This paper describes the notion of english as a global language. In how english became english simon horobin investigates the evolution of the english language, examining how the language continues to adapt even today, as english continues to find new speakers and new uses. From medieval manuscripts to text messages, many things helped make english the global language it is today, says author michael rosen. English has become a global language not because of it is both easy to learn and is superior to other language but it has strong power base. In this useful short textbook, the reader will find the. How did a language spoken by 4 million people on an island in the north of europe become an international language. International english is the concept of the english language as a global means of communication in numerous dialects, and the movement towards an international standard for the language.
How english became english a short history of a global. In how english became english simon horobin investigates the evolution of the. English language the language of most of the written materials around the world. A short history of the english language linguapress. Riassunti per lesame di lingua inglese della professoressa cambria. Besides, the effect of the existence of the global language to the life. Engaging with contemporary concerns about correctness, horobin considers whether such changes are improvements, or evidence of slipping standards. How english became the global language springerlink. This comes out, for instance, in a very accessible recent historical analysis of how english became the global language northrup 20. The richness and depth of englishs vocabulary sets it apart from other languages.
How english became the global language researchgate. People often talk about english as a global language or lingua franca. English as a lingua franca elf is the use of the english language as a common means of communication for speakers of different first languages. While there have been many books on the history of. The thesis of this essay is divided into a few parts, first look at what is a global language and what makes a language global then. It is a vital commodity in a globalizedworld block and cameron, 2002. David graddol, a british linguist,estimated a total of 750 million l1 first or native language plus l2 second or nth language speakers of english in his future of english report,pdf document issued by the british council. Today, english has become essential for most people, statements such as the global language or english has become another primary language is not a false statement. A language is called a global language when it achieves the official position and education preference in every nation, that language will finally come to be used by more people than any other language. The story of english, and how it became a world language english is the worlds leading international language. But circumstances change, and there are several factors which might. English as a global langu age with millions of popular intuitions at a level which had simply not existed a decade before. English is the language of political negotiations and international.
It is also referred to as global english, world english, common english, continental english, general english, engas english as associate language, or globish. This brief, accessible volume breaks new ground in its organization, emphasis on causation, and conclusions. English is now the dominant or official language in 75. Introduction language is the primary medium of human social interaction,and interaction is the means through which social relations areconstructed and maintained. English become the global language english language essay. The history of english english as a global language. Engaging with contemporary concerns about correctness, horobin considers whether such changes are improvements, or evidence of slipping. Dec 20, 2010 from medieval manuscripts to text messages, many things helped make english the global language it is today, says author michael rosen. Its considered the language of business which makes it a popular choice for a second language. Mar 19, 2019 english global language because of the power of the people who speak it the renowned linguist, david crystal, suggests that a language becomes a global language because of the power of.
English has become the lingua franca in many parts of the world. Although english currently appears to be in an unassailable position in the modern world, its future as a global language is not necessarily assured. Chapter 2 analyzes if english is a global language, when and why english became a global language, as well as why it remained a global language, from the aspect of colonial expansion, cultural influence, international standing and economic and technological influence of english speaking countries. These are the kinds of statement which seem so obvious that most people would give them hardly a second thought. How english evolved into a global language bbc news. Mar 06, 2014 postindependence, many countries became officially multilingual for the first time, but the various groups needed a language for communication with each other and with other nations.
English as a global language second edition davidcrystal,worldauthorityontheenglishlanguage,presentsalively andfactualaccountoftheriseofenglishasagloballanguageandex. English language teachers are often paid very well in countries like china and dubai. As the global communication expands throughout the world, so does the need for a global language. Survival the global rise of english is a complex topic, and it deserves the kind of careful treatment found in northrups exceptional book. Postindependence, many countries became officially multilingual for the first time, but the various groups needed a language for communication with each other and with other nations. Language english format pdf pages 205 isbn 97817303073 file size 1. Some have also argued that there are other intrinsic features of the english language that set it apart, and make it an appropriate choice as a global language, and it may be worthwhile investigating some of these claims. In the middle ages, latin seemed forever set as the language of education and culture, as did french in the 18th century. After the united states and the united kingdom, the country with the thirdlargest number of english speakers is nigeria assuming you count nigerian pidgin as english, as most but not all.
376 901 179 176 806 318 1103 232 1130 1510 1042 220 566 362 816 615 955 1483 282 53 269 1107 382 654 887 1163 271 501 739 409 95 114 6 572 211 1017