Knowledge of the English language is simply necessary for a person in the 21st century, starting from simple communication, ending with a new gadget, everywhere today a person feels the need to know English.
You've probably wondered more than once about why English language became international. This question is really very interesting, because you can imagine a world where all programs on a personal computer are created on the basis of the Russian language, a world where in any country in the world you will be greeted at a hotel reception in Russian. So why did English take the place of the international language?
Let's start with the fact that the need for some kind of international language has been brewing for a long time; people needed to conduct religious and intellectual disputes, connect states, integrate, and resolve geopolitical issues. The process of exchanging information required a solution from the world; one language was needed in which everyone could understand each other.
Let's look far into history, for 1300 years the main language of Western Christian tradition was Latin. This is the language of all services, all religious texts, church hymns, religious debates of the time. All scientists of the era The Renaissance spoke Latin.
Over time, the formation of national cultures took place, and then the connection between Latin and the religious intellectual tradition was gradually destroyed. Yes, the countries used Latin, but people still spoke their own languages and dialects. Gradually, people began to contact the church with a request to conduct services in the local language, as it would be more convenient.
This is how texts like the English King James Bible, published in 1611, and the German Martin Luther Bible, published about 100 years before the English text, began to appear.
What happened next was that soldiers, sailors, colonialists who spoke English traveled around the world and settled in the countries of other peoples. English was not used then only in countries that retained independence; Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Dutch were spoken there.
But already in the twentieth century, national literature and languages began to be perceived as a source of pride, and it was at that moment that the ideas of nationalism flourished. At the same time, organizations such as the League of Nations, now known throughout the world as the UN, began to appear.
The problem was that communication between countries required a universal language; the constant use of translators did not lead to anything good. It was then that the language known as Esperanto was created, the most famous of the experimental, universal languages.
These experiments were not successful, but the growth of the British Empire and the increasing influence of the strongest member of the former British Empire, the United States, led to the fact that English began to be spoken all over the world.
If we are talking about modernity, then the increasing influence of the English language is happening without the knowledge of the party itself, we are talking about technology, radio, television, CDs, the Internet. Take, for example, the fact that millions of people around the world grew up listening to English-language music.
And what can we say about Hollywood films, many people learned spoken English from subtitles alone. Now a huge number of inquisitive inhabitants of our planet are studying Chinese; it is quite possible that in another century Chinese will become the language of international communication. So, in any case, the more languages you know, the easier your life will be. Any language is useful knowledge.
Around the world, the growing interest in the English language highlights the need for a new approach to learning and, as a result, to teaching. The reason for this is the improvement of communication technology in terms of human relations and the need to introduce an international language in the world. Among those proposed, the most likely is English as an international or world language. As a result, English as an international language with a relative conceptual basis is being established as a viable global means of communication, which is offered for example to be learned from individual program learning how to speak English Mytishchi.
English is an international language
This article is an attempt to evaluate the international language adoption model and its underlying assumptions in order to explore the possible effects and changes it brings about.
1. What is English as an international language? In the new millennium, English is one of the most important means for gaining access to intellectual and technical resources in the world. Although it must be admitted that this is a relic of British colonization or a sign of American cultural imperialism. However, English is now seen less as a symbol of imperialism and more as a more viable candidate for the world's most important international language. On this moment In world history, English is the main language of widespread communication. It is used as a language library, as a medium for science, technology, international trade, and as a contact language between peoples and countries.
2. People's use of English different nations to communicate with each other.
The function is associated with the use of English by people of different nations and different cultures. It is conceptually different from Basic English and Language for Specific Purposes, in the sense that it is not limited to any specific area. The language is not artificial like Esperanto, which is spoken by only 2 million people, while About 377 million speak English as a native language, as a second language by about 375 million. About 750 million people speak English as a foreign language. The language has official status in 75 countries with a population of over 2 billion. Thus, English differs from Esperanto in the sense that the language is exclusively natural and is able to receive international recognition.
3. Language is cross-cultural, which is characterized by changes in linguistic and cultural behavior. The use of English and any other language is always associated with culture, but the language itself is not associated with any particular culture or political system.
4. It is universally used in international trade, diplomacy and tourism and is studied by more people than any other language.
As a typical example, the German Chancellor and the French Prime Minister speak English during negotiations. This example should in no way be interpreted as a sign of a decline in the native language or culture. Rather, it is portrayed as an available resource for creating mutual intelligibility. English in all its linguistic and sociolinguistic aspects is used as a means of communication between non-native speakers as well as between any combination.
Thus, it seems topical issue of language, as people in all parts of the world are adequately equipped with this effective tool.
For Europeans, discussions about the globalization of the English language and securing its international status are by no means empty talk. Many questions still remain open. Is modern English really the optimal means for communicating between people of different nationalities? Or is it becoming a threat to the diversity of national cultures and languages? Are there other ways (languages) of communication in the global community?
This topic is also relevant for Russia, which is also trying to feel like part of an integrated world, and it is very important whether Russia and this world find a common language.
Interestingly, the term “global” in relation to English is only used in English! This fact only emphasizes the uniqueness of the English language. But this does not mean that it should become the same for everyone. Note that global, or international, English differs significantly from British English. It turns out that it is not the official language of any European country. At the same time, ironically, international English has isolated the British in Europe; they seem to have fallen out of the general European context. Most English people, because they speak the most universal language, rarely feel the desire, and even less the need, to learn any European language. But it is multilingualism and cultural diversity that is the quintessence of both Europe and Russia...
Need in common language comes from the depths of centuries. Can you remember Tower of Babel or the relatively recent attempts to create a common language, Esperanto. As history has shown, both were doomed to failure.
It is pointless to discuss the concept of “global English” without first understanding the diversity that a simpler phrase carries. There are three types of English in the world.
English as a native language
First of all, English, like any other language, reflects the culture and thinking of the people for whom it is native. British, Americans, Canadians, Australians, etc. - they all speak their own dialects of English. The English language, on the one hand, unites them, and the local dialect, on the other hand, distinguishes them from each other. Thus, English, like French, Portuguese and Spanish, is not homogeneous. These four languages were taken from Europe to other parts of the world during the colonial conquest and were destined to change in different geographical, historical and cultural environments. The contradiction was inherent even then: this common language seems to unite English-speaking people on different continents, and at the same time its variations create a barrier between them.
English as a second language
This category includes local variations of English in countries where it is the mother tongue of a small privileged population, considered second language. state language or used to communicate with foreigners. None of the countries using such variations are European: these are India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea, Philippines, Nigeria, Uganda, etc.
Former colonies used the language of the colonialists, transforming it into their own. In these countries English has a lot of national characteristics and borrowings from local languages. Thus, in the Philippines the adjective imeldific is used. It is based on the name of the former First Lady of the Philippines Imelda Marcos, and it means excessive ostentation or bad taste. In Malaysia, "half past six" not only means the time of day, but also a derogatory remark about someone or something useless. The onomatopoeic word "tuk-tuk" (tuk-tuk) was invented by the Thais for local motorcycle taxis.
Global English
As for “international English,” one can only wonder and wonder why, despite the current historical, political and economic context in Europe, it has become a universal language, which is called a lingua franca. Its dominance is so strong that even the ever-reluctant France was forced to admit that English could no longer be considered a foreign language.
Story
The answer, as always, lies in history. The English language was taken by English emigrants to North America and other parts of the world. In addition, England spread its language to all conquered countries, former colonies of the British Empire. Figuratively speaking, England stretched a cultural and linguistic bridge across the ocean, connecting continents.
But the United States was created by emigrants not only from Great Britain. People from all over Europe and other countries have flocked to this country. The new nation needed a unifying element that would help overcome national and linguistic differences. This role was fulfilled by the English language.
American English
But despite this, the native languages of the emigrants were able to transform the original English language, making it more flexible and open to change. This new language, commonly referred to as "American English", crossed the Atlantic and returned to Europe in the 20th century, mainly after the Second World War.
The language acquired this new appearance over the 150-year history of continuous emigration to the United States. Nowadays, American English is the language of an economic, military and political superpower.
Over time, American influence only increased. The globalization of trade, economics, and the spread of the American way of life—what is called “Americanization”—has also contributed to the globalization of American English. Borrowings from American began to appear in other languages.
For example, the word “business” is initially associated with intense activity and a specific approach to time; it reflects precisely American reality. It is believed that the word “business” comes from the word “busyness” and has a positive connotation. The specifics of American English gave rise to a new name for it: the French linguist Claude Agege called American English a “convenient language” (americain de commodite). One can agree with his very witty statement that “a world economic power is as destined to promote its language as it is to conquer markets for the sale of its products, and these two facts are closely related: the spread of its language opens the way for the export of its products.” It is even easier to agree that “of all the languages on the planet, English is the most flexible and most responsive to changing realities, and it is the first to reflect these new realities.”
With global markets and a global network of entertainment and travel comes global communication in an international language.
E-mail and the Internet are used all over the world today, and it is undoubtedly very convenient, fast and effective remedy communication. People in different countries are forced to adapt to the language and features of electronic means of communication, which were created, naturally, for the English language. To communicate in another language, they have to resort to various technical tricks. For example, superscript characters adopted in various European languages cannot be used in most programs Email, the same applies to non-Latin alphabets (Russian, Greek, Chinese, Japanese, etc.).
All these communication innovations divide people, leaving behind those who do not understand English.
Based on materials Institute of Information and Management Technologies
Despite the fact that English is inferior to Spanish and Chinese in terms of the number of native speakers, it is currently considered the most widespread and universal language of communication in the world. Its exceptional position was the result of a number of factors.
British colonial policy.
Since the 16th century, England has been actively expanding in different parts of the world. The result was the British Empire, which controlled vast territories in North America, Africa, India, Australia.
This state became the largest in area in the entire history of mankind. Naturally, the administrative language in the colonies was English, and it was spoken by representatives of the metropolis. In addition, other important persons were British - military officers, engineers, and employees of trading companies. For local residents, mastering this language has become a necessary condition for communicating with the authorities. In addition, English became the language of intertribal communication for the multilingual population of the colonies. It remained in this capacity even after the countries gained independence in the 20th century.
Trade expansion.
By the 17th century, England had become a leading maritime power, and thanks to this, English companies became leaders in international trade. As a result, London is becoming a leading financial center. Naturally, English is becoming the common language of world trade and finance.
US leadership.
People from the British Isles made up only part of the population of the North American colonies. There were quite a lot of French-, German- and Spanish-speaking residents here (not counting the indigenous Indian tribes). However, as a result of the centralization of the country, English became the only official language. In the 20th century, the United States became a real superpower, taking leading roles in politics, economics, science, technology, and culture. In all these areas, together with American influence The influence of the English language spread.
Features of the language.
In addition to the realities of historical development, there were also objective factors that contributed to (or, in any case, did not hinder) the spread of English. This language is considered easy to learn, it is concise and at the same time very rich lexically, and due to these features it is perfect for international communication.
At all times, countries and peoples needed some kind of commonly understood language to communicate with each other. As a rule, they did not even need to formally agree on this: the language of either the largest or the most influential ethnic group became the means of communication in a particular region of the world. Of course, in order to become accessible and generally understandable, it was simplified and borrowed words and phrases from other languages.
In ancient times, in the Eastern Mediterranean this language was Greek, and in the Western Mediterranean it was Latin. In the Middle Ages, simplified Latin mixed with other languages of the region came to be called lingua franca (Italian lingua franca - “Frankish language”), after the name of the most powerful state in Europe at that time - the Frankish Empire (Frankish State).
The empire left, but Latin retained its function as an international language until it was replaced around the 17th century by French. French became international not only thanks to the influence of France, but also through the efforts of Cardinal Richelieu. After all, he not only intrigued the royal musketeers, but also created the French Academy specifically to monitor the development and spread of the French language.
The British did not create any academies. They captured colonies around the world and developed industry.
Practical people have a practical language. They quickly, by historical standards, got rid of the category of gender and case endings and offered a compact and effective product to the linguistic market - modern English.
Moreover, the British didn’t even bother with the topic general norms and spelling. When, at the beginning of the 18th century, Daniel Defoe and Jonathan Swift proposed creating an English Academy in the manner of the French, they were expelled from parliament and advised to continue writing about Gulliver and Robinson Crusoe and not to encroach on the democratic right of the British to speak and write as they wish.
French remained international language until the 20th century, until a number of circumstances arose that brought the English language to first place and raised it to a height unattainable so far:
- Military-political and economic power English-speaking countries. It has ensured that English speakers are present and active in every corner of the world. English became the first international language that was not just needed for communication and was prestigious. His knowledge became competitive advantage in the labor market and in business. The global economy needs a global language. A serious factor. But not enough without the other two.
- Cultural-information factor. Hollywood, media corporations and Mass culture made English the key to information resources and cultural products of global significance.
- English language in most respects objectively simpler and more accessible than all of its global competitors.
Of course, there are problems. For example, there are practically no reading rules. But this is the only language that is mainly spoken by those for whom it is not their native language. And the majority, with their mass, ensures that the boundaries of the norm expand to the horizon. And in phonetics, and in grammar, and in vocabulary.
English pays a high price for international status, but so far the best remedy Still no for international contacts.