Learning English as an International Language ~ Learn Ec English

English around the World

English is now called a "world language", an "international language", or a "global language". Where is it spoken? In England, of course -- England is a part of the British Isles or the United Kingdom, the U.K.; and in the U.S.A. or the United States of America. We often think of these countries as "powerful". It was said that the sun never set on the British Empire -- because it stretched so far from the east to the west, you see, that there was always some part of the Empire where it was daylight!

Beginning with the end of the Second World War, the U.K, began to give up its colonies, and the British Empire ceased to exist. But as the British Empire came to an end, the U.S.A rose to the position of a world power. In this way, the political importance of the English language continued even after England, the country, ceased to be politically powerful.

...in the 19th century the British Empire....consolidated the world position of English, creating a 'language on which the sun never sets'. -- David Graddol, The Future of English(1997)

The population of the U.S.A. has actually always had speakers of many different languages, who went to the "New World" from various parts of Africa, Europe, South America and Asia. But the "melting pot" culture of the U.S.A. has ensured that English has remained its predominant language. Bilingual education (especially in German) was common in 19th century America; but in the 20th century, a movement to emphasize English as the national language gained power, and bilingual education was discouraged. In 1906, the U.S. Congress passed a law, still in effect, making competence in English a requirement of citizenship.

...data from the 1990 U.S. Census show that nearly 32 million people speak a language other than English at home -- mainly Spanish.

-- Sydney Greenbaum, director of the Survey of English Usage project, University College, London, in his Afterword to South Asian English: Structure Use and Users (1996)

Other countries that speak mainly English (in addition to the U.K. and the U.S.A.) are Australia, Canada, and New Zealand and Ireland. But today the importance of English lies in the fact that it is spoken, used and taught in very many countries around the world, as a language used in addition to their own, other languages.
Many or most of the former colonies of Britain choose to keep the English language after the British left.

A third of the people on the planet may be learning English in the early years of the 21st century, according to the report The Future of English. However, the demand for English may well peak by 2050, because by then more people would have already learned this language in school.

Why do we need an international language?

"An international language is appealing because it would improve communication, increase trade, ease travel and perhaps promote global cooperation," said Kevin Finneran in 1990. More recently, Graddol says in his report, "As more countries have been rendered 'open' to global flows of finance, goods, knowledge, and culture, so the influence of English has spread."

About a hundred years ago, some people tried to create an artificial language, Esperanto, that they thought could serve as an international language. But today it is English that is the language most often studied as a foreign language in the European Union (by 89% of school children). It is medium of education in countries like Hong Kong and Malaysia, and it is the most studied foreign language in the People's republic of China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. 150 million Indian children in primary school and 120 million of their Chinese counterparts are learning English.

Today English is the main language of books, newspapers, airports, and air-traffic control, international business and academic conferences, science, technology, diplomacy, sport, international competitions, pop music and advertising.

Over two-thirds of the world's scientists read in English. Three-quarters of the world's mail is written in English, Eighty percent of the world's electronically stored information is in English. Of the millions of users of the internet, the majority communicate in English. 85% of international organizations now use English as one of their working languages; it is the preferred language of the United Nations.

References

1.David Graddol, The Future of English(1997). London: British Council.

2. Kevin Finneran, "The Future of English", reprinted in SPN, January 1990, pp.34-37.

3. Robert J. Baumgardner, ed. South Asian English: Structure, Use and Users (1996).

Delhi: Oxford University Press.

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