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Spread Of English As An International Language Although English was originally brought to most corners of the globe through British colonialism, it has taken on a new life in our rapidly globalizing modern society. The English language has acted as the medium by which vast knowledge has been spread, and billions in commerce has been moved. While this globally vital language has become a necessity to deal with different nations and cultures, the world has not taken ownership of English as their own, and its home remains the U. K. and most of North America. As other nations continue to view English as a foreign implement and not a tool of their own, lack of fluency in a second language will be a hindrance both to native English speakers, as well as those from non-English speaking countries.
Finally, the importance of the language is undeniable in both business and politics, but the importance of a lesser developed country making political affirmations about its use of the language will depend greatly on the economic focus of that country. Through our global economy, English has been spread as a common tool with which to communicate, mostly for business purposes. While it has become commonplace, this in no way signifies that the world is taking ownership of the language as its own. They may use it for convenience and communication, but only that of their clients and not their own.
Much of the business done in English is in dealing with individuals and companies in the U. S. and U. K.
who do not speak a second language. (Jensen, ch. 3) The further use of the language to do business with other non-English speaking countries is simply a byproduct of the first arrangement, because it is easier for people to be bilingual than trilingual. (Tam, ch. 5) Its status as a tool primarily for business purposes also goes against the notion the world's cultures are using it as a tool of choice for communication. While a company in India may use English in the boardroom to discuss business matters, the individuals in that boardroom will not go home later that day and speak in English with their families, and their children will not go out to watch a movie in English with their friends. This last example is an important sign that the world is not taking the English language as its preferred and convenient method of communication. Though it is spoken in boardrooms throughout the world, few poets or novelists are creating English works to be read in Asia, Eastern Europe, or South America.
This is because use of the native tongue humanizes the native speaker, which is why watching a soap opera dubbed into the native language would be more emotionally effective to someone bilingual than listening to it in his or her second language. (Webb, ch. 6) The English language may be entirely useful for business purposes, but this is because business focuses on numbers such as dates, inventory, orders, and revenue. Messages in communication as a whole are much more complicated than the straightforward, number-centric needs of business. Phrases, sayings, and slang in different languages have meanings that are culturally based, and do not have an equivalent in English. (Tam, ch. 4) In the same way, English has words or phrases that carry certain tone and meaning for native English speakers, but mean less to others. For this reason, the use of English would be much less convenient in expressing ideas than the use of the regional native language. Although English has become in some ways a business standard worldwide, it is still helpful and important for people in both business and non-business settings to know a second language. For business purposes, total reliance on English can lead to a loss in understanding of the actual situation that the company is dealing with.
For example, an American apparel firm may be told by the managers of their Mexican factories that all is well with the workers, and production is running cleanly and ethically. It would not be until speaking with the factory workers, in their native Spanish, that corrupt or unsafe practices that could affect the reputation of the company would be revealed. (Sadowski-Smith, ch. 2) Fluency in a business associate's native tongue can also be helpful and important in the professional setting because it builds goodwill in the business relationship. (Pieterse, ch. 3) This applies in all business relationships, not only those where one person speaks English as a first language and one either speaks it as a second or not at all. Fluency in a second language can also be extremely vital for individuals out of business settings. Both travelers and academics often seek to learn about cultures and regions around the world that are different from their own. To understand another culture and its people, there is no better medium in which to learn than through the native language. As was mentioned earlier, language is steeped in the culture that created it, and the messages and feelings that help explain a culture may be embedded in the language of its people.
If a traveler or academic seeking to learn about another culture can not understand the language, and instead must have all communication come to him or her through a non-native language, the important message and understanding will not be gained. For travelers, fluency in the region's native language can also be crucial for function in the area, as well as safety. In areas where tourism is not a main economic source, few in the population will be fluent in a language other than their own. For traveling it would become vital to be able to communicate with these people to locate places to stay or eat, as well as to get direction around the region. A lack of fluency in the language would also be detrimental if there are any dangerous areas that the traveler should avoid, or if there are important laws that are different from the ones the traveler is accustomed to. A traveler could also have severe trouble if he or she cannot communicate symptoms to a health professional if he or she becomes ill while traveling in an area where a different language is spoken. (WHO, ch. 1) Without knowing a second language, the traveler could find him or herself either in a dangerous region or in deep legal trouble, both of which could be perilous situations in different areas of the world.
As the world and its populations continue to change, it is also often necessary to be fluent in a second language even when not traveling. Different cultures often coexist, and must communicate with each other in everyday settings. A person in Southern California who hires Spanish-speaking migrant workers to help with landscaping will most likely get more desirable results on the project if he or she can converse with the workers fluently in Spanish than if the conversation was attempted in English. By the same token, a migrant worker who speaks only Spanish could find himself in a dangerous situation of he is sick but can't explain symptoms to employees at an American clinic. Overall, fluency in a second language can be necessary to individuals in both business and non-business situations for not only cultural sensitivity and understanding, but also function and safety.
While English is often essential for the success of individuals, both in and out of business situations, it plays a more varied role in the success of governments and countries as a whole. In the cases of some less developed nations, it is wholly necessary for governments to take an official stance on English as an official language. If a country whose economy depends heavily on business from the U. S. and the U. K.
does not have English as an official language as reported by its government, it could suffer extremely negative consequences. (Marden, ch. 7) For example, if when choosing a new manufacturer a sourcing company is looking at a plant in a country that speaks English and a country which does not, the contract will go to the English-speaking manufacturer because it will be easier to communicate the company's needs. As this situation is reproduced throughout all industries, that country will have no income and the government will be held responsible. For nations where manufacturing for English-speaking countries is a main source of the national revenue, a government stand on the language is important. For nations that are not reliant on Western sources of income, however, such a stand is not needed at all.
The only major dealings that these countries have with English-speaking countries are largely political, and although an understanding of the English language could by highly useful for the politicians and diplomats involved, a government statement about the language for their whole country would not have any real use. (Marden, ch. 5) As can be seen, though English can be useful to all nations and governments the actual need for government views and statements on the language vary greatly depending on the economic focus and opportunity of the specific country. Overall, the role of English in our world today in undeniable, but that role and its importance varies from situation to situation, and from country to country. Global trade and business with English-speaking countries have made the language highly important to businesspeople worldwide, but the actual adoption of the language by the populations of those countries is not yet occurring in any large scale way, or even practical. While the impact of the English language may be different from place to place, fluent knowledge of any second language can be very helpful to individuals both in and out of business. The importance of a government and entire country's knowledge of and stand on the English language, just like the role of that language, is also varied.
Though inconsistency seems to be the keyword in the topic of the English language in our global society, the impact of mixing the cultures behind the languages is far-reaching and will continue into the future. References Hunsinger, Peter. Globalization and Culture: the limitations and horizons of intercultural technical communication pedagogics. Ames: Iowa State University, 2004. International Travel and Health. World Health Organization Online, 2005.
web Inman, Marianne. Foreign Languages, English as a second / foreign language, and the U. S. multinational corporation. Arlington, VA: Center for Applied Linguistics, 1978. Garcia Canclini, Nestor.
Consumers and citizens: globalization and multicultural conflicts. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2001. Jensen, Jane, and Boaventura de Sousa Santos. Globalizing Institutions. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing, 2000.
Marden, Peter. The Decline of Politics: Governance, Globalization, and the Public Sphere. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing, 2003. Pieterse, Jan Nederveen.
Globalization and Culture. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2004. Sadowski-Smith, Claudia. Globalization on the Line. New York: Palgrave, 2002.
Tam, Kwok-kan, and Timothy Weiss. English and Globalization. Hong Kong: Chinese University Press, 2004. Webb, Jen, and Tony Schirato.
Understanding Globalization. London: Sage Publications, Ltd. , 2003. Outline: Spread of English as an international language I. Introduction II. The world is not taking ownership of the English language. a.
Business English is for the convenience of clients, not the employees. b. It is not being adopted into non-business culture. 1. There is a loss of meaning from the original language. 2. It does not humanize similarly in the arts. III.
Fluency in a second language is still important. a. It can be very helpful to the success of businesspeople. b. It can be important for both the learning and safety of travelers. c.
With changing populations, it can also be important for the ease of function in daily life. IV. The importance of a government stand on the English language use of its country varies greatly from country to country. a. It is dependent on the economic focus of the country.
V. Conclusion
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Research essay sample on Spread Of English As An International Language
