1. 1.5.5 English as a Global or International Language
OBJECTIVES
You will understand:
What a global language is
Why English is a global language
You will be able to:
Integrate the knowledge of a global language into your perspective on your profession and on your students’ language learning challenges.

2. 1.5.5 English as a Global or International Language
A GLOBAL LANGUAGE
When a country is associated with a particular language and that country also possesses a wide economic reach and or military strength and power, the language of that country has the potential to achieve the status of global language.
In other words, the countries which dominate the world in terms of economy and politics dictate the language of commerce.

3. 1.5.5 English as a Global or International Language
More than 2000 years ago, Latin was used as a global language mainly due to the military power associated Rome and the fact that clergy spoke Latin and were able to spread its use.
French was used as a global language during the Napoleonic era for similar reasons; however, the French took part in much exploration and were able to spread their language through that medium as well. Furthermore, French was considered the language of diplomacy and of high culture. Parents from other countries would send their children to France to learn the French language and culture and become diplomats. English has been the global language since the Victorian times.

4. 1.5.5 English as a Global or International Language
Imagine that the outcomes of WWI or WWII had been different.
English wouldn’t have become the global language that it is today. And perhaps we would be teaching German as a second language instead of English.
It is important to note that a language does not become a global language based on how easy it is to learn. The status of global language is granted to languages of countries which dominate the world stage.

5. 1.5.5 English as a Global or International Language
The Industrial Revolution and the British economic predominance of the 19th century lead to widespread colonialism which in turn spread the English language around the world.
English was seeded globally because it was used as a lingua franca for trade in places where the trading partners did not speak a common language.
In addition, the strong military and political supremacy of the U.S. after World War II significantly influenced the sphere of diplomacy economically and culturally, displacing French and affixing English as the standard for international communication.

6. 1.5.5 English as a Global or International Language
English has become the official language of business and science and technology. Schutz estimated that “75 percent of all international communication in writing, 80 percent of all information in the world’s computers, and 90 percent of Internet content are in English” (taken from

7. 1.5.5 English as a Global or International Language
Without a doubt, native English speakers find the widespread use of English to be very handy especially when participating in international business transactions, using the Internet, or travelling. However, some English speakers naively assume that they can speak their language everywhere they go in the world and be understood.
They are wrong of course. English, although it is the language of international communication, does not exist everywhere.

8. 1.5.5 English as a Global or International Language
The presence of English around the world and its proximity to other languages influences those other languages. English words and phrases make their way into the vocabularies of other languages so much so in some cases that new terms are applied to these mixed varieties of language. Spanish with English mixed in is called Spanglish. Maybe you’ve heard of Franglais, a mix of French and English. The French speakers in Quebec, Canada often use English words and phrases. It is not uncommon to hear le weekend instead of le fin de semaine or le grapefruit instead of le pamplemousse.

9. 1.5.5 English as a Global or International Language
Many people embrace the English language and choose to learn it or send their children to learn it because they see it as the language of opportunity and advancement.
Others may resent it or experience feelings of conflict because English is influencing and changing their native languages and possibly compromising their cultures and identities.
Almost everyone accepts that languages are constantly changing and evolving; nonetheless, language, culture, and identity are so closely intertwined that some people feel threatened by the dominance of English.

10. 1.5.5 English as a Global or International Language
Aboriginal people in Canada encounter a similar dilemma. They must conform to the dominant English norms in order to be successful, but in doing so they risk losing their customs, culture, and native languages which are already fragile due to past brutal attacks.
Some young speakers of other languages include English words and phrases in their speech because it is considered ‘cool’.

11. 1.5.5 English as a Global or International Language
In his book, English as a Global Language, David Crystal suggests “that the desire for a globally common language and the desire to preserve local languages and by extension cultural identities are not mutually exclusive desires”. Crystal suggests that we can have the best of both worlds without compromising ourselves.

12. 1.5.5 English as a Global or International Language
Near the end of the 19th century, L.L. Zamenhof, a Polish physician and occultist, created an artificial language called Esperanto. Esperanto has a simple grammar and an easy sound system so it is easy to learn. It was created so that people could participate in neutral and equal international communication without ties to culture or country.
Esperanto never gained its intended global status. Its lack of association with an economy, a military, or a culture is responsible for its failure.

13. 1.5.5 English as a Global or International Language
Currently there are 354 million people who speak English as their first language worldwide.
About 1 billion–1.5 billion people speak English as a second language.
More and more people feel the need to learn English in order to participate in global commerce. It is irrelevant that other languages have more native speakers than English does.

14. 1.5.5 English as a Global or International Language
Some researchers attempted to remove the cultural context from English and give it a global context instead. They wanted to promote English as a culturally neutral language and lose its connotation as an imperialist language. This plan had a practical application. Texts wouldn’t require re-editing for the various markets and English language teachers could teach the neutral English without worrying about American versus Australian versus British English.

15. 1.5.5 English as a Global or International Language
The opposition to this idea purports that culturally neutral English is only adequate for basic ideas and does not allow for expressing complicated or complex ideas. They also suggest that when speaking about highly specialized or technical topics, many non-native English speakers communicate at least somewhat in languages other than English.

16. 1.5.3 Bilingualism Complete Question 1, 2, or 3 in your Task Journal.
Task Journals can be submitted via to (preferred) or printed and handed in.