International Journal of English Language and Linguistics Research

Vol.3, Issue 5, pp.34-41, August 2015

Published by European Centre for Research Training and Development UK (www.eajournals.org)
ENGLISH: THE INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

FOYEWA, R. A. Ph.D.
Department of General Studies Education
(English Language Unit)
School of Education
Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo
Oyo State, Nigeria.

ABSTRACT: This paper observed the dominant role of English as International language of
science and technology. Various factors that facilitated the dominance of the language in science
and technology were observed. The most technologically advanced nations of the world were also
observed with various languages used in each of the countries. The paper also observed the
language of instruction and research in the fifty most technologically advanced universities in the
world. The paper concluded by projecting that English language shall attain the status of the world
language in the next fifty years.

KEYWORDS: English language, Science, Technology

INTRODUCTION

History of English
Language and culture, according to Foyewa (2012), are believed to be as two sides of a coin. The
English language reflects the culture of the Europeans. It is a West Germanic language originated
from the Anglo-Frisian dialects. It was brought to Great Britain by Germanic invaders or settlers
(North West Germanic and Netherlands). Therefore, the language of the Germanic people gave
rise to the English language. The old English was later influenced by German, Dutch, Latin and
Ancient Greek during the Renaissance period. The language can be said to have undergone a lot
of influences over the last two thousand years. The influences came from the world powerful
language – The Greek, the Latin, the Dutch and the German. This made it easy for the language to
have positive influence on giant world languages later in life. (www.englishclub.com).

History of Science
Buchanan (2015) opined that the history of science is the study of the historical development of
science and scientific knowledge including both natural sciences and social sciences. Science,
according to him, is the study of empirical, theoretical and practical knowledge about the natural
world. The study of science, until the 19th century, according to Deng (2015), was referred to as
natural philosophy while the English word ‘scientist’ is relatively recent and was first coined by
William Whewell in the 19th century. Prior to that time, people investigating nature called
themselves natural philosophers.

34
ISSN 2053-6305(Print), ISSN 2053-6313(online)
 International Journal of English Language and Linguistics Research
Vol.3, Issue 5, pp.34-41, August 2015
Published by European Centre for Research Training and Development UK (www.eajournals.org)
Technology on the other hand, according to dictionary.reference.com, is the branch of knowledge
that deals with the creation and the use of technical means and their interaction with life, society
and environment drawing upon such subjects as industrial arts, engineering, applying science and
pure science. It is the scientific and or industrial process of inventing, creating objects or machines
that make living easier. (www.historyoftechnology.org).

English as International Language of Science

English, according to Drubin and Kellogg (2012), is now used almost exclusively as the language
of science. Though up till now, the world Scientist Association has not officially declared the
language as the official language of science, but almost all activities in science and technology are
carried in the language.

Deng (2015) posits that five percent (5%) of people worldwide are native speakers. This means
that ninety five per cent (95%) of worldwide speakers of English are non native speakers.
However, there is daily increase in the learning and the use of the language among other countries
where the language was initially ascribed the status of “foreign language”. There are lots of factors
responsible for the sudden interest in the use of English language worldwide.
Among these are:

The origin of English: English has its origin from German, Greek, Latin and Dutch. This made
it easier to learn by the speakers of the four languages. Linguistic similarities in English and the
four languages facilitate the learning of English language by the speakers of those languages. Apart
from this, most lexical items in English are borrowed from other languages, including French. This
makes the learning and understanding of English language easy by the speakers of other languages.

The rising power of America: The activities of the United State of America helped tremendously
in populating the English language in many ways:
(a) Increase in the United States science graduates: The National Science Foundation,
according to Deng (2015) calculates that two hundred and ninety- three (293) American graduated
with a research doctoral in 1902. By 1990s, according to him, the country produced more than
30,000 new science Ph.D.s a year. More than a million new American researchers in the 20th
century. All these projects were written and published in English language. This has helped to
make the language an indisputable lingua franca in science.
(b) The fall of the USSR – The role played by the United States of America in bringing an end
to the Union of Soviet and Socialist Republic (USSR) also helped in the spread of English
language. The USSR was established on December 20, 1922 comprising Federation of Russia,
Belorussia and Transcaucasia federation. It later grew into the world most powerful and influential
state. The war against the communist government of the USSR led by the USA government
resulted to the collapse of the union in 1991. This gave more recognition to the USA and English
language in the world.
(c) Google: In 1995, Larry Page (22years old) and Sergey Brin (21years old) met at Stanford
University, and by 1996, they began a collaborative work on a search engine called BackRub.
BackRub operates on Standford Servers. Google.com was registered on September 15, 1997 as a
domain. The language of Google is English. Most world Science and technology researchers make

35
ISSN 2053-6305(Print), ISSN 2053-6313(online)
 International Journal of English Language and Linguistics Research
Vol.3, Issue 5, pp.34-41, August 2015
Published by European Centre for Research Training and Development UK (www.eajournals.org)
use of the Google. This also helped in the spread and dominance of English in the field of science
and technology. (www.google.com).
(d) The facebook and other social networks – most social networks were developed by
Americans. They were majorly developed as a means of social interaction. However, they were
developed in English language.

World Attitudes towards English language: There are one hundred and ninety-six (196) countries
in the world including Taiwan (Till this moment, People ’s Republic of China considers Taiwan
as a breakaway, province of China). Currently, 192 countries are members of the United Nations.
The official language of the United Nations is English, though interpretations are made into
German, Chinese, Spanish, French and Finnish. The activities of the United Nations helped in the
spread of English language worldwide.
Eighty-three(83) countries of the world, according to www.nationonline.org, have English as their
official language. Likewise, it is spoken in other one hundred and four (104) countries as either
second or foreign language. This has helped tremendously in the spread of the language.

International Science Association: International awards, meetings and activities in the field of
science and technology are carried out in English language. The following international
associations, among others, perform their activities using English language as the medium of
communication:
(a) The International Society for the Psychology of Science
(b) The International Society for the History, Philosophy and Society for Literature, Science
and the Arts (SLSA)
(c) The International Society for Psychology of Science and Technology (ISPST)
The associations recommend that cross national and international researches should be conducted
in English language.

ENGLISH AND MOST TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED COUNTRIES OF THE

WORLD

1. Japan: Japan is believed to be the most technologically advanced country on planet. It

specializes in the production of robotics, electronics, automobiles, metals and earthquake
engineering. (www. Richest lifestyle .com)
Language: Japanese is the official language. There are other fifteen (15) languages recognized by
the constitution of the country. English is studied as a foreign language.

2. Singapore: Singapore dedicates a large proportion of its GDP to research and development
especially in the field of medicine, food and military. This has made the country to be the second
most advanced nation of the world.
Language: Singlish, English, Malay, Tamil and Standard Mandarin are the official language in
Singapore. However, the most widely spoken language is English. (www.singaporexpats.com).

3. United States of America: Known for space technology, atomic bomb, space exploration,
pharmaceuticals, defense system and communication. The US has the most powerful and

36
ISSN 2053-6305(Print), ISSN 2053-6313(online)
 International Journal of English Language and Linguistics Research
Vol.3, Issue 5, pp.34-41, August 2015
Published by European Centre for Research Training and Development UK (www.eajournals.org)
technologically advanced military in the world. It has produced world biggest technology
companies like Google, Facebook, Apple, Intel, IBM, Microsoft and so on.
Language: English is both the official and the national language of the United States of America.

4. United Kingdom: Erbar (2014) averred that the United Kingdom has been developing ever
since the industrial age. It is believed to be the origin of industrialization. However, there are some
areas the kingdom has not improved technologically.
Language: English is the native and official language of the United Kingdom.
5. Canada: Canada, according to Erbar (2014), is not just technologically advanced but excels in
every field. Its diverse economy, highly educated population and responsible government gave
room for technology to flourish. Canada has a highly developed biotechnology and space
exploration. It introduced the wireless interact machines.
Language: English, French, German and Dutch are all spoken in Canada with a greater percentage
speaking English language.

6. Netherlands: Despite the Netherlands small size, it is very popular for its scientific researches
and developments in the field of technology. High-tech companies in Netherlands produce
telecommunication system, electronic measurements. The nation invented compact disc, artificial
kidney, pendulum clock, telescope and microscope.
Language: Dutch is the official language while English is the second language. English is also the
language of research and science. French and German are also spoken in Netherlands, (Sharma,
2015). www.lifengadget.com.

7. China: Despite its population that stands at one-seventh of the world population and being at
the front of the pack a century ago when it developed gunpowder, China according to Tardy (2004),
is just reclaiming its spot as a technologically advanced nation. The believe is that most of its
product cannot withstand the test of time.
Language: Mandarin is the official and national language in China. English is learnt as a foreign
language.
8. Sweden: Sweden government gives prior attention to research. This accorded the country the
opportunity to develop itself and be in the front position in world pharmaceutical industry.
Language: Finnish is the major language spoken in Sweden, followed by Estonian. Latin is the
official language while English is ascribed the status of ‘foreign language” however, there is daily
increase in the number of speakers of English language in the country.
(www.visitsweden.com.swedenfacts).

9. Australia: Australia is known to be in the front field of mining, biotechnology, and food
industry.
Language: English is the official language in Austrialia spoken by 82% of the population. The
remaining 18% speak Italian, Greek, Cantonese, Arabic, Mandarin and Vietnamese.

10. Finland: The country is known for high-tech projects and health care facilities. It gave birth
to Nokia which was a world leader in mobile communication for many years.

37
ISSN 2053-6305(Print), ISSN 2053-6313(online)
 International Journal of English Language and Linguistics Research
Vol.3, Issue 5, pp.34-41, August 2015
Published by European Centre for Research Training and Development UK (www.eajournals.org)
Language: Finnish and Swedish are the official languages in Finland. 70% of the population
speak English as a foreign language. Leppanen etal (2011) projected that English will replace
Finnish in Finland by 2027.

11. South Korea: South Korea is fast gaining ground among the technologically advanced nations
of the world through companies like LG, Hyundai, Samsung and so on.
Language: Korean is the official language, English is taught as a second language.

12. Israel: Israel is one of the top five in space science. The country is also known for her
innovation in defense industry. Israel developed the first Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) with
real time surveillance. Israel is among the few nations that have modern car infrastructure.
Language: Modern Hebrew is the national language while Hebrew, Arabic and English are the
official languages. Caplan (2013), however, affirmed the fear that English many soon erode
Hebrew in Israel universities as English is acknowledged throughout the world. Other languages
spoken in Israel include Aramaic and German.

13. Germany: Germany has been in the forefront of technology over the years. However, taste for
her products is daily decreasing. Its automobile technology includes brands like Mercedes-benz,
Audi, BMW, Volkwagan and Porsche.
Language: Standard German is the official language. Other languages spoken in Germany include;
Danish, Friscian, Romany and Sorbi; French and Italian. English is taught as a foreign language
in Germany universities and Colleges (Swiss Education System: www.edic.ch).

14. Russia: Right from the time of USSR, Russia has been recognized as one of the
technologically developed nations of the world. It lunched the first human made object to reach
the surface of the moon. It is also known for its activities in heavy machinery and defense system.
It is a country where missile system and atomic bombs are produced.
Language: Russian is the official language. There are over one hundred (100) minority languages
speaking across Russia. Though the USSR is dead, Russia is living. The unending war on nuclear
issues between USA and Russia is giving room for the spread of English language in Russia.

English and Fifty (50) Most Technologically Advanced Universities in the World
Introduction
After reviewing the activities of hundred of thousands of candidates and universities
performance in 2014, the international body responsible for the award came up with the following
fifty (50) universities. They are ordered from the least to the greatest. The present writer is
interested in the languages used as medium of instruction in those universities (source:
www.greatvaluecollege.net)

38
ISSN 2053-6305(Print), ISSN 2053-6313(online)
 International Journal of English Language and Linguistics Research
Vol.3, Issue 5, pp.34-41, August 2015
Published by European Centre for Research Training and Development UK (www.eajournals.org)
Position Name of University Location Points Language of
Instruction
50 Wofford College, Spartanburg South Califonia USA 2 English
49 Athabasca University Athabasca, Alberta Canada 3 English
48 University of Missouri-Columbia USA 3 English
47 Hamilton College, Clinton New York USA 4 English
46 Colgate University, Hamilton, NY USA 4 English
45 University of California, Sandiego, California USA 5 English
44 Pomona College, Claremont California USA 6 English
43 University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia USA 6 English
42 Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, California USA 6 English
41 Technical University of Dortmund, Dortmund Garmany 7 German
40 Utah State University Logan, Utah USA 8 English
39 Ben-Gurion University of Negar, Beer-Shera Israel 9 Hebrew,
Arabic, English
38 University of Massachusetts Boston 10 English
37 Brigham Young University Provo Utah USA 10 English
36 Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, USA 11 English
New York
35 Aalborg University, Aalborg Denmark 12 Danish
34 Wake Forest University, Winston-Salam, USA 12 English
North Carolina
33 Delf University of Technology, Netherlands 15 Dutch &
English
32 Australian National University Canberra, ACT Australia 16 English
31 Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (Asia) Kazakhstan 16 Kazakh
30 University of Texas, Austin USA 16 English
29 National University of Singapore Singapore 17 Singlish &
English
28 University of Melbourne, Melbourne Australia 18 English
27 Auckland University of Technology, Aukland New 18 Maori
Zealand
26 Montana State University, Bozema Montana USA 19 English
25 University of Waterloo, Waterloo Ontario Canada 21 English
24 University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo Japan 22 Japanese
23 Academy of Art University, San Francisco, USA 23 English
California
22 Washington University, St. Louis Missouri, USA 25 English
21 University of Bologna, Bologna Italy 27 Italian
20 University of Sussex, Brighton and Hive, UK 29 English
England
19 University of Toronto, Toronto Ontario Canada 31 English

39
ISSN 2053-6305(Print), ISSN 2053-6313(online)
 International Journal of English Language and Linguistics Research
Vol.3, Issue 5, pp.34-41, August 2015
Published by European Centre for Research Training and Development UK (www.eajournals.org)
18 Nanyana Technological University Singapore 34 Singlish &
English
17 University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Michigan, USA 36 English
16 Technisch Universitat Munchen (TUM) Germany 37 German
15 Princeton University, Princeton New Jersey USA 54 English
14 Technion-Israel Institute of Technology Haifa, Israel 56 Hebrew and
English
13 Purdue University, West Lafayette Indiana USA 65 English
12 Oxford University, Oxford England UK 91 English
11 Gorgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta USA 93 English
Georgia
10 Cambridge University, Cambridge England UK 104 English
9 Standford Univesity, Palo Atto, Califonia USA 105 English
8 University of Calfornia, Los Angeles USA 119 English
7 Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, USA 121 English
Pennsylvania
6 Massachusetts Institute of Technology USA 121 English
Cambridge, Massachusetts
5 Imperia College, London-England UK 125 English
4 Cornell University, Ithaca, New York UK 144 English
3 California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, USA 146 English
California
2 Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich Switzerland 228 German/French
1 Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Switzerland 242 German/French
Lausanne

CONCLUSION

This paper observed English as an international language of science and technology. The history
of English in the development of science and technology was technically observed. English is the
language of instruction in most world universities. Basically, ideas are conceived, birth and
developed in science and technology through the instrumentality of the language.The dominance
of English language in the field of science and technology was as a result of the dynamic nature
of the language. It accommodates all forms of language. With the rate at which English is
dominating every sphere of life in most nation of the world, a time is coming when the language
shall attain the status of world language.

REFERENCE

Buchanam, R. A. (2015). The historical development of science. Retrieved from

www.historyofscience.com on 4/5/2015
Caplan, S. (2013). Tongues tied? Perspectives on English as the international language of science.
Retrieved from guardian.co.uk on 16/5/2015
40
ISSN 2053-6305(Print), ISSN 2053-6313(online)
 International Journal of English Language and Linguistics Research
Vol.3, Issue 5, pp.34-41, August 2015
Published by European Centre for Research Training and Development UK (www.eajournals.org)
Deng, B. (2015). English is the language of science. Retrieved from www.science.stateofuniverse
on 18/6/2015
Drubin, D. G. and Kellogg, D.R. (2012). English as universal language of science: opportunities
and challenges America. Mol.Biol.Cel.
Erbar, P. (2014). The ten most technologically advanced countries in the world. Retrieved from
www.insidermonkey.com on 10/7/2015
Foyewa, R. A. (2012). Language attitudes in Nigeria: Implication on General English in Higher
Institutions. Journal of Language and Applied Linguistic 3(2) 28-36
Leppanen, S., Pickanen-Hunta, A., Nikuta, T., Kytola, S., Turmakangas, T., Nissinon, K., Kaanta,
L., Rausanen, T., Lactimen, M., Paata, P. Koskela, H., Lahdesmak, S. and Jousmaki, H.
(2011). The future of English in Finland. Studies in studies in variation, contacts and change
in English , Vol. 5 65-72
Tardy, C. (2004). The role of English in scientific communication: Lingua franca or
Tyrannousaurus rex? Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 3 (3)247 – 269
Sharma, A. (2015). Technologically advanced nations of the world. Retrieved from
www.lifengadget.com on 8/7/015

Website address

Definition of Technology, retrieved from dictionary.reference.com on 8/7/2015

History of English, retrieved from www.english.club.com on 8/7/2015
History of technology, retrieved from www.historyoftechnology.com on 8/7/2015
The Union of Soviet and Socialist Republic (USSR), retrieved from www.history.com on 8/7/2015
Technology in Singapore, retrieved from www.singaporexpats.com on 8/7/2015
The history of Google, retrieved from www.google.com.ng on 9/7/2015
The Growth of Sweden technology, retrieved from www.visitssweden.swedenfacts on 9/7/2015
Swiss education System, retrieved from www.edic.ch on 9/7/2015
50 Most Technologically Advanced Universities in the World, retrieved from
www.greatvaluecolleg.not on 10/7/2015
Japan Technology, retrieved from www.richestlifestyle.com on 10/7/2015
Finland Technology, retrieved from www.finland.org on 10/7/2015
World English, retrieved from www.nationonline.com on 10/7/2015

41
ISSN 2053-6305(Print), ISSN 2053-6313(online)