Lesson 2: English as an International Language

What to Expect?
At the end of the lesson, the students can:
1. describe the contribution of English as a global or international
language;
2. identify the functions of English in various aspects of life;
3. list the five facts about English and,
4. appreciate the significance of English as a medium for borderless
education, trade, and communication

Pre-discussion
A language achieves a genuinely global status when it develops a
special role that is recognized in every country.
This might seem like stating the obvious, but it is not, for the notion of ‘special role’ has
many facets. Such a role will be most evident in countries where large numbers of the people
speak the language as a mother tongue – in the case of English; this would mean the USA,
Canada, Britain, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, several Caribbean countries and
a sprinkling of other territories (Crystal, 2012).

Lesson Outline
Today, the role of an official language is best illustrated by English, which
now has some special status in over seventy countries, such as Ghana, Nigeria,
India, Singapore, and Vanuatu. A language like English can be prioritized in a
country’s foreign-language teaching, even though this language has no official
status.
It becomes the language that children are most likely to be taught at school and the one
most available to adults who – for whatever reason – never learned it or badly in their early
educational years (Crystal, 2012).
English is a West Germanic language first spoken in early medieval England and is now
the most widely used worldwide. It is spoken as a first language by the majority populations of
several sovereign states, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia,
Ireland, New Zealand, and several Caribbean nations. It is the third-most- common native

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language in the world, after Mandarin Chinese and Spanish. It is widely learned as a second
language and is the official language of the European Union, many Commonwealth countries,
the United Nations, and many world organizations (Gohil, 2013).
Because English is so widely spoken, it has often been referred to as a "world language,"
the lingua franca of the modern era. While it is not an official language in most countries, it is
often taught as a foreign language. By international treaty, it is the official language for
aeronautical and maritime communications. English is the official language of the United
Nations and many other international organizations, including the International Olympic
Committee.
English is the language most often studied as a foreign language in the European Union
by 89% of school children, ahead of French at 32%. In comparison, the perception of the
usefulness of foreign languages among Europeans is 68% in favor of English, ahead of 25% for
French. Among some non-English-speaking EU countries, a large percentage of the adult
population claims to be able to converse in English – in particular, 85% in Sweden, 83% in
Denmark, 79% in the Netherlands, 66% in Luxembourg, and over 50% in Finland, Slovenia,
Austria, Belgium, and Germany.
How did it become global? One important argument favoring English as a global language
is its effectiveness. Today, English is widespread largely because it is used heavily in television,
film, and music. Hollywood's global spread has contributed strongly to the international
popularity of English. It is also the predominant language on the Internet. Web pages in other
languages often tend to have an English translation. The British Empire and the dominant nature
of American popular culture have contributed to the spread of English across the planet.
There are still significant language barriers between people of different countries. If
more people learn English and come to speak it fluently, these barriers could be broken down.
A person in Holland would not need to learn Chinese to communicate with his friends in China.
Instead, he could use English as a neutral language. Then, if he wished to learn Chinese for his
purposes, he could do so at his leisure rather than being forced to learn it in a crash course.
While English can be difficult to learn, learning it can be rewarding. Knowledge of
English makes it possible for natives of non-English speaking countries to enjoy English-
language film, television, music, magazines, novels, and nonfiction, among other things, without
translating. English makes communication with people of other countries and cultures possible.
More importantly, English offers various possible expressions for similar concepts.

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 English language: The Window to the World. The 21st century has witnessed a revolution
in Mobile phones, Emails, and the Internet. It has ushered in a new world where English
communication has become necessary to stand out in the world of competition. Today's society
makes life difficult for anyone uncomfortable conversing in English. In today's world, where we
live in a cut-throat competition, it is very embarrassing not to speak English when it is most
needed. It is equally disheartening when failure embraces us, in whatever form, because of that
one simple reason.
On the professional front, a job seeker's personality is not merely measured by IQ.
Instead, it is measured based on his effective English communication. So here, the importance
of acquiring proper English learning communication skills comes into the picture. Simply putting,
English is the official language of air transport and shipping; the leading language of science,
technology, computers, and commerce; and a major medium of education, publishing,
international negotiation, and business management of the world & as a consequence of, which
over a billion people speak English to at least a basic level.
Because of this reason, English has often been referred to as a "World language," the
lingua franca of the modern era. We must use English to develop ourselves culturally and
materially to compete with the best in the world of mind and matter. Simply put, the English
language is our window to the world.
Learning English is a skill which we can improve by ourselves! Young learners nowadays
have to impart skills to merge into a dynamic society where knowledge, culture, technology,
and attitude are changing at an alarming speed. English can be difficult sometimes or confusing!
Should you choose British English or American English? You may find English spelling rules,
irregular verbs, and phrasal verbs confusing.
Also, a working knowledge of English has become a requirement in several fields,
occupations, and professions such as medicine and computing; consequently, over a billion
people speak English to at least a basic level. Modern English is the dominant language or, in
some instances, even the required international language of communications, science, business,
aviation, entertainment, radio, etc. It is also one of six official languages of the United Nations.
Moreover, here are five facts about the English language :
1. The main language used throughout the world on the internet is English. So,
it is no wonder that the mother tongue of the Web is English.
2. English is arguably the richest in the vocabulary of all the world's languages.

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 3. English is the most widespread language in the world and is more widely
spoken and written than any other language.
4. English is the medium for a huge amount of the information stored in the
world's computers.
5. Because a working knowledge of English is required in many fields and
occupations, education ministries worldwide mandate teaching English to at
least a basic level.

Summary
English is the most widely used and the third most common native
language globally. It is the language of the modern era or digital age. English has
become global since it is used in movies, television shows, and Hollywood
glamour. It is also the language of the influential and powerful British Empire and
the USA.
English makes it possible for natives of non-English speaking countries to enjoy English-
language film, television, music, magazines, novels, and nonfiction, among other things, without
the need for translation. Today's society makes life difficult for anyone uncomfortable
conversing in English.
English is the official language of air travel and shipping; the leading language of science,
technology, computers, and trade; and a major medium of world education, publishing,
international communication, and business management, as a result of which more than a billion
people understand English at least at a basic level. English has a rich vocabulary, is widely used
on the internet, is most widespread, and is used in most computers.

Assessment/Enrichment
Almost daily, some commentator or media critic decries the corruption
of English and predicts the collapse of the world due to the widespread use of
social media, digital communication, video games, and the like. What do you
think?
Have these things caused a breakdown in human communication? Has English become
degraded? Has literacy declined, and if so, is it because of new means of electronic
communication? Have, indeed, critical thinking skills waned? (20 points)

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References
Crystal, D. (2012). English as a global language. Cambridge university press.
http://library.oum.edu.my/oumlib/sites/default/files/file_attachments/odl
-resources/796612/english-as-a-global-language-david-crystal_0.pdf

Gohil, P. (2013). English as a global language. International Journal for Research and Education.
2(2). http://www.raijmr.com/ijre/wp-
content/uploads/2017/11/IJRE_2013_vol02_issue_02_02.pdf

Jourdan, C., & Tuite, K. (Eds.). (2006). Language, culture, and society: Key topics in linguistic
anthropology (Vol. 23). Cambridge University Press.
http://196.189.45.87/bitstream/123456789/29011/1/18%20pdf.pdf

Salzmann, Z., Stanlaw, J., & Adachi, N. (2014). Language, culture, and society: An introduction to
linguistic anthropology. Westview Press.
https://dspace.ttu.edu.vn/bitstream/handle/123456789/3457/

Stanlaw, J., Adachi, N. & Salzmann, Z. (2017). Language, culture, and society: An introduction to
linguistic anthropology. New York: Routledge. https://b-
ok.asia/s/language%20culture%20society

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