Why English as a Global Language is a Positive Concept
“There is no retreat from English as the world language; no retreat from an English speaking world.”1 When in 1996 Stridath Rampal voiced this quote, many may have thought of it as exaggerated, but twenty years later, his words resonate throughout the world in an unprecedented manner. English is everywhere these days – walking down a street or browsing the internet – it is almost impossible to evade it. Be it active or passive, the use of English interconnects the world, and hence embodies the concept of a global language. The positive nature of this concept can be derived from its impact on international sphere where it helps solve conflicts, simplifies interstate communication, and also enables tourists to travel to countries non-native to English.
An important benefit of English as a global language is its potential mediatory role in solving international conflicts. Generally, conflict is a matter of great tension between two or more competing sides, and those involved in it are likely to feel unenthusiastic about negotiating in the language native to their adversary. This naturally calls for a language that could be recognized as a neutral one - such that is not spoken natively by either of the competitors. For many countries, therefore, the use of English can be a crucial instrument in finding a peaceful solution to their disputes as it eliminates the language barrier and creates a linguistic common ground. The situation, however, becomes problematic when an international actor native to English emerges, raising a question of whether it can still be considered neutral. On the other hand, the language is so widespread today that it is nearly impossible to associate it with any single nation, and as Ronald Wardaugh points out, it is not tied to any “social, political, economic or religious system, or to a specific racial or cultural group,”2 which makes it easier for a country to adapt to it. Additionally, with even more international actors establishing English as the language of diplomacy, it may eventually cease to be perceived as being attached to any particular state, and conversely function as a neutral medium on the field of international relations.
It should also be emphasized to what extent English can effectively remove the complexities from international communication. For states, communication is an essential means of coexistence in the global world, and therefore there is an urge for it to be as efficient as
1 David Crystal, English as a global language (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2003), 26.
2 Ronald Wardhaugh, Languages in competition: dominance, diversity, and decline (Oxford, UK: B. Blackwell, 1987),
quoted in Neil Bullock, “Year 1 Module 1 Assessment Task SO/12/07” (MA assignment, University of Birmingham, 2013), 2.
possible. On that account, obtaining translations for official documents and interpreters for live debates can be a very pricey and time-consuming process. “An internal survey by the European Community in 1987 found that it was costing it $15 a word, $500 a page, to translate its documents [and] a third of all administration costs – 700 million in 1987 – was taken up with paying translators and interpreters.”3 The international communication, by contrast, can be much more swift and flexible when conducted primarily in English because it saves both – time and money – and also removes possible bias against interpreted speech. The question is, whether those not fluent in English would not be disadvantaged compared to proficient and native speakers, whose superior abilities might result in being a tool of discrimination. David Crystal believes that it is not the case. In his opinion, the result would conversely be a sociolinguistic accommodation – creation of a novel variety of English based on the specific vocabulary of an organization, such as the European Union, and discourse patterns of foreign languages it consists of.4 Crystal furthermore adds that native English
speakers aid foreign diplomates by simplifying sentences, avoiding colloquial vocabulary, or lowering the rate of their speech,5 and thus if they continue with this trend, the foreigners may
feel more encouraged to accommodate English, which will in the long run significantly facilitate the international communication.
Another convenience of global use of English is its ability to support tourism in a variety of places. There are many countries that do not use English as their first language, and their native language is sometimes so unique that it used to be very hard for tourists to visit these, often exotic, places. However, with the continuous spread of English, many of these “outsider states” adopted English to boost their attractiveness in terms of tourism. This policy turned many of by then unknown countries into famous tourist destinations, in which, as David Crystal notes, “the signs in the shop windows are commonly in English, […] restaurant menus tend to have a parallel version in English, and [...] credit card facilities, such as American Express and MasterCard are most noticeably in English.”6 The use of English in these countries is an effective way to attract tourists, and thus enhance the local economy that often highly depends on the tourism industry. It, additionally, should not be to worry that English will gradually consume the national language of a country, because outside of the tourist destinations and the most famous places, the influence of English diminishes in favor
3 Bill Bryson, Mother Tongue: The Story of the English Language (St Ives: Penguin Books, 2016), 182.
4 David Crystal, “A Global Language,” in English in the world: history, diversity, change, ed. Philip Seargeant and Joan
Swaan (Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 2012), 174.
5 Ibid
6 David Crystal, English as a global language (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2003), 104.
of diverse indigenous tongues.7 By combining the preservation of original cultures with the
integration of English, a compromise can be achieved, which might empower these countries to profit from an extended number of visitors.
The idea of a global English is a positive concept that is reflected in various respects regarding the international sphere, especially in solving conflicts, facilitating communication, and opening countries non-native to English to a broader society. Leaning towards a global community is today the most prevalent it has ever been, and English plays a cardinal role in its formation as the interconnections it builds significantly raise the dependence of one state on another, and not only politically as in the first two examples, but also economically as in the final case. The idea of globalization is not universally embraced, but with the subtle implementation of English into identities of most countries taking place every day, it can be hoped that the global mindset will eventually be altered in a more global direction.
Bibliography
Bryson, Bill. Mother Tongue: The Story of the English Language. St Ives: Penguin Books, 2016.
7 Crystal, English as a global language, 105.
Bullock, Neil. “Year 1 Module 1 Assessment Task SO/12/07.” MA assignment, University of Birmingham, 2013.
Crystal, David. “A Global Language.” In English in the world: history, diversity, change, edited by Philip Seargeant and Joan Swaan, 171-173. Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 2012.
Crystal, David. English as a global language. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2003.
Johana Lennonova (B.A. Anglophone Studies)
Essentials of Academic Writing - Final Essay
Topic: Is English as a global language a positive concept? Why?
Word Count (title, footnotes, and bibliography excluded): 988 **/**/****