History of the English Language
Source: English - One Tongue, Many Voices
Authors: Jan Svartvik, Geoffrey Leech
Jessica [email protected]
“English, no longer an English language, now grows from many roots”
Salman RushdieThe Times, 3 July 1982
The Canadian writer Marshall McLuhan claimed that electronically connected media would eventually transform the world into a huge
“Global village”
What is Globalization?
It is the process by which the world has become increasingly interconnected as a result of massively increased trade and cultural
exchange
EFFECTS
Increase in the production of goods and services The biggest companies are no longer national firms but multinational corporations with
subsidiaries in many countriesIncreased international TRADE
Greater dependence on the global economyFreer movement of capital, goods, and services
Language is Global for ONE REASON ONLY......
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Give it a try
English has become the working tongue of that Global Village
How many languages are spoken today in the world?
6.800 distinct languages
Just 5 languages are spoken by more than half of the world's population
CHINESE
ENGLISH
SPANISH
RUSSIAN
HINDI
English is nowadays the mother tongue of over 320 million people
But
What is the most remarkable thing about English?
…..
1) It is used as an additional language by so many more people all around the world
2) It is the means of international communication
3) It has become big business
4) It is the most taught foreign language in the world
Why this huge demand for English?
Maybe...
Hypothesis 1
Is it easier, beautiful orsuperior in linguistic qualities?
Here are a few reasons..
1. Young people are attracted by things they can do with English, such as listening to music, watching films and surfing the web
2. Scientists and Academics see English as a necessity forreaching out colleagues around the globe
3. Tourists consider the English language as the most useful tool totravel and communicate
4. Air traffic controllers use English to communicate with pilots
5. Business (China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, India)
6. EU working language is English
7. To pursue an international career IN ANY CONTEXT
Last but not least..
8. The UNIQUE history of the English Language
Let's revise it in this 10 minute video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3r9bOkYW9s
Why is English not the easiest language?
Linguists provided scientific evidence
1. Pronunciation corresponding to Spelling
2. Vocabulary: English word stock is vastOxford English Dictionary: 600,000 words
3. Syntax is no less complex than that of other languages
Grammar is less learner-friendly than is generally assumed
Huddlestone and PullumsCambridge Grammar of the English
Language 1.800 pages
Remember: Italian and Spanish, despite having pure vowel sounds, did not achieve
the status of LINGUA FRANCA
The expansion and influence of British colonial power
The status of the United States of America as the leading economy, military andscientific power in the 20th century
Increasing need of international communication as a result of modern
technology
The Indian-American scholar Braj Kachru has taught us to think of English, as used around the world, in the form of three
concentric areas.
The Inner Circle
ENGLISH AS A FIRST LANGUAGE 8 countries
USUK
CANADAAUSTRALIACARIBBEAN
IRELANDNEW ZEALANDSOUTH AFRICA
On a population of 447 million, 326 million speak English as their first language
Let's look at them in detail!
UNITED STATES
For 40 million Americans the FIRST language is SpanishHispanics have now replaced African Americans as the largest
minority group
Birth of Spanglish as an English varietyAfro-American varieties
215/278 million people speak English as their first language
CANADA
It is a BILINGUAL COUNTRY
20/32 million people speak English as their first language
Almost a quarter of the population report French to be their mother tongue
Native Canadians speak various Indigenous languages
IRELAND
Two official languages: ENGLISH IRISH/GAELIC ( taught in schools)
4/4 million people speak English as their first language
SOUTH AFRICA
4/44 million people speak English as their first languageEnglish is the language most commonly used in Parliament and in
higher education istitutes
However, what many people find surprising is that neither in the United States nor in Britain, has English ever been FORMALLY declared THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE!
Although both of them have fought to impose English for a long time..
Counter effects for Native Speakers:
General lack of enthusiasm for learning other languagesDo not mingle with other cultures and enjoy it
Counter effects for Non-Native Speakers
English is seen as a threat for their cultural and linguistic identity
The Outer Circle
ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE
English is an official language, widely used in administration, education and the media
Mainly former British colonies:AFRICA: Kenya, Tanzania
ASIA: India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Singapore
INDIA
Among the leading English-using nations in the world
More than a BILLION inhabitants and
200 languages
200 million people use English as a second language
Indian English in used by BBC too!http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02mdwbn
The Expanding Circle
ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE
Is this expansion of English going to reach a SATURATION POINT?
Are we moving towards an “EXPANDED CIRCLE”?
To overcome the confusion of tonguespeople have tried in the past to make up
ARTIFICIAL INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGES
EsperantoIdo
VolapukNovial
InterglossaInterlingua
Esperanto was the most successful attempt but
Artificial languages have met with little success
Conclusive remarks
Globalization has fostered our need to have a world language
Non-native speakers of English in the world now outnumber native speakers
The future of English will be more determined by the majority of its users, those in the Outer Circle and the
Expanding/-ed Circle
Further reading:“English as Global Language” - David Crystal
David Crystal Talk at the British Councilhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=5Kvs8SxN8mc