One of the features of the functioning of the English language is its use as a national, state and official language. literary language not just one, but many nations. Today, researchers estimate that the number of English speakers ranges between 1.2 and 1.5 billion people. These figures include those for whom English is their native language (native language), second language (ESL) and foreign language (EFL).
Since the 60s of the XX century. the spread of the English language has become very wide.
Some countries initially used it as a means of interethnic communication, then the language gradually changed and became native to the population. Thus, the British version of the English language laid the foundation for the American version, and then the Australian and South African. In the XX century. developed Nigerian, Indian, Singaporean varieties and numerous new varieties of English (New Englishes).
English language widely spoken in the world, wider than the French, German, Spanish, Russian and Arabic used as a medium international communication. English is the most widely used language on earth. It is used as a native, second and foreign language.
English has a special place in seventy-five countries of the world. In nineteen countries it is the official language.
English is taught as a foreign language in more than 100 countries, including China, Russia, Germany, Spain, Egypt and Brazil. In most countries, it is taught at school as the main foreign language, replacing other foreign languages.
It would be erroneous to assume that a certain “international” language is a model of perfection due to its undeniable functional properties, clarity of presentation, and rich literary heritage. Similar judgments are sometimes made in relation to the English language. Undoubtedly, the simplicity of the language contributes greatly to its promotion, but in no way is the basis of this process.
The structure of the English language is somewhat simpler than that of some other world languages. Throughout the history of its development, it borrowed extensively from other languages with which it was in contact.
English is one of the official languages of the United Nations, UNESCO, the World Health Organization (WHO), the official and working language of many international meetings of organizations such as the Association of States South-East Asia(ASEAN), European Council, NATO. English is the only official language of the Organization of Petroleum Expert Countries, the only working language of the European Free Trade Association EFTA (European Free Trade Association). Today there is a radical change in the language situation in the world. Never in the past have so many countries and peoples experienced such a need to communicate with each other. Never before have so many people been able to travel around the world. Never before has such a volume of interpretation and translation been required, nor has there been such a need for a wider development of bilingualism.
The spread of English in modern world reflected in the sociolinguistic theory of "three concentric rings", developed by the American linguist Braj Kachru. He presented the results of this process in the form of three circles located one inside the other: 1) the inner circle corresponds to English as a mother tongue; 2) the outer, middle circle implies knowledge of English as a second language in countries where it has received the status of an official language; 3) an expanding, outer circle includes countries where English plays the role of the main language studied in educational institutions foreign language. The number of these countries is steadily increasing.
The boundaries between these circles, especially between the outer, middle and expanding, outer, are very mobile and unstable. At the suggestion of linguists, in the near future the largest number of users of the English language will be in the middle circle, although at present the number of people representing it is the smallest.
The modern world is becoming smaller all the time. Every day distances between different countries seem less. For this reason it"s becoming more and more important to know different languages, especially English.
One billion people speak English today. That's about 20% of the world's population. 400 million people speak English as their first language. For the other 600 million people it "s either a second language or a foreign language.
English is the first language in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Australia and New Zealand. It is one of the official languages in Canada, the Irish Republic and the Republic of South Africa.
As a second language English is spoken in more than 60 countries. It is used by the government, businessmen and universities.
English is the language of politics and diplomacy, science and technology, business and trade, sport and pop music. 80% of all information in the world's computers is in English. 75% of the world's letters and faxes are in English. 60% of all international telephone calls are made in English. More than 60% of all scientific journals are written in English.
To know English today is absolutely necessary for every educated person, for every good specialist. Learning a language is not an easy thing. It "s a long and slow process that takes a lot of time and patience. But it" s a must.
English is taught throughout the world and a lot of people speak it quite well. In our country English is very popular: it is studied at schools (sometimes even at nursery schools), colleges and universities.
Everyone will speak English soon - I "m sure of it. We all need to understand each other. To do that we need an international language, and that" s English.
Translation:
The modern world is getting smaller. Every day the distances between different countries seem to get smaller. For this reason, it is becoming more and more important to know different languages, especially English.
One billion people speak English today. This is about 20% of the world's population. For 400 million people, English is their mother tongue. For the remaining 600 million people, it is either a second language or a foreign language.
English is the first language in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Australia and New Zealand. It is one of the official languages in Canada, the Republic of Ireland and the Republic of South Africa.
As a second language, English is spoken in more than 60 countries. It is used by the government, entrepreneurs and universities.
English is the language of politics and diplomacy, science and technology, business and commerce, sports and pop music. 80% of all information in the world is in English. 75% of letters and faxes in the world are in English. 60% of all international phone calls are in English. More than 60% of all scientific journals are in English.
Knowing English today is absolutely necessary for every educated person, for every good specialist. Learning a language is not easy. This is a long and slow process that takes a lot of time and patience. But it is necessary.
English is taught all over the world and many people speak it very well. In our country, English is very popular: it is studied in schools (sometimes even in kindergartens), colleges and universities.
Everyone will be speaking English soon - I'm sure of it. We must all understand each other. For this we need international language and this is English.
English is the language of world communication. A language that unites millions of people around the world. Why is English considered an international language? Today we invite you to look into history and find the answer to this question.
How English Became International: Historical Background
Triumph of England. International trade - international language
English has not become an international language as quickly as it seems. It all started back in the 17th century, when England ceased to be a conquering country and became a conquering country, having been very successful in this matter. The English fleet was one of the most powerful in the world. All sea routes were subject to the British. Most of the land - half of the territory North America, many countries in Africa and Asia, Australia, India - was under the rule of the British crown.
The English language has penetrated all corners of the globe. At that time, the most important task for England was to establish trade relations. Naturally, the language of the dominant and more developed country overshadowed local languages. The golden rule worked here - whoever has gold, he rules, he chooses what language to speak. England gave impetus to the birth of the world economy and development international relations in the 18th century, it was English that was used for trade.
Even when the colonized countries gained independence, trade relations with Great Britain continued to develop, and the English language remained. Firstly, because the languages of the conquered countries lacked the necessary words: there were no terms for trading. Secondly, because English has already taken root in this area and the locals knew it well. Those who wanted to earn their own bread had to communicate in English.
Did the English-speaking races make it their rule to speak anything else than English, the marvelous progress of the English tongue throughout the world would stop.
If the English people recognized a language other than their own, then the triumphal procession of the latter would cease.
But why didn't English become the native language in the countries of Asia and Africa? Because the British did not move to these countries as massively as, for example, to America, and did not spread their language, their culture and their way of life. Great Britain introduced a system of government and education into the conquered countries. English was used in certain areas, but it was not the language of communication, the language of the people.
In India, the English language is much more deeply rooted than in many other countries. For 30% of Indians, English is their mother tongue. Although more than 400 languages are spoken in India besides Hindi, only English is the second official language. You can read more about the features of the English language in India in the article "Indian English or Hinglish".
Rise of America
Another good reason that predetermined the use of English as an international language is the conquest of the New World, America. The British were not the only settlers. In addition to English, French, Spanish, German, and Dutch were spoken in America. At the beginning of the 20th century, the question of national unity arose sharply: something had to unite the country and the people who live in it. And the English language in this case acted as a link.
The United States had a strict policy of ousting languages, despite the fact that America does not have a single official language. Official documents were drawn up only in English. Many states banned education in all languages other than English. This policy has borne fruit. If the American government did not force out other languages, then Dutch, Spanish or any other language could become the national one. Then and now we would not talk about English as an international language.
In the second half of the 20th century, England faded into the background, the era of America began. After the Second World War, most of the powers were concerned with the reconstruction of their countries. In turn, the United States suffered less than the rest and continued to develop in all directions: economic, diplomatic, political and military. The country was especially active in developing economic relations. America made right choice continuing the English tradition. American goods flooded all countries. Naturally, to carry out an economic transaction, one needs mutual language, and again this language became English. Why? Probably for the same reason as in the 17th century - whoever is stronger is right.
US influence has increased over time. But it is not enough just to win the championship, it is important to keep it. If in the 18th century trade played a key role for England, then America occupied its niche in history for other reasons:
- The advent of the computer and the Internet
It is beneficial for any country if its language is international. Being one of the most powerful countries in the world, America led the language policy in the direction of the globalization of its language. And the key role was played precisely by the fact that two inventions appeared in the United States, without which our life is unthinkable - the computer and the Internet. These means of instantaneous dissemination of information have greatly contributed to the globalization of the English language.
- American lifestyle fashion
In the second half of the 20th century, against the backdrop of post-war and dilapidated countries, the United States looked very attractive. The American Dream seemed to be the ideal, and the residents different countries sought to somehow get closer to this ideal, and language is one of the ways to get closer. Films, music, youth movements came to us from across the ocean and brought with them the English-speaking culture.
Why is English the international language today?
1. English is the world language
Today, English has become the international language, it is the most widely spoken in the world. More than 400 million people use it as their first language, 300 million use it as a second language, and another 500 million speak some form of English.
2. English - the language of trade and business
In many countries, English occupies a very important place as the language of diplomacy, trade and business. 90% of global transactions are in English. World financial funds and exchanges operate in English. Financial giants and large corporations use English no matter what country they are in.
3. English is the language of education
English is the most popular foreign language in schools. The most prestigious universities in the world are English-speaking. In countries where English is the second official language students prefer to study in English. Knowledge of English makes it possible to a good education and build a successful career.
4. English is the language of travel
Large-scale travel of the British over the course of two centuries has borne fruit. In the 21st century, English is the language of travel. No matter what country you are in, you will be understood in English everywhere. , in a restaurant, at a bus stop, you can talk to the locals.
5. English is the language of science and technology
English has become the language of the 21st century - the century of technological progress and information technologies. Today, all instructions and programs for new gadgets are written in English. Scientific reports, articles, reports are published in English. 90% of Internet resources are in English. The vast majority of information in all areas - science, sports, news, entertainment - is published in English.
English has become the language of youth culture. American actors, actresses, musicians have been and remain the idols of more than one generation of people. Hollywood today is the undisputed leader of the film industry. Cult American action films and blockbusters are watched in English all over the world. From America came jazz, blues, rock and roll and many more styles of music that are still popular today.
7. English is the universal language
In addition to all of the above, English is beautiful, melodic and easy to learn. English has one of the richest vocabulary in the world, but at the same time it has a simple grammar. Words themselves are attracted to each other, forming concise and understandable sentences. The international language should be simple and understandable to everyone. Perhaps we are very lucky that such a simple language has united the world. Read why English is easy to learn compared to other languages in our article.
What a thorny path a language can go through in a few centuries! Today, we can confidently say that in the 21st century, English is the No. 1 international language. How long it will remain international is hard to say. But, definitely, this status will remain for more than a decade.
There are many countries in the world, and even more languages spoken by their inhabitants. And in this case, we are not talking about a hundred or two, but about several thousand. How can the population of the Earth understand each other? But this purpose is served by international languages, which allow all of us to communicate with each other, regardless of nationality and place of residence. One of them is English. Moreover, English is the language of international communication for all mankind.
The Importance of English in the Modern World hard to overestimate. After all, one cannot but reckon with the choice of more than 1 billion people who use it. And if for half of them it is native, then about 600 million chose it as a foreign language. Of course, the range of distribution of the English language in the modern world is so great that this language cannot be identical in different areas. Despite its diverse variants and the presence of specific features for each nationality, English remains the most popular language in our country. the globe. What role does English play in our lives today?
The Importance of English in the Modern World
In general, the political, economic, scientific, sports life of the whole world "flows" in English. English is designated as the official and working language of the United Nations. All sorts of summits and meetings of heads of state, the signing of laws and decrees, negotiations and debates - all this is held in English. International trade, the operation of the banking system, the activities of the transport system on land, at sea and in the air are carried out in English. This language is a living communication tool for academicians, doctors of sciences, scientists around the world. After all, international conferences, the study of world experience and the exchange of information of scientific minds takes place only with the use of the English language. What can I say - the Olympic Games and all kinds of competitions between countries have chosen English as the official language.
The importance of the English language in the modern world is so great that its knowledge is not a privilege and luxury. Once upon a time, computers, as well as mobile phones, could only be afforded by people of a certain social class. Now these things are essential. The same can be said about English. It is taught by everyone and everywhere: in schools, universities, courses. And in our digital age, anyone can do it without leaving home. It is understood that any educated person is simply obliged to speak English, since it is he who is his key to further self-education and self-improvement. That is why there are now so many organizations offering to teach you English. However, do not think that this is so easy to do. Learning any language is a long process that requires certain costs, both mental and financial.
Still, learning English is worth it. Do you want not to feel like a black sheep, but to freely communicate with people of different nationalities? Do you want to become a student of a foreign university? Do you want a prestigious job with career advancement? Or maybe you want to work abroad? One tip - learn English. After all, over time, you will still understand that 75% of the world's correspondence is carried out in English, 80% of information on computers is also stored in this language, and most international documents, articles, literary works, instructions are written in English. And we have not yet taken into account the film industry and the musical Olympus. American-made films have firmly entered our lives, and any pop artist considers it prestigious to sing at least one