The future status of English as the global language is assured - Essay Example

The future status of English as the global language is assured English is firmly established as the most spoken language across the globe. While there may be more native Mandarin speakers compared to native English speakers, the majority of these of located in just one country—China. When second languages are factored in, it is very likely that there are, in fact, more speakers of English in the world than there are Chinese. The future status of English as the global language is assured due to its longevity and choice as language of communication in business.

The English language, in some form or another, has been around for over 1,000 years. This means that it is a language that is not going to disappear anytime soon because it is deeply rooted among many cultures. The same could be said of Mandarin. However, Mandarin has historically never had the same global appeal of English due to one thing—colonization. The English language originated from England and was exported around the world the England’s colonies. Countries such as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand have all had their cultures and language shaped due to the influence of England.

Mandarin was never allowed to expand like this because China never ventured far outside its own borders. In addition to England, the United States of America also became a great exporter of the English language. After the United States won independence from England, it did contribute much to world affairs. It was only after the Second World War that America started to influence many different countries around the globe. Because they speak the English language, the United States was, and still does, influence they way people talk.

Over the centuries, English has long been the language of trade between countries. Although English is only the native language in a few countries, there are considerably more nations that have established English as their second language. The reason for this is simple—trade. Because many of the native English speaking countries are considered to be first world, it is advantageous for poorer nations to do business with them. To accomplish this, it makes sense to learn English in order to be able to communicate effectively with them.

It would be unrealistic for an English speaker to learn a language of another country that wants to engage in trade—because the developing country wants to grow, it must learn to speak the language that will help to get them there. Although English will surely be threatened by other upcoming languages, particularly Mandarin, the future status of the English language as the global language is guaranteed because of its history and the economic opportunities that come with it.