Native Speakers of English - Essay Example

Academic English Speakers Native speakers of English are approximately 430 million people in the world. However, the number of native and non-native speakers is approximated to be 2 billion people. English is the third largest language in terms of the number of speakers after Mandarin Chinese and Spanish. In contrast, when the number of native and non –native speakers are put together, it is the language with the highest number of speakers in the whole world. However, according to David Crystal who is a linguist professor, it takes the second position when the Chinese languages are combined. He postulates further that, the number of English speakers outnumbers the native speakers by the ratio of 3:1. All the above figures show that English is a language that cannot be ignored on the world stage. The following are the number of English language speakers in the top five countries, the figures are in millions: United States of America-215 which represents 95.81 percent, United Kingdom-61, which represents 97.74 percent, Canada, 18.2, Australia, 15 and Nigeria 4. All these, indicate that English has a global image (English dominance in The World, 2014). It is a fact that cannot be contested that the English language, dominates the world in almost all spheres. It is spoken and written in almost every part of the world where business and education are taking place. A number of factors have attributed this. Firstly, Great Britain, which has 97 percent of its population speaking English, colonized most of the countries in the world, especially in Africa and Asia when compared to other colonial powers. This means that, it exported its people and culture to different parts of the world. As the master, the subjects had to learn English in order to get education that it offered. English was also one of the qualifications for one to get employment; therefore, people went to school, learned English purposely to get employment and also to be able to communicate. The missionaries also taught people how to write and speak English. This successfully made English the language of communication and education (English Dominance in The World, 2014). Secondly, America being a superpower and Britain doing economically well means that people will tend to migrate from other parts of the world either to get employment or to get an education. One of the conditions before one is allowed to immigrate to America or Britain, is being proficient in English. Therefore, one has to make sure that he/she has learned English before going to these countries or learn immediately after arrival before being admitted to college or before joining the job market. These increases the dominance of the English language and disadvantages other languages. Since language is culture, they are also forced by circumstances to learn the respective cultures. Because Britain and America enjoy relative democracy, peace, tranquility and stability, people tend to move there if their countries are not politically stable. For instance, when most some countries in the Middle East like Afghanistan and Iraq experienced political instability, many people moved to America and others to Britain because of insecurity. These people had to learn English in order to survive in these countries in employment and even education. There is no balance in migration between the people leaving America and Britain to other parts of the world and the ones immigrating to the two countries. The people, who immigrate to the two countries, do not take their own culture; instead, they learn the American and British culture. This means that the two countries still continue relying on themselves. However, if the trend continues, the audiences from the two countries may have to accept materials and culture from other parts of the world as the number of immigrants increases (Hewings &Tagg, 2012). Thirdly, for any material like books, movies and performances to get a global audience, they must be translated into English for easier comprehension. Therefore, any material that is not translated into English will not reach the American or British market. This makes the British and the Americans not to get texts from other parts of the world like in Asia, Africa and some parts of Europe due to the fact that, most of the texts are done in languages other than English. These make the audiences in America and Britain to relay on the texts that come from them because almost all the texts in the form of books and others originating from America and Britain are written in English. This is another reason as to why the American and British audiences do not access texts from other parts of the world (Hewings &Tagg, 2012). Thirdly, Professor David Crystal who is a linguist says that if one analysis the distribution of materials in different languages, the realization is that the materials that come from the two countries are distributed all over the world and many people access them. The other languages have not managed to distribute materials as widely as possible. This is because other languages are regional. Equally, even if they distribute the majority of the people may not be in a position to read them because they do not understand those languages. English is widely read and understood to an extent that any material in English can be read in any part of the world. For instance, if a text in Chinese is distributed to different parts of the world, how many people will read it? Very few, because Chinese is not as widely understood as English is. One can get a novel written in English on any part of the world being read, but not one which is written in Japanese or Chinese. The economic muscles of the two countries also help to make all these possible. Finally, there are a number of factors that make the two countries not to access materials beyond their culture. English is a global language that is used in so many fields and without being proficient in the English language one is likely to be greatly disadvantaged in the business world and the job market. English plays the following roles: English is used by most international organizations like the United Nations, the European Free Trade Association, the African Union, by diplomats and politicians from different parts of the world to share with each other. This makes it the language of preference by most people. English is the language that is used on the internet to send emails and share ideas. Even the content on the internet is in English, therefore for one to access knowledge he/she has to know English. It is also used in magazines and newspapers all over the world. Knowledge of English can land one a job in the world. English is the language of Science and technology. The scientific world uses English for efficiency so that a Chinese scientist can easily communicate with a colleague from Iraq without any communication hitch (English Dominance in The World, 2012). English is the language of the culture of the people involved. All the people, including countries have cultures and its actors, performers and singers represent their culture, but the ones who gain global recognition are the ones who perform or articulate themselves in English. If one looks at an I pod, most of the songs are in English. All the above show that the English language is a culture. It is also the language of education. In the majority of the countries, from kindergarten till university, the students learn English whether it is in Asia, Europe or Africa. Even the Chinese are hiring people from different parts of the world to teach them English. This shows how English is growing and it is important, it is on the world stage. No other language is as global as English. Due to its global domination, learning English is crucial for communication in this world that has become a global village (The Role of English in The World Today, 2010). English is a language of business. When business meetings are being conducted by business leaders either in Europe or Africa, the language of communication will be English and not their native languages. More than half of Western Europeans speak English in comparison to 28 percent who speak German, 32 percent French. Sixty nine percent of the business managers in Western Europe, and 65 percent of those in their late teens speak English. All these, show how global the English language is. Currently 53 countries in the world have English as their official language; however, the number might be higher because the countries that Speak English (English speaking countries) do not have official languages. The critics of the English language dominance and growth predict that the trend may continue. They give an example of Latin which 1700 years ago, was the global language and it’s no longer the case. However, when Latin was the global language, the world was not connected the way it is now. Currently, people are using the internet and phones to communicate, but during that time, the means of communication were not well developed therefore, it was not possible for people to share and spread the language. Therefore, it is there to stay (The dominance of English in The Wotrld, 2010). In conclusion, English is a language that is growing greatly because it doesn’t have political connotations, it is universally accepted by most people and professions in different fields have agreed to use it. Since the proponents of its growth (America and Britain) have global influence and the economic muscles, the English dominance in the world stage will continue. Reference list: English Dominance In The World. 2014. Exploredia.com.Available http://exploredia.com/Enhlish dominance. [Accessed August 29, 2014]. Hewings, A., Tagg, C. 2012. The Politics of English, conflict, competition, coexistence. Milton Keynes: Routledge in association with The Open University. The Role of English Today. 2010. Studymode.com. Available:http://www.studymody.co/essay/ The-Role-of-English-in-The 429163. [Accessed May, 2014]. Read More