English in the Community - Essay Example

English in the Community Introduction First of all, language and cultureare closely related, which explains why people with similar cultures speak similar languages. There have always been inter-actions throughout the years between people around the world, which has resulted in word borrowings from one language to another. The given extracts not only show the connection between language and culture but also reveal the uniqueness of each different culture compared to others. Moreover, they also foreground the expansion of the English language and its integration and adaptation in other languages and cultures. Despite some resistance observed in various countries due to cultural differences, English has grown to become the world language in many ways. Similarity between Languages Throughout history, linguists have come to realize that some languages are more similar than others and have succeeded into tracing back their origin. The first extract indicates that languages are related in various ways in the sense that they may sometimes use similar sounds or even words. This relationship results from the fact that these languages share a common ancestor language and belong to the same group. For example, in A, there is a close similarity between French and Romanian because both languages belong to the Latin group. In the same way, English and German are also related and have some similar sounds because they both belong to the Germanic group. Moreover the same connection is observed between Arabic and Hebrew that even have some common words, and there is also a similarity between Chinese and Thai. The similarity between these languages stems from some common cultural practices noticed in their people. Brown states: “Language and culture are intricately interwoven so that one cannot separate the two without losing the significance of either language or culture” (165). Language is the vehicle of culture, so people with similar cultures may speak similar languages. Therefore, English and Germans, Chinese and Thai, and Arabs and Hebrews are neighbors, so it is normal for them to have similar cultures and languages. The Most Spoken Languages in the World Chinese is the most spoken language in the world because of the large population of China; however, English is the most widespread language because it is spoken in many different countries around the world. Almost all Chinese speakers are from China, so the first place is mainly due to demographic reasons. Nevertheless, English is not only spoken in countries whose native language is English but also in others where English is used as a second language or foreign language. As the second figure in the first extract shows, even countries which have their own official languages different from English like the United Arab Emirates (Dubai) use English and translate their signs in the language. This translation allows visitors especially tourists to move around the city easily and find the locations they wish to visit. Some of these visitors may not come from English Speaking countries but may be more likely to understand English than Arabic or Russian. Borrowing Words from Other Languages Many English speakers use loan words without ever realizing that they come from another language. Because of the coexistence between communities, some cultural exchanges occur through various communications allowing some words to move from one language to another. Through this process, many words borrowed from other languages have entered English and been adopted by English speakers. For example, in the first extract, in figure C, café, garage and menu are borrowed from French while influenza, tomato and canyon are from Spanish. These words related to food, religion, places or any other fields express the need of communities to share and exchange their cultural values. The different interactions between communities require these borrowings that reflect each culture. English Acceptance and Resistance Many nationalities have accepted English words into their own languages and may even create some mixtures of words between English and their local languages. The first extract provides an example of a junction between French and West German called Franglais or Denglisch. This blending of words constitutes a good attempt at integrating other cultures because each community will learn about the other’s practices through these mingling of words, and this will be a good learning experience. Another example of mixing languages is shown through pidgin. Actually some experts do not give pidgin a full consideration and do not take it seriously while others see it as a full language contributing to real communication between communities. This interest in other languages has been going on throughout the history of human civilization; People have always adopted other languages for example the czars were interested in French and German. This interest contributed greatly to the richness and diversity of the cultures during that period. The first extract also gives an important example of how some countries create new words to express some concepts depending on the context. As an illustration “travoltarse” is used in Ecuador to refer to John Travolta. These smart word creations make it possible for these people to be aware of what’s going on in other cultures and identify to these phenomena in their own way. However, there have been real attempts to purify languages to keep their originality. As shown in the first extract, in France, the Academy is seriously devoted to preserving the authentic French and therefore labels some words un-French. The Academy and the government take this task seriously and encourage officials and public offices to use formal French words. The same situation is also observed in Germany where people attempt to preserve the purity of their language. This resistance comes just as a response to the rapid growth of the English language, which may be seen as a threat to other languages. Unfortunately, these resistance attempts by French and German governments to eliminate English words from communications have not always been successful. New Forms of Borrowing Throughout the years, English has been mixed with various languages to make new words with new meanings. Some borrowings are perceptible and keep the root word while others are not; they are blended into other words and become barely understandable to English natives. This blending of words shows the value of the English language that also contributes to the growth of other languages. The first extract demonstrates how Russians adapted English words to their daily activities and needs and use words like “computeri” “budzyet” and “statistika.” The Russians moved by the need to follow the new trend of science and technology borrow these English words for their own advancement and that of their country and culture. They understand the need to embrace these new technological tools that unite all cultures around the world. Because of the media and the new communication technologies, English has become the prestige world language spoken everywhere in the world even though parents like this German father in the first extract would rather not her daughter speak English. Moreover, in Japan, people accept new words and give them mew forms and meanings. This kind of word cloning works very efficiently in this country where people use English words and even concepts in their own way. Concepts like “pepaa doraibaa” (papa driver) which refers to somebody who drives rarely or “madamu kiraa” or (madam killer) which means a man who likes to date older women are just examples of the creativeness of the Japanese. Inspired from English, these new words have been mainly transformed even though they still keep the basic meaning. However, these new words are not easy to understand by English natives because of the changes they been subject to and are referred to as Japlish. These mixtures reveal the open-minded of Japanese who export cultural concepts from English to their own language. This overture allows them to have a better understanding of American and English societies and cross cultural issues. This writer argues: “Language has a dual character: both as a means of communication and as a carrier of culture. Language without culture is unthinkable so is human culture without language.” (Wei) This exchange of words from one language to another represent not only a sign of communication between people but also carries the culture of these communities. Besides, in Papua New Guinea, Pidgin English is an official language spoken by many people and plays a key role in churches and in government. Therefore, Pidgin facilitates communication and helps carry the culture of different people. There is even a newspaper and a dictionary in Pidgin English, which confirms the official status and importance of the language. This mixture of English and local languages works efficiently and has been used in offices, churches and everywhere in the community. Attempts to stop the mixing between English and local languages have not been successful, and any language refusing English mixture may be extinct according to the warning in the first extract. World English English has become a world language used throughout the whole world because of the economic, political and technological progress carried by the language. This expansion of the English language has been overwhelmingly remarkable and affects many countries. The second extract reveal the existence of about 300 million English native speakers in the world, another 300 million who use it as second language and even more than 100 million speak English fluently as a foreign language. English is one of the most popular languages around the world. It is considered a first language in many countries, including Australia, the United States of America, and Canada. It is also the primary language of many people in Puerto Rico, Gibraltar, Guam, Somaliland, Guyana, South Africa, and many other countries. The history of British and American dominance has made English an important second language in many countries that expect to do business and exchange ideas with English speakers. It also flourishes in many areas that were once controlled by the British Empire. English is a common second language throughout Asia (China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan), Europe (France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain), South America (Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, and Panama), and Africa, especially in areas that were once colonized by the British. As the second extract shows, countries like India with their large population and multiple languages are compelled to use English as a lingua franca not only for communication purposes but also for historical reasons. This author asserts: “The international role of English language and globalisation are the main reasons to teach culture besides the other 4 traditional skills. When you know culture helps you adapt your use of English to learn about, understand and appreciate the values and ways of doing things of other cultures” (Tomalin). The impact of colonization is still present through the use of the English language, which is a crucial reminder of imperialism. However, because of the multiplicity of languages in India, English is highly in need to facilitate the communication between people and create some social cohesion, even though this role of the English language may create some cultural bias and even cause some alienation. Apart from being a medium of communication in various countries around the world, English has become necessary to have access to the new technologies of communication. This new demand accelerates its growth and confirms its empowerment. More people around the world are compelled to use English in order to have access to the new tools that technology requires, which increases the expansion of the language. This increase indicates the importance of English in the world and the fast evolution it has known throughout the years. The expansion of the English language around the world is real even though it is not easy to measure its real influence. There is a clear interest in the language all around the world, especially in India and China with their large population. In many countries, especially in the British Empire, English has been used as a lingua-franca to provide a better communication and understanding in a context where multiple languages are spoken. Surveys conducted by world organizations like UNESCO confirm that trend that English is used in many countries around the world. As the second extract demonstrates, English is used in books, airports, science and technology, medicine and music. This new trend explains the rapid expansion of the language, which has become vital in today’s society. Whoever does not want to be left behind has to know some English regardless of geographic location, origin or language. This new reality has created a new culture, which members of all communities share. The article in the second extract informs: “Three-quarters of the world’s mail is written in English. Of all the information in the world’s electronic retrieval systems, 80% is stored English” (Crystal). These numbers indicate how the English language has grown to be indispensable in this world of new technologies in which people all around the planet compete for high technology. This expansion of the English language related to the new technologies of communication has created an almost new and common culture without boundaries, which citizens from around the world share. This new culture of technology has made English a universal language and people around the world citizens of the world without any distinction of borders because technology has made the universe a global planet in which information is conveyed throughout the world at a click of a button. Across Culture: Body Language The third extract displays various images about body language and its significance across cultures. Body language has a different meaning across cultures; indeed, each culture has its own way of behaving toward one another following its own conventions. The first image shows a couple having eye contact and their bodies almost touching. This attitude can be viewed as friendly in some cultures like in America. Americans tend to look speakers directly in the eye during conversations. To them, this shows the speaker that they are paying attention. Other cultures, however, regard this direct gaze as disconcerting or even disrespectful. A subordinate in America, for instance, shows his boss respect by looking him in the eye. In Mexico and many other countries, however, this could be interpreted as insubordination of questioning the boss authority. About the second image of the third extract, the observation is that the lack of eye contact does not always mean looking away from each other. This attitude may seem very rude and disinterested. However, shaking hands is differently appreciated across cultures; for instance, American body language places a heavy emphasis on greetings. When Americans meet, they usually give each other firm handshakes. A limp handshake is regarded as dismissive and disrespectful. On the other hand, British people do not put as much emphasis on handshakes. In some cases, a very firm handshake could even be considered a form of provocation. These differences, though often slight, are important for non-native speakers to understand in order to avoid miscomprehension and clashes of culture. However, the truth is that each of these body languages shown in the third extract can be interpreted differently in each culture. Each community has its own set of values and behaviors closely related to its existence. These sets of values are part of its identity and help express its identity. Body language is part of the communication; it is another form of language expressed differently; however, it involves various patterns of cultural values. Overall, the third extract highlights the importance of body language, which is part and parcel of communication. Even though it is a different form of speech, understanding body language participates greatly to the social cohesion of communities. Nevertheless, as the different images and the various answers to the questions demonstrate, there is not a universal body language accepted by all societies. Each community has its own principles and values different from the others. While in some communities, people may have eye contact, touch, shake hands, kiss and cry others may find these behaviors totally insane, rude or even blasphemous. What is accepted in one community is not necessarily tolerated in another, so diversity makes the world more valuable as each society brings its difference as a contribution to the building of the universe. The awareness of this diversity is in itself an advantage because each community knows that it does not possess the monopole of truth, but it has to accept the differences of the others. Conclusion The three extracts presented in this essay are all very informative. If the first extract raises the issue of the coexistence of languages throughout history, their similarity, the borrowings, the mixings and even the resistance to the English expansion, the second extract emphasizes the way the English language becomes a universal medium that has a direct or indirect impact in the lives of many people around the world. Moreover, the third extract exposes another form of communication, which is body language that is as diverse as other languages around the world and as such also symbolizes the culture of the communities. Throughout all extracts, the connection between language and culture has been established, and it has been proven that culture takes various forms and is expressed differently depending on the communities. Works Cited British Library. "20th Century Loanwords." British Library. British Library. 2012. Brown H. D. Principles of Language Learning and Teaching. New Jersey: Prentice Hall Regents, 1994. Print. Crystal, David. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language. Gao, F. “Language is Culture: on Intercultural Communication.” Journal of Language and Linguistics 5.1. (2006): 58-67. Print. Kramsch, C. Context and Culture in Language Teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993. Print. Tomalin, B. “Culture: The Fifth Language Skill.” 2008. Web. . Wei, Y. “Integrating Chinese Culture with TEFL in Chinese Classroom. Sino-U.S English Teaching.” 2.7. (2005): 55-5. Read More