Main Reasons for English Popularity - Coursework Example

English Language has established itself as a lingua franca of the world many years ago and it is not a surprise to any human being living in the modern reality. Whatever country you decide to visit with the exception of some uncivilized parts of the world the chances that you will be understood with the help of English are very high. English has become a bridge between people of various nationalities, between countries, and even between cultures (Hewings & Tagg, 21). Starting from Europe and finishing with the third-world countries of Africa people strive to know English. John Gray argues that “socially legitimated forms of language and high status foreign languages are seen as a kind of asset, and speakers with the ability to deploy them… cultural or material advantages such as prestige, influence, or employment.” However, it is still very interesting and crucial to understand how English managed to maintain its status throughout all these years and even to make some progress. Today parents in China, Brazil, and Russia are ready to pay much money to teach their children English. The reason for such a high status of English lies in the combination of historical, socio-political, and economic factors. Historical reason is quite obvious: due to a very long domination of the British Empire on the world arena the country has managed to colonize an incredible number of states like India, South Africa, or Australia and then spread its power there. In such a way in the former colonies of England the language has become either primary pushing out local languages of indigenous people (as it happened in the United States and New Zealand) or became a second official language and received prestige and status of the language for higher class. Krachu in his model of English circles explained how the spread of the English language is going on in the world. In the core of the circles there are countries which are completely self-sufficient and provide norms, such as the United States, Britain, Australia, Canada. The second circle or Outer circle is created with the help of countries which due to historical circumstances submitted to the countries of the first circle, mainly former colonies that develop and maintain the norms. Third circle composes of countries in which the English language has become an important foreign language mainly to the business and media. The third expanding circle is still growing to include Europe, Indonesia, China, and post-Soviet states (Hewings & Tagg, 179). But why is English gradually substituting local languages and expanding more and more countries and isn`t it a high time to speak about the linguicide caused by it? The popularity of English is explained by the quick globalization of the world, capitalism establishment as dominant economic system of the planet, and introduction of the Internet in most countries of the globe. Therefore, for many countries the knowledge of English means the ability to trade and produce goods which guarantees financial stability of the economy. And it concerns all the states producing material object such as food as well as non-material such as touristic services (Hewings & Tagg, 18). Thus, taking all this facts into account it is necessary to find out whether the expansion of English is a linguicide of less popular and less important languages or it is the only possible way to global communication? Thus, the basis of the domination of the English must be studied more thoroughly in order to give a final verdict regarding its positive or negative effect on the civilization. Needless to mention that the power of English as a language is fused with the power of global markets. English has been turned into the language for communication between colonies and metropoles. The principle was the following: ideas, inventions, norms, and products of culture, such as science or media, were delivered to colonies in exchange for finances and goods. In such a way more developed countries pushed towards the progress those countries which were lagging behind. Therefore, globalization became an inevitable consequence of such a long and fruitful cooperation between countries. For instance most African countries do not have opportunity to produce own media products buying Television in Europe or in the United States. It is also noteworthy that numerous channels became world popular and are watched in every country of the planet. Who does not know MTV or National Geographic and Discovery ( Hewings & Tagg, 2002)? Such a wide and overwhelming consumption of English-language media in the world is not accidental itself, it is closely connected to economic profit which such countries as Britain and America manage to receive. Today the dominance of media is only reinforcing with the central place of UK publishing in the world, high authority of such English-speaking media as BBC or CNN, and what is more interesting an introduction of digital publishing by Amazon and Kobo. BBC was conceived as the means of spreading cultural values and attitudes of higher classes of society to all the inhabitants of the British Empire. As a result the particular pronunciation that became famous as Received Pronunciation that was used by BBC speakers became a symbol of high class and exclusiveness in the world. Those who speak RP consider themselves almost chosen class among other English speakers (Hewings & Tagg , 229). So it is not a surprise that English-language which comprises such countries as Britain and America traditionally produces media content of a high quality such as series, comics or books and the people involved in the media are world famous while local products, such as French or Mexican TV, remains limited due to linguistic peculiarities. The rise of Hollywood and American channels producing series has completed the process of English language expansion over the world. Hollywood motion pictures production is extremely profitable business and it is hardly possible that any other country could compete with it in terms of quantity and quality. Hollywood stars are international celebrities, and when Angelina Jolie becomes a speaker at UNO session it is because she is equally recognizable in Japan and Ukraine (Hewings & Tagg , 230). Moreover, the establishment of English as the main media language of the world stems from the literary canon and the prestigious status of education in English-speaking countries .Such writers as Geoffrey Chaucer, Defoe, Blake, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley, Keats, the Brontës, T.S. Eliot, Woolf, and Joyce have gone beyond national literature traditions influencing the literature movements of the world. The last two for instance are regarded as writers who started Modernism in the second half of the XXth century. Not to mention Shakespeare who became world acclaimed playwright and gave a new impact to the development of the language. Supported by the success of music written in English it is no wonder the language had become the universal franca of art to some extent (Hewings & Tagg, 230). The dominance of English in the sphere of education is also overwhelming. Starting from English-speaking books and papers that are sold all over the world and ending with the most prestigious schools that are situated in the USA (the diploma of Oxford or Yale can still be a pass to the cream of society). Even in the countries of Outer Circle the education in English is a necessary thing. Have look at Malaysia where there are four official languages in general. As long as it is impossible to print books of sufficient economic quality in local Malay language students will be taught in English (Worlds of English). India can serve as the brightest example of the domination of the English language in the world. The country with almost a billion of inhabitants managed to adapt English culture and even Christianity along with English language. With the help of introduction of English Literature Britain managed to spread its religious influence over India as the teaching of Bible in secondary schools and universities was proclaimed as the teaching of literature in general (Hewings & Tagg, 188). However, the literature that is created by non-native speakers of English becomes the subject of discussions. It is considered in literary circles that the writing potential of a person who creates texts in the language which is not his mother tongue is limited in means of expression and therefore his works are less authentically valued. For instance Indian writers got used to creating texts in English because they expect higher popularity and more world acclaim. The readership of India and the readership of European countries or America vary in their demands and Indian writers subconsciously adapt to foreign readers representing their country as more glossy and exotic. Most of them are accused of trading their mother tongue for English, however the most successful of them claim that it is the way of representing their motherland to the world. Additionally, the opponents of sticking to a strict national identity would easily recall Russian writer Nabokov who manage to adapt to English-language surrounding and create his masterpieces, among which Lolita is probably the brightest example, exclusively in English. Therefore, language identity in a modern globalized world is extremely fluid and unstable and the opportunity to use English in writing opens the doors to the world readership (Hewings & Tagg, 188). Many South African writers face the problem of choice. In the country which has 12 official languages it is not that easy to choose the one that will help a person to express his deep and delicate emotions. As it becomes clear from the interview, it is a matter of family education as well as personal inclinations what language to choose. For some South Africans Afrikaans is easy and flows naturally while other find it difficult or create texts in English as they absorbed a great deal of English speaking prose and poetry (Worlds of English). The same situation is familiar to Kenya. The education in schools and universities concentrated around English literature canon and as a result Kenyan literature as well as the whole African literature was represented as a satellite to English. In such a way Britain aimed to maintain its high status and raise politically and culturally loyal elite among Kenyans. Ngugi as a national Kenyan writer emphasizes the urgency of Kenyan literature introduction for preserving the culture of the state (Hewings & Tagg, 188). The myth of Babel has gained new meaning recently due to overwhelming spread of English around the world. According to that Biblical parable people were speaking the same language at some point of history so they decided to unite and build the tower that would reach God. However, he punished them for being so proud and bold by mixing their language and producing different languages. It turned that without interpreters it was impossible to build such a huge building. Thus, opposed to traditional beliefs multiple world languages were represented as a negative notion or as a punishment in the Bible while one common language was depicted as something positive. And today the situation is quite similar as people are half way through multilinguism with the help of English so the question about the advantages and disadvantages are raised again. From the linguistic point of view a language cannot be regarded as a set of symbols only, it is cultural artifact or it is the perspective of perception of the world. Chinese see the world in a different way than Portuguese and it is most obviously reflected in their languages. For example, in the languages of Northern people there are more than 50 adjectives that describe the color of snow, and losing this heritage would be a great loss for humanity. Moreover, people who know more languages are in a more advantageous position than those people who stop learning because their mother tongue is a lingua franca of the world. The perception of the second learner narrows while the perception of the first learner broadens, and this fact cannot be neglected. Moreover, languages themselves only win from multilinguism as they receive the chance to borrow words and develop. Therefore, the position of English is controversial in a modern world: it alleviates people`s lives however substituting all the other languages with it would be wrong. . References Hewings, A. & Tagg, C. (2012). The Politics of English: Conflicts, Competition, and co-existence. New York: Routledge. Worlds of English DVD 3: The Politics of English Transcripts (Video): Unit 18: Learning English, learning through English Read More