Problems Associated with Rise of English as a World Language - Research Paper Example

Problems Associated with Rise of English as a World Language PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH RISE OF ENGLISH AS A WORLD LANGUAGE Titus Rock Manickam Order No. 310543 24 July 2009 PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH RISE OF ENGLISH AS A WORLD LANGUAGE Introduction The rise of English as a world language happened with the policy of colonialism by the British from the 18th century. The British had fanned out into America, Australia, Africa and Asia quite successfully for economical reasons using military expeditions wherever necessary. It was not their intention initially to educate the natives the world over with their language. However, the language became ingrained with the local populace being exposed to the British. Soon, it became a matter of business interest where the local natives picked up words and sentences and communicated with the British to the best of their ability and improved upon the dialect. Learning the English language became essential to the natives to communicate with the invaders. The process of learning in these circumstances may not have been ideal, given the nature of the situation where learning happened in the backdrop of the conquerors and the vanquished (Gunaratne, Shelton A). However, it did introduce a new culture where the conquerors and the vanquished mixed for various compulsions that included trade and commerce. Situation The grim situations arising from the conquerors-vanquished relationships continued to cast their shadows across the continents and societies that began learning the new language of the British. Military expeditions, business misunderstandings or plain local native skirmishes did see exchange of views, albeit impolite, that showed the level of mastery over the new language by the vanquished or the extent of the local languages learnt by the British soldiers or administrators. Such aggravating situations continue to smolder today at various places where English is spoken or is forced to be the spoken language. Today’s conditions are, however, not as complex as they were during the middle ages. The minority can seek legal justice at work places or in other situations if the nature of the enforcement is arbitrary or one-sided (Graddol, David). The situation is particularly difficult in places where English is frowned upon and not encouraged in the academics surprisingly in certain countries in Europe such as Romania and Bulgaria. However, even in these places English is being taught to educate the current generation since English is officially recognized throughout the world. Problem The problems associated with the rise of English as a global language are not universal. They are mostly associated with cultural misunderstanding or local skirmishes. It may be in the form of an employer forcing the employees to speak only English, or the majority English speaking population imposing their language as the only means of communications for use in business. Such impositions are, however, legally challenged in today’s situations where it can be proven that they are more of a nuisance than of real social or business value (Waxer, Cindy). The problems however, refuse to die down owing to the nature of their implementation. An employer may win a court battle in cases where English must be spoken for reasons such as security. Hence, there is no blanket rule that any decree imposing English as the compulsory language for communication is taboo. Nonetheless, these rules are exceptional and are observed in specific situations where they are necessary (Waxer, Cindy). The problem is acute in places where cultural leanings are strong and English is seen as the language of an alien and disturbing culture. The western style of living is seen as promiscuous and for this reason it is particularly difficult to encourage learning of the English language. In the circumstance, it is not possible to envisage any point of time when the English language could decline in importance. The problem with the English language is that its universality has been allowed to continue with impunity even in places where it is looked upon with contempt. Solution Appropriate education is the long-term solution to the problems arising from the use of English as the spoken language. The world is more or less settled with the view that English is necessary. The problems associated with the use of English are generally found to exist in conflicts of cultural supremacy. The local culture cannot and will not submit to the dictates of another language. Undoubtedly, the English language will continue to function as the superior language owing to its extensive use in business circles and in the field of education. But when push comes to shove, it will be hurriedly relegated to the background in order to avoid law and order situations. The local authorities everywhere in the world would rather have injunctions made to print local languages along with English, thereby establishing the supremacy of the local diktats than allow situations to deteriorate with the sole use of the English language (Bélanger, Claude). The use of the English language has its importance as well as its solutions where ethnic and cultural issues threaten its existence. It is difficult to make do without the English language. Indeed, the use of the English language has become so widespread that sometimes one cannot but feel that it is no more the language only of the British. Nevertheless, as long as ethnic and cultural issues go, the English language will continue to face challenges. India is one of the places where use of the English language is growing phenomenally. India is rich in ethnic and cultural heritage. Implication Official use of the English language the world over is the best implication for its extensive usage. The world needs one language which is understood everywhere. English has become the convenient de facto language which is understood and accepted everywhere (Waxer, Cindy). There are other languages such as French and Spanish which are spoken in many countries around the globe. However, they do not command the extensive reach and understanding as English. They could be suitable alternatives. But people generally will not learn a new language only to offset the status quo. English is serving the purpose of communicating. It is relatively easy to learn the English language. Thus, it has continued to dominate the global scenario since the times of the British colonialism. The use of English in places outside the countries where it is the mother tongue such as Great Britain, the United States, Canada and Australia is growing owing to its status as the official language and the difficulty one faces when he or she is unable to converse in English in jobs and business deals (Bélanger, Claude). Hence, the implication is clear. It is not possible to aspire for top positions in the world without the knowledge of the English language. One may be highly qualified in academics. But he or she faces communication problems without the knowledge of English. Evaluation English faces threat only from the national and regional languages around the world. National and regional languages such as French, Spanish, Mandarin, and Hindi have wide usage in their own countries. They are spoken and taught by every strata of society. However, their use is limited in their own nations and regions. They do not command universal usage. The English language is spoken worldwide. For one country to do business with another, the people from both countries need to communicate in a language both understand. For people of every nation to come together, they need one language to communicate and understand (Waxer, Cindy). Also, as mentioned earlier, the English language is relatively easy to learn. It is based on twenty six alphabets and the numerals are also easy to learn. The uniqueness of the English language is that it has assimilated words from the regional languages and incorporated it officially into its own. Hence, words like cummerbund (a Hindi word meaning a piece of cloth tied around the waist) have found their way into the official English dictionary (Bélanger, Claude). In the circumstances, the English language can only grow. It does not face any major threat from any other language. Its easy learning and uniqueness in adaptation to any place in the world makes it the ideal choice to remain the undisputed leader of the world languages (Kahn, John Ellison et al, p114). The information age has given the English language a major fillip with the widespread application of English on the internet. The world wide net has been the single reason for the giant wave rush to learn the English language one witnesses today. The need has become so urgent that even in places which were once hostile to the English language such as China and Russia, the learning of the English language has become vital and necessary. Conclusion The English language is prospering because of its position as the language understood everywhere in the world. Thanks to the British colonialism and the flexibility of the present generation of the British to accept new words into the English language, the use of this language is bound to only rise. The language may have its regional uniqueness in that its accent and intonations may be different at different zones in the world. However, it will continue to be the main language the people the world over will officially recognize as the accepted language for communication (Graddol, David). Sources: Bélanger, Claude; Department of History, Marianopolis College, The Rise of Language Issue Since the Quiet Revolution, http://faculty.marianopolis.edu/c.belanger/quebechistory/readings/llaws.htm Graddol, David; Global English, http://www.open2.net/healtheducation/education/globalenglish.html Gunaratne, Shelton A; Proto-Indo-European expansion, rise of English, and the international language order: a humanocentric analysis, http://home.iitk.ac.in/~kpandey/ENG423/rise-of-english-gunaratne03.pdf Kahn, John Ellison et al; How to Write and Speak Better, The Reader’s Digest Association Limited, ISBN 0 276 42030 6 Waxer, Cindy; English-only Policies Can Translate into Problems for Employers, Workforce Management, http://www.workforce.com/section/09/feature/23/59/39/index.html Read More