Global English -

We seem to be witnessing the process of English spreading over the world and becoming the global language. A press release from the British Council (1995) suggested that world-wide, there are over 1,4 billion people live in the countries where English has official status. One out of five of the world’s population speak English to some level of competence. English is the main language of books, newspapers, international business and academic conferences, technology, diplomacy, sport, international competitions, pop music and advertising.

The reasons for growing world supremacy of English

The growing world supremacy of the English language is caused by many linguistic and extralinguistic reasons, the latter being categorized into historical and sociopolitical ones:

- the colonial expansion of the British Empire, which was followed by American economic and technological hegemony

- richness of the English languages in monosyllables, capable of absorbing foreign words and its flexibility in forming neologisms

- the vision of English by many people in the world today as a language of economic opportunity, one that will help to improve both their individual position and, because of the importance of English in international trade and technological research, to improve their countries' economy.

- world technological developments, economic globalization and improved communications. But this globalization of English may result in one very negative effect: it can be involved with the destruction of the world linguistic and cultural diversity. Besides, D.Graddal argues, that, according to some views, English is a language of economic opportunity only for a few: for the rest it created a new, global mechanism for structuring inequality both between the west¬ and the rest¬ and within the populations of non-western countries.

The world need for a Lingua franka

The dream of a shared world language, which could act as a neutral vehicle of communication between peoples of different nationalities and interests, which could serve the purposes of science, diplomacy and commerce, has been a western dream since the European Renaissance. The international auxiliary language movement recognized a need for international lingua franka that did not economically or culturally privilege one country. A great number of artificial languages, as well as simplified variants of English were created, C.K.OgdenÒs Basic English (1920s/30s) being one of them. Its central idea was the identification of a limited vocabulary, of only 850 words, which could be used to express anything needed for general purposes of everyday existence - in business, trade, industry, science, medical work etc. However, there was an ambiguity in this project: was it really intended as a neutral lingua franka or merely as a means of promoting the position of natural English in the world?

From the late nineteenth century, and especially after the World War II, when the USA had materialized as a world economic force, natural English language began to be used by many speakers of other languages all over the world, its main rivals, French and German, being in no position to resist its rise.

The world hierarchy of languages

There are many ways of evaluating the world status of languages, and it would be wrong to suggest that English is the only language which claims to international status.

In the course of establishing the international order after World War One, six languages were given official status in the United Nations (UN): Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. In practice Arabic has not been adopted as an important "working language" of the UN. And most frequently used languages are English and French The importance of French is often historical, though it serves the political purpose of avoiding English dominance in many international organizations.

Now, at the beginning of the 21st century, English enjoys a dominant position in the world. It is undoubtedly at the apex of the complex political, economic and cultural hierarchy of languages in the world:

• The big languages - English, French

• Regional lingua francas - Chinese, German, Russian, Arabic, English, French

• National languages - about 8o languages over 180 nation states

• Official languages within nation states - around 600 languages worldwide

• Local vernacular varieties – the remainded of world languages – approximately 6,000.

Over 70% of the world’s scientists read English, about 85% of the world’s mail in written in English, and 90% of all information in the world's retrieval systems is stored in English.

Purposes for global use of English

English is used for more purposes than ever before. Vocabularies, grammatical forms, and ways of speaking and writing have emerged which are influenced by technological and scientific developments, economics and management, literature and entertainment genres. What began some 1,500 years ago as a rude language, now encompasses the globe.

Naturally, this leading position of English as the language of international communication is a great motivational factor for its study. Many students and specialists in practically all spheres of human endeavor, who wish to go to English-speaking countries for different purposes - either to study there, or to participate in some research projects, are routinely subjected to tests of English competence - such as The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) used in the USA, or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) used in the UK. Such tests are used as screening mechanisms to allocate scholarships and visas. Refugees and immigrants to English-speaking countries also often find that their position in society depends not on their education and professional experience, but on their fluency in English.

The effect of modern technologies

Improved communications within and between countries has transformed patterns of human interaction. Ignoring geography and borders, the information revolution is redefining our world. In less than 20 years, information processing, once limited to the printed word, has given way to computers and the Internet. It encourages more informal conversational language and a tolerance for diversity and individual style, and has resulted in Internet English, replacing the authority of language institutes and practices.

English dialects

English has extensive vocabulary, of which about 80% is foreign, and, as there is no English language central authority to guard its purity and standard pronunciation, many dialects have developed: American, British, Canadian, Indian, and Australian, to name a few. But within this diversity there is a unity of grammar and one set of core vocabulary. Thus, each country that speaks the language has injected the elements of its culture into the usage and vocabulary.

M.E.Hasman points out that English is divesting itself of its political and cultural connotations as more people realize that it is not the property of only a few countries. Instead, it is a vehicle that is used globally and will lead to more opportunities. It belongs to whoever uses it for whatever purpose or need.