What Extent Is English A Global Language?

There are numerous different languages are being used throughout the world. Since there are too many different languages, a global language is produced. A language can achieve this status only when it is important to the world activities such as communication between countries, trading between different countries across the world and culture. It plays an important role and it is recognized by every country (Crystal, 2003). Crystal (2003) reports that English has already reached this stage and there are nearly a quarter of the world’s population around 1.2 to 1.5 billion people is already know and use English. Nowadays, English is the most widely spoken language in the world. English has become a global language not because of it is both easy to learn and is superior to other language but it has strong power base. The thesis of this essay is divided into a few parts, first look at what is a global language and what makes a language global then why English become a global language.

Global language means a language which is using around the world and it is important to the world operation and influencing the domains of the human activity in the world. For example, global language is usually uses to write songs, use to trading throughout the world and communication between countries in the world. Global language is important to the world operation and a global language is needed in the world.

A language has two mains ways to become global. It can be an official language and foreign language of countries. Official language means a language which wildly used as medium of communication, such as media, the domains as government and the education system (Crystal, 2003). It also can be the first language of few countries. Crystal (2003) claims that a language can have a global status when it is used by other countries around the world. Since a language cannot become global only use by itself. Foreign language means a language teaching in school which has no official status. A mother-tongue language becomes the foreign language and the official language is the step to make the language become global since a language cannot have a global status when it is not taken by the other countries. And English has finished the step to become an international language.

English has become an international language not because it is easy to learn. There is no language is easy to learn and better, the difficulty of a language is depend on different learner and Lutz (2010) points that it depends on which level of the learner want to achieve, the higher level, the more difficult. Ellis (1985) says that age, aptitude, cognitive style, motivation and personalities are the five main aspects which separate individual learner differences in a different level. This means the difficulty of language are depends on learner. Ellis (1985) reports that aptitude is a main factor to divides the language learner to different level. If a learner has a good aptitude and a effective way to study a second language, the language will become easier. Learner motivation also is a important factor that make a learner learn a second language success. A learner can likely learn a second language to be success when the motivation is high. Crystal (2003) reports that the intrinsic structural properties, the size of its vocabulary or it has been a vehicle of a great literature in the past or it was once associated with a great culture or religion are the motivation of some learner to learn a language but not the reasons make the language become global.

English has become an international language also not because it is superior to other language. Crystal (2003) says that there are many people claim that a language can become global because its sense beauty, clear expression or religious standing and these are the misleading beliefs. Language can become a global language not because the beauty of the language and the number of people who speak it but who speak the language. There are some properties of English makes it become global appealing but the characteristics of the language are not the main reason to be worth to learn but the relative importance between the language characteristics and the internationally value. This make a language be more appealing but not superior to the other languages. English may be more appealing than other languages but not superior to languages.

Crystal (2003) says that language can become a global language not because the beauty of the language and the number of people who speak it but who speak the language. English can become a world language mainly because of the strong military power and economic power. Crystal (2003) shows that a language cannot become global without strong power-bases, such as political power, military power and economic power. These are the dominance of the language which makes a language become global. The military power is the main reason to make a language become a global language. When a country has a strong military power, the others need to listen to the language spoken by the people in that country. Which means it makes that language is used in many countries. Between the world war two, Britain set up a lot of colonies. English became the official language and foreign language of the colonies. This is very important to be the official language and foreign language of the colonies because it is a important step to make a language become global. English must be taken by others countries to become global because a language cannot become global when it is only use by the countries which English is the mother-tongue. So English become the official language and foreign language of the colonies becomes the base of English to become a global language. an economic power is still needed to maintain and expand the status of the language. Economically power became a main aspect which maintain and expand the status in the start of twentieth century. The economic start to growth and develop around the world and there are many new markets were born. There were many new technology are invent. Communication between countries is needed to develop the economic and market. Country has a stronger economically power, the first language of that country will become more important and it can maintain it longer and expand it to larger through the economy. Crystal (2003) claims that Britain had become the world’s headmost industrial and trading country at the beginning of the nineteenth century. The growth of economy of the English is the fastest in the world. These built the foundation of English in the world through the colonies and the economy. These are the two mains reasons to give English a global status.

In conclusion, English has become an international language is not because it is both easy to learn and is superior to other language because there is no language is superior to other language and the difficultly of a language is depend on the individual learner differences. The reasons why English can become a global language because the military and the economic power of the countries which speak English “And English was in the right place at the right time.” (Crystal, 2003:7-10) English set up the base to the world through out the world by Britain colonies. English is also maintained and expended by the economically power and military power of Britain and USA. That the reason why English can become the global language and why English can still be the global language until now.

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