English as a global language English has had a tremenduous evolution

English has had a tremenduous evolution over the ages, where it's expansion as a global language is one of the most remarkable phenomena of both the 20th and 21st century. In its earlier history, English denoted imperialism; after all it was the language of the dominating colonial world powers in conjunction with its neighbouring colonial languages, namely French and Spanish. The historical timeline of the English language divided itself into three main phases, namely Old English, Middle English and Modern English. However, it is crucial to note a recent growing phase in the growth of English; this latest development is growing remarkably rapid. It is nevertheless Non-native speakers around the world that shape this new phase, as they satisfy their need to communicate and exchange information across cultures.

For the first time in history a single language has become universally used to communicate between speakers of many different backgrounds.

Communities have become more aware of the importance of learning a second language such as English. This learning process resulted in a variety of benefits for the individual. This ranged from social benefits to economic ones; the acquisition of a second language could dictate an individual's entire future and career.

Recently, English has been referred to as a 'lingua franca' which may be defined as a mean of communication between speakers of different mother tongues; this does not essentially mean that it has become a new standard language. The use of English continues to diverge in many new ways. English being a dynamic language is greatly used in many different sectors, from economy to health services, not to mention that it is also the language that binds our cultures. Let us take a look at the present linguistic profile of South Africa as an ideal multilingual example; South Africa alone counts with a total of twenty-five languages. However, only a mere eleven of these varieties are declared official, even more interesting is the fact that only two of these eleven languages are used across the social and economic spectrum, namely Afrikaans and English.

Perhaps the most evident example is that of the European Union. Initially, Europe saw not only geographical barriers but also a linguistic. In an effort to succeed, as a unique merger an immediate linguistic solution was necessary, in other words Europeans found the need for a 'lingua franca' thus entailing them to achieve both economic and political victories. They found in the English language their much-needed solution to social and economic struggles and divisions. In a remarkable competitive society such as ours, English has become an essential tool that can be passed down to our future generations, due to it being vital in educational or instructional programmes. We are well aware that language carries knowledge and that one cannot exist without the other. We see a growing awareness that the acquirement of a second language is an educational investment. Thus explaining the recent phenomenon of the implementation of teaching English as a second language in schools throughout the globe. In conclusion, English is not only an outlet for the survival of economic businesses but most importantly, it binds entirely different cultures together. The English language has made its presence in almost every nation across the globe and has thus achieved worldwide recognition due to its potential in uniting companies, organizations, countries and above all cultures. Therefore proving that English it truly a global language.

References used for the above article:

-www.wikipedia.org

-www.sk.com.br