English as a Communication Method in Global Sense
English is learned and spoken by a large number of people worldwide. In Shakespeare's time, the number of English speakers in the world is thought to have been between five and seven million. According to linguist David Crystal, "Between the end of the reign of Elizabeth I (1603) and the beginning of the reign of Elizabeth II (1952), this figure increased almost fiftyfold, to around 250 million" (The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, 2003). It's a common language used in international business, which makes it a popular second language for many. English as a global language has made it impossible for cultural diversity to develop. English is easy to learn, has a high usage rate, is universal in the world, historical reasons, has a wide audience, strong status, international communication, trade advantages, and high economic status. In short, there are reasons for English as a global language.
This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Saya W. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Esperanto as a Global Language
More than 100 years ago, a Polish person invented the universal language of the world, Esperanto, which transcended national boundaries with superhuman wisdom and enthusiasm, hoping that all nations in the world will use the same language in the future to promote cultural and economic exchanges among nations. Eliminate suspicion and hostility among nations, and achieve and maintain the peace that all good peoples on the planet desire. Over a hundred years have passed, and Esperanto has not become the universal language of the world or even forgotten.
Also Read: Challenges for Brazilian Learners of English
English and International Community
In contrast, English, which was once a nation-state language, is being used by more and more countries and peoples and has become a universal language in international economic, cultural, academic, military, and political exchanges. Today, there are more than ten English-speaking countries in the world. They are the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and several Caribbean countries. There are more than 70 countries with English as the official language, including Nigeria, Ghana, India, and Singapore. This number is currently increasing. For example, in 1996, Rwanda announced that it would grant official language status to English-speaking countries. In foreign language teaching in various countries, English has priority over French, German, Russian, Spanish, and Chinese. In more than 100 countries, English is listed as the first foreign language in foreign language teaching. Many more countries are planning to make English the first foreign language in foreign language teaching. A symbolic example is that in 1996, Algeria, once a French colony, began to replace French as the first foreign language in foreign language teaching with English. According to statistics, in the late 1990s, nearly a quarter of the world's population, or 1.2 to 1.5 billion people, could speak fluent English or be fluent in English. This number exceeds China's 1.1 billion Chinese-speaking population. English-speaking countries and people now exist on five continents. In international communication, the status of English is unmatched by the language of other countries. English is becoming or has become a global language.
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As a Chinese, after four years of university study, I became very interested in English. Working experience in Singapore made me deeply understand the importance of English. As a global language, English has become an important tool for communication in daily life. For this reason, in my spare time, I want to further improve my English level, because the globalization of English has become a trend. In the future, I want to be an English teacher and continue my passion for learning English.
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