Teach English in Xiacun Zhen - Jincheng Shi

According to language researchers, English has developed and evolved over the course of more than 1,400 years. From its earliest West Germanic dialects to its Anglo-Saxon roots to the influence of Old and Shakespearian English, this transformative language is considered by many to be the global “lingua franca” or “common language”. Of the 6,500 spoken languages of the world, English bridges the gap that would otherwise exist across the world allowing for everyone from global leaders to common trades people to communicate effectively and efficiently. According to David Crystal, an expert of the history of the English language and other of English as a Global Language, for the first time in human history, we have a language that is spoken globally by every country in the world. In fact, scholars say that about one-fourth of the world’s population can communicate to some degree in English. But what are the advantages and draw backs to a monolingual world? And how can we use this knowledge to engage our curious students? In this short essay, these questions will be investigated thoroughly. English belongs to the Indo-European language family. Much of its vocabulary is influenced by other language families including Latin, Greek, Germanic, and French. It is also most commonly spoken in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand, as well as widely spoken in some areas of the Caribbean, Africa, and South Asia. As for the reason why the language is spoken so commonly across the world, language researchers associate colonization and the dominance and influence of British literature as some of the reasons for its international appeal. Although English is considered by many as the “lingua franca”, this does not mean that it is the most popular or widely spoken language. According to Babbel, a language learning site, Chinese and Spanish are the two most spoken languages in the world with English following as third on the list. Statistically, Mandarin is said to be spoken by one in six people in the world while Spanish has about 400 million speakers worldwide. These numbers come ahead of the estimated 360 million native English speakers. However, what makes English stand out is that half a billion people speak English as their second language indicating its success as a language in the worlds of business, travel, and international relations. Language researchers relate the relative ease of the English language, especially compared to Mandarin. So what are the advantages of English as the “lingua franca”? As mentioned earlier, sharing a common language allows for an ease in communication when the different corners of the planet come together. The United Nations, for example, prioritizes English as one of their official and working languages. This facilitates meetings among international diplomats as well as allows for official documents to be comprehensible. Another example of English as a working language in a specific sphere can be found no further than within the science sector. Although numbers, arithmetic, and calculations are somewhat universal, the working language of science remains English to this day to, again, facilitate communication. This has proven beneficial for scientists who gather at conferences or assemble for the sake of experiments or research. By sharing one common language, scientists and diplomats alike can be confident that they will be understood and heard as long as they can communicate effectively and efficiently in English. If the opposite were true, for example if every individual agreed to meet with no common language, miscommunication and misunderstanding are inevitable. Another advantage of English as a global language is related to travel. When tourists visit foreign countries, it would be difficult, even impossible to communicate with native peoples if English did not exist. Because people are aware that English is a global language and therefore a traveling language, one can travel to a foreign country and be somewhat confident that their tourism industry will use some English. In hostels, for example, English is the most widely used language among backpackers and travelers. This not only eases communication between groups of people from different corners of the world, but facilitates and promotes relationships among those who would not otherwise meet. Indeed, English does have a number of advantages as a global language, but what are its drawbacks? Language researchers argue that the dominance of English is one of the reasons why the number of languages spoken globally around the world has decreased. Since everyone speaks the same language, others become lost and even disappear. Some may argue that if English continues to persist as the global language then soon there will be no cultural differences when one visits a foreign country. Furthermore, the promotion of English can over Westernize and Americanize the music, film, and art industries. This could prioritize Western products and products over foreign ones resulting in a blanket of Americanization. Although there are disadvantages to a lingua franca, ultimately, the facilitation of communication and understanding internationally is, without a doubt, attractive. In ESL classrooms, part of the learning process comes down to motivation. Motivation ultimately drives the student to remain engaged and to work hard. As an ESL instructor, outlining the benefit of English as a global language is imperative. Not only will it promote a sense of urgency amongst students but also motivate them to improve their language skills little by little every day. By constantly reminding ones students of these advantages, especially in a way that appeals to them, an instructor would see an immense difference. Some of the motivational factors for students to learn English include a better understanding of the music and movies they listen and watch, to be understood in almost every country across the world, and for the sake of a competitive edge once one enters the job market. Ultimately, there are always advantages and disadvantages to every cause and issue. What is important in the ESL classroom and in one’s everyday life is to remain motivated to learn English, but at the same time, preserve one’s culture and own native language to be an overall better global citizen.