TEFL Hammville Delaware

english as a Global Language The idea that ‘english is a global language' is undeniable, for many decades students across the world have desired english not only for its dominance within economic markets but also because its seemingly universal nature with phrases such as ‘cool' (BBC, 2010) have not only been learnt by non-native english speakers but have become an accepted part in everyday life in languages such as french, German and spanish for example. This is part of the reason why I have chosen to comment on english as a global language, its universal acceptance and continual world growth not only defies belief but also brings forth an incredibly interesting topic that will be later discussed ‘Does global english differ to that of native speakers?' Personal Experience and Research Just from doing basic research it is clear to see that on the one hand english is incredibly dominant as a universal language with many reporting that it is still the world's fast growing language (BBC , 2009). However no matter which country english is taught in it always produces a culturally dependent version of the language. Whether you are teaching business english, Kinda or general classes every student will have their own ideas of how the language works best for them, which phrases they prefer and what's more many will be influenced by the culture of their teacher. This creates a melting pot of english which when spoken by non-native speakers, leads some to the suggestion that what we refer to as ‘worldwide english' may differ greatly from that of native english and it is this style of english that is more dominant across the world, due to the fact that non native speakers greatly outnumber native speakers (Ulate, 2011). For example some non-native speakers suggest that it is far easier to carry out business meetings with those who aren't native speakers as they speak in such a way that other non-native speakers understand far better and far more easily, helping them to feel more comfortable and greater at ease within this situation. This is due to the fact that in many meetings, many use english to communicate as they do not speak the native language of the other person. However the english that is spoken may vary greatly from that of Native english. SpeechSchool (2012) suggest that many meetings are even conducted through ‘broken' or partial english i.e. through a basic grammatical structure or an extremely competent level of grammar that is far more precise than that of native speakers who over the years have adapted the grammar. Perhaps therefore it is fair to conclude that global english really does differ due to personal and cultural differences, with non-native speakers greatly out numbering native speakers (Ulate, 2011). What the course has taught me However whilst I have found the above view to be true of my own personal experience, the course has challenged my overall view of what english really is. This is none more true than when I think of grammatical structures and regulated ways of producing english. The course has helped me to see that the english I was taught and have learnt over many years isn't necessary the same as it is taught in class. By reviewing the grammatical structures, technical names and key foundations of the language it is clear to see that english has a very clear structure and when taught appropriately students are able to master the use of the language in any given situation. This is what is referred to as fluency and provides a contrast to the idea that global english varies greatly from that of native english on the basis that native english is far more fluent than it is accurate. Therefore the differences between native and global english are far fewer than I first thought. Conclusion This has challenged my own personal view of what english is and therefore perhaps that english doesn't belong to any one nation of people but the reason why it has become a universal language is do the fact that it is changeable and adaptable. That all speakers of english adapt the language to suit their own personal needs and the situations, showing that people aren't controlled or limited by the language but that they control how the language works whilst still accepting some universal rules.