Sunday, October 11, 2009

English as International Language


In this chapter, we are dealing with how language can be international like English for example. Kurchu draw a table about some countries that give a very special status to English. However, I think this stable should be updated because these countries may change their position about the English language.


I am wondering about how English countries like America, England and Canada have millions of immigrants and still has not been changed during hundreds of years. But instead immigrants have leaned the English language and their children have acquired it. In my country I hardly noticed people from outside the country like workers or immigrants acquired the Arabic language. I do not know what the difference. I may be try to say because we as Saudi People do not care about the errors and the mistakes that those people made. the important thing is we can communicate with each other. I noticed that we have a very special language which is mixed between the Arabic and his/her language.

The English still have the same patterns during the immigration. The reasons behind that is the English speakers work hard to keep the English a live and fresh.

1 comment:

  1. Please do not overestimate the position of English.

    I live in London and if anyone says to me “everyone speaks English” my answer is “Listen and look around you”. If people in London do not speak English then the whole question of a global language is completely open.

    The promulgation of English as the world’s “lingua franca” is impractical and linguistically undemocratic. I say this as a native English speaker!

    Impractical because communication should be for all and not only for an educational or political elite. That is how English is used internationally at the moment.

    Undemocratic because minority languages are under attack worldwide due to the encroachment of majority ethnic languages. Even Mandarin Chinese is attempting to dominate as well. The long-term solution must be found and a non-national language, which places all ethnic languages on an equal footing is essential. As a native English speaker, my vote is for Esperanto :)

    Your readers may be interested in seeing http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8837438938991452670
    A glimpse of the global language,Esperanto, can be seen at http://www.lernu.net

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