World English

In the minds of many people, there is no longer an issue. They argue that English has already become a world language, by virtue of the political and economic progress made by English-speaking nations in the past 200 years, and is likely to remain so gradually consolidating its position.

An impressive variety of facts about usage supports this view. According to conservative estimates, mother-tongue speakers have now reached around 300 million; a further 300 million use English as a second language; and a further 100 million use it fluently as a foreign language. This is an increase of around 40% since the 1950s. More radical estimates, which include speakers with a lower level of language fluency and awareness, have suggested that the overall total is these days well in excess of 1000 million. The variation results largely from a lack of precise data about English language use in areas as the Indian sub-continent, where the historical impact of the language exercises a continuing influence on many of its 900 million people, and China, where there has been a burst of enthusiasm for English language studies in recent years, with over 100 million people watching the BBC television series “Follow Me”. Even if only 10% of these learners become fluent, the effect on totals is dramatic: the number of foreign learners is immediately doubled.

Surveys of range of use carried out by UNESCO and other world organizations reinforce the general statistical impression. English is used as an official or semi-official language in over 60 countries, and has a prominent place in a further 20. It is either dominant or well-established in all six continents. It is the main language of books, newspapers, airports and air-traffic control, international business and academic conferences, science, technology, medicine, diplomacy, sports, international competitions, pop music, and advertising. Over two-thirds of the world’s scientists write in English. Three-quarters of the world’s mail is written in English. Of all the information in the world’s electronic retrieval systems, 80% is stored in English. English radio programmes are received by over 50 million in 120 countries. Over 50 million children study English as an additional language at primary level; over 80 million study it at secondary level (these figures exclude China). In any one year, the British Council helps a quarter of a million foreign students to learn English, in various parts of the world.

The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language by David Crystal

I. Why do you think English is becoming a world language? Is it because it is easy to learn? Or is it for historical or economic reasons? What are these reasons?

II. Make a list of newly borrowed English words in Russian language. How do you feel about the use of English words in Russian language? Does it matter? Can it be stopped? Why do people in different countries care so much about their own language?

Read and translate Text II.