English as a World Language

English is spoken as a mother tongue in England, the USA, Canada, Australia, India. Today, when English is one of the major languages in the world, it requires an effort of the imagination to realize that this is a relatively recent thing – in Shakespeare’s time, for example, only a few million people spoke English.

English has become a world language because of its establishment ¹ as a mother tongue outside England, in all the continents of the world. This exporting of English began in the seventeenth century, with the first settlements in North America. Above all, it is the great growth of population in the United States, assisted by massive immigration in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, that has given English its present standing in the world. Geographically, English is the most widespread language on Earth, second only to Chinese in the number of people who speak it. It is the language of business, technology, sport, and aviation.

People who speak English fall into one of three groups: those who have learned it as their native language; those who have learned it as a second language in a society that is mainly bilingual; and those who are forced to use it for a practical purpose – administrative, professional or educational. One person in seven of the world’s entire population belongs to one of these three groups. Incredibly enough, 75 per cent of the world’s mail and 60 per cent of the world’s telephone calls are in English.

Basic characteristics of English are simplicity of form, flexibility and openness of vocabulary. Old English, like modern German, French, Russian and Greek, had many inflections to show singular and plural, tense, person, etc., but over the centuries words have been simplified. Verbs now have very few inflections, and adjectives do not change according to the noun.

As a result of the loss of inflections, English has become, over the past centuries, a very flexible language. Without inflections, the same word can operate as different parts of speech. Many nouns and verbs have the same form, for example, walk, look, smile.

We can talk about water to drink and to water the flowers; a paper to read and to paper a bedroom. Adjectives can be used as verbs. We warm our hands in front of a fire; if clothes are dirtied they need to be cleaned and dried.

Sometimes even prepositions can operate as verbs. A sixty-year old man is nearing retirement ²; we can talk about a round of golf, cards, or drinks.

Openness of vocabulary involves the free admission of words ³ from other languages and the easy creation of compounds and derivatives. Most world languages have contributed some words to English at some time, and the process is now being reversed. Purists of the French, Russian and Japanese languages are resisting the arrival of English in their vocabulary.

Notes:

1. because of its establishment... – потому, что он утвердился...

2. is nearing retirement – приближается к пенсионному возрасту

3. this involves the free admission of words -

это подразумевает свободное проникновение слов

5. Give the English for:

Один из основных языков, требуется усилие, родной язык, двуязычное общество, простота форм, окончание, множественное число, открытость, гибкость, предлог, лицо, одно и то же слово, исключение из правила, производные слова, широкораспространенный.

6. Match the synonyms from different columns.

A B

1) native language a) to function

2) inflection b) formation

3) to print c) mother tongue

4) word d) acceptance

5) to exceed e) exclusion

6) exception f) term

7) to simplify g) to issue

8) to operate h) to surpass

9) admission i) ending

10)creation j) to reduce

7. Complete the following sentences inserting the proper prepositions or adverbs.

1) Many people study foreign languages to read books ___ the original.

2) English is the language ___ diplomacy.

3) This book is written ___ English.

4) Many people use English ___ a second language.

5) It is a necessity ___ any scientist to study a foreign language.

6) In English there is a large number ___ exceptions ___ any rule.

7) ___ the centuries the palace has been ruined.

8) In Russian adjectives change according ___ the noun.

8. Answer the following questions:

1) In which countries is English spoken as a mother tongue?

2) Why has English become one of the major languages in the world?

3) When did the exporting of English begin?

4) Why do people study English?

5) Which of the three groups of English speakers do you belong to?

6) What is your reason for learning English?

7) What are basic characteristics of English?

8) What does the term “flexibility” mean?

9) What role does openness of vocabulary play in the English language?

10) What spheres is English used in as an international language?

9. Agree or disagree. Use the conversational formulas of agreement/ disagreement.