Present

Past

ENGLISH

The World’s Biggest Brand

Imagine a brand bigger than Nike, bigger than Gap, bigger than Coca-Cola. Imagine a brand used by 1.5 billion people the world over.

The brand is English.

How did English achieve global dominance? And what does it mean for the future of English and the rest of the world’s languages?

Why English became the number 1 language:

1. Empire

At its height, the British Empire included over one quarter of the world’s population and landmass. “Britain’s colonial expansion established the preconditions for the global use of English, taking the language from its island birthplace to settlements around the world,” says David Graddol, author and Open University lecturer.

2. Adaptibility

“We don’t just borrow words,” says writer James D. Nicoll. “On occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.”

The fact that it came into contact with a multitude of other languages turned it into a kind of linguistic mongrel. English “borrowed” (some say stole) words from over 350 other languages, making it richer and more adaptable than other well-established tongues.

3. America

Even as the British Empire declined, the rise of the U.S. as a global superpower ensured that the English language continued on its path to world domination. TV, Hollywood, rock ‘n’ roll, and now the Internet are all foot soldiers in the march of the new lingua franca.

Why English is still number 1:

1. It’s the language of technology

As the old joke goes, the international language of technology is “broken English”. And it’s true that technology plays an important role in the language’s continuing dominance. 80% of electronically stored information in the world is in English. According to the British Council, 66% of the world’s scientists read in English; and, of course, it’s the language of international air traffic control.

2. It’s the language of business

Whether you’re a Japanese executive on business in Brazil, a Mexican computer scientist at a conference in India, or a Norwegian tourist haggling in a Moroccan street market, you’re probably speaking English.

There’s never before been a language that’s been spoken by more people as a second than a first language,” says English-language expert David Crystal, author of English as a Global Language.

3. It’s a big business

Britain alone boasts a 1.3 billion pounds English Language Teaching industry. It is predicted that by 2020 it will be the UK’s biggest export, earning 20 billion pounds a year.

One of the fastest expanding markets is China. Although Chinese is the world’s top language in terms of the number of native speakers, the Chinese themselves are gripped by English Fever – they even have their own term for it: Yingwen re.

“Crazy English” – a method developed by ex-newsreader, Li Yang – is taught in huge sports stadiums to classes of thousands. As one 12-year-old Chinese student puts it: “If you can’t speak English, it’s like you’re deaf and dumb.”

Дата добавления: 2014-12-29