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English as a global languageIn this article we will focus on the following aspects: 1) The historical background 2) The linguistic advantages 3) Critical voices 4) Chances for the present and the future 1) The historical background The English language is everywhere. It is surrounding us all over the world: If we turn on the TV, listen to the radio, surf the internet ... But why is it like that? What are the roots of this development that made one language so popular and familiar to so many different coutries, cultures and peoples. To get the answer to these questions we have to take a journey back in time to the Age of Empires. After the discovery of America in 1492 by Columbus a huge competition for empires began between the great powers with acces to the sea. The most important were england and spain (also portugal and france later germany). england was the most powerful and soon great parts of North America belongt to it. But that was not all. Colonies were also founded in Africa and Asia. Australia a whole continent became part of it. In the British Empire, the largest empire the world's face has ever seen, in addition to the British way of life and convictions the English language was spread and even enforced onto the peoples of those countries that were conquered. In the North American parts of the Empire - now the united states of America and Canada - and in Australia and New Zealand English became the native language wherease in the African and Asian colonies the English language bacame very common and big parts of the population leaned it but it never became the status of a mother tongue. It is this way since the first mentioned countries' populations were formed of people whose rootes were in Great Britain. This is the first historical reason for the globalic usage of the English language. The second reason is that after World War Two the Unites States where the superpower of the Western world and since large parts of Europe where distroyed during the war they were helped by the US to be rebulilt (The European Recovery Programm). During the Cold War the United States influence the Western world especially Europe in lots of areas specially politically and economically. The American Way of Life was imitated by lots and lots of people which also inclued the spread of the English language in the first palce in the culural field. After the downfall of Communism the US-American influence expanded to the new areas. 2) The linguistical advantages Another important fact why English is so popular is the certainty that it is compared to other languages an easier one. The following examples will explain this: a) The English alphabet contains just 26 letters (while e.g. the Spanish 27, the German 30, the Romanian 31) b) There are no sexes and just one direct article (whereas for example in the German language there are three sexes and direct articles). c) Even though the English language is not a phonetic one and there are some words one can spell the same way but read another way or vice versa it is still much easier than those Asiatic languages where words in general pronounced differently mean something totally differnet. d) Another fact is that English is a pretty clear language since the words are shorter then in others (e.g. German). 3) Critical voices But on the other hand this globalization of the English language is also critized by more and more voices. People are afraid that the prize of this development is the loss of other languages. The fear that the English language is just a tool of the Unite States to enlarge its territory and raze other ways of life, cultures and traditions is growing. The superficiality of Hollywood and MTV often get linked to the English language. Then the tragic fact that young people from poorer countries learn this languge with the aspirations to find a job and succes in the English-speaking world is a painful expirience for parents and elder generations who see their countries getting absored and forgotten. 4) The chance for the present and the future We should see in the global importance of the English language a huge advantage that can help us to grow together and learn from one another. English can help us to make friends all over the world and learn about differnet countries but also to understand their difference, too love them and to encourage their continuity: English as the language of the hearts!
