Teach English in BAojiA Zhen - Chongqing

English as a global languageThere is no doubt that English is a popular language to learn. Many businesses worldwide require it, and much of the international business is conducted in English. English can be found in almost every country. Many taxi drivers, waiters, and businessmen are often familiar with the basics. This allows native english speakers to travel with almost no need to learn a foreign language. English is the global language now, but will it continue to be in the future? The world has almost always had some form of global language. Business has always been conducted internationally, and that requires some form of communication. English, however, has not always been the language of choice. Arabic was the necessary language to learn during the Islamic conquests. Alexander the Great took Greek to his empire. When the Roman Empire took over much of Europe and the Middle East, Latin spread as the lingua franca. The Catholic Church spread this even further within the Roman Empire as well as around the world with missionary groups. The spread of these languages did not make it entirely around the world as English has, but it is important to see that empires, which believed themselves to be the entire world, have always used one main language. English spread like wildfire when British imperialism swept the globe. British ships traveled across the world, spreading English wherever they went. Colonies spoke English, at least outside of the home. From the Americas all the way to India, English was everywhere. Since the end of the British Empire, English has stuck as a global language. After gaining independence, the united states became a superpower in the world. The U.S., like all superpowers before, demanded that the rest of the world speak English, so English remained a necessity. With one third of the world is now capable of communicating in English, it seems nearly impossible to believe that another language could ever hold the spot that English now holds. Looking back at history, however, it is clear that language shifted when power shifted. Right now, the United States is losing its power across the world. Other countries are seeking to take the position of power that the U.S. now holds. If the next superpower?s native language is not English, it is probable that the next global language will not be English. Of course, there is always the alternative of creating a completely new language, a language that is nobody?s first language. These created languages are called International Auxiliary Languages (IAL). If an IAL were to become the global language, then global language would be disassociated from politics and governments. No one group would be at a particular advantage. Esperanto, created by L. L. Zamenhof of Poland, is a one of many such candidates for a global language. There are an estimated two million speakers of Esperanto across the world. This language was created in order to be the language that all people could learn. Other examples of IALs include Ido and Interlingua. It would be very difficult, but if one of these languages could be taught across the world, everything from politics to traveling would look very different. For now, however, it is clear that English has its hold on the world. Unless a new superpower takes over, or unless somebody can successfully introduce an IAL to the world, it looks as though English is here to stay. Until English fades, native english speakers will always have an advantage in the world, and English teachers, like me, will always be in demand across the globe.