Fri, 19 Jul 2019

Reasons Why English is Considered a World Language

The native language -or L1-, is the language a person has been exposed to from birth. It can also be called the first language and it is usually referred to as the language one learned as a child. It is part of the cultural identity of a person. The second language -or L2-, is the language that is not the native language and it is learned later, usually as a foreign language.

This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Natália S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.

Language Structure

According to English at Ethnologue (22nd ed., 2019), English is the most widely spoken language in the world with a total of 1.132 Billion speakers. It is the first most spoken language as L2 and is the fourth most spoken language as L1.

English is a straightforward language to learn and speak. If we compare to other more complex languages worldwide, English has an easier vocabulary and short phrases that can bring a lot of information which means that it is a very objective and sensible language for communication. It is a language that allows people to fast achieve an acceptable level of communication even though one is still in the beginner learning process. It is a language that shares linguistic roots with many other Western languages. Therefore for many speakers of these languages, the learning process becomes easier. With a strong Latin influence, English is a rich and very broad language. One can say the same thing or convey the same idea in several different ways. English has over 750,000 words though some specialist says that could reach 1,000,000 words.

Also Read: A Simple Guide on Establishing Rapport From The Very Beginning

Language of Business Communication

English is the official language for International Business, and it has been used not just because the largest economy in the world is the United States of America, an English speaking country, but also because the top developed technologies in the 20th century were carried out by English speakers.

The upcoming years is expected to be lead by communication and technology. English is basically the mother tongue of the information technology and the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).

According to "The Fourth Industrial Revolution: what it means and how to respond". World Economic Forum. Retrieved 2018-03-20. "The possibilities of billions of people connected by mobile devices, with unprecedented processing power, storage capacity, and access to knowledge, are unlimited. And these possibilities will be multiplied by emerging technology breakthroughs in fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics, the Internet of Things, autonomous vehicles, 3-D printing, nanotechnology, biotechnology, materials science, energy storage, and quantum computing."

Also Read: What questions should I ask a TEFL employer?

In order to connect people, companies, countries, the English language is every day turning into an indispensable language. English has naturally become the most important language to learn in the 21st century.

English is the Language whereby Venezuela communicate with Iran. Although they are contemporary strategic allies, Venezuelan people do not speak Persian, Iranian people do not speak Spanish. Both countries do not have a good relationship with the USA, nevertheless, they use their language for communication.

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Thus, English is not only the American Language or the British Language anymore. English is the Esperanto of the Modern World. For the first time in history, we have a language that allows communication all around the world.

English is indispensable. It is possible that within 100 years most local languages would disappear due to the emergence of a global language. The probability that English is this global language is high.

In English, a Japanese communicates with a Chinese. In English, a Mexican communicates with a Frenchman. In English, a Russian communicates with a Brazilian. Hence, English is the language of the future. English is the World Language

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