Why English is an international language. Why is English an international language? English-speaking countries

However, the globalization of the English language, like any other process, is ambiguous. On the one hand, there are clear benefits that people in a wide variety of areas receive. The ability to communicate, regardless of cultural differences, place of residence, citizenship, is what humanity has been striving for since the construction of the Tower of Babel, when, according to the biblical tradition, people were punished by God for their disagreements and since then began to speak different languages.

Ability to speak fluent English - provides the chance to obtain an MBA (Master's Degree in Management and Management), which gives an integrated vision of the business, organizes knowledge and develops skills in this area. Most international companies require a certain degree of English proficiency from potential employees in order to secure high-paying jobs and prestigious positions.

Kachanova Yaroslava, Gusenkova Christina

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Municipal Autonomous General education institution

"Gymnasium No. 1" of Bryansk

RESEARCH PROJECT

IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Why English has become

International language? "

Completed by: Kachanova Yaroslava

Gusenkova Christina

(students of grade 7b)

Head: N.V. Zhizhina

year 2014

1.Introduction ………………………………………………………… .2-3

2. The concept of "international language" ……………………………… .4-7

3.The history of the origin of the English language ………………… ..8-11

4. The beginning of the globalization of the English language …………………… ..12-13

5. English as a universal international language …… 14-17

6.Conclusion ………………………………………………………… 18-20

7. List of used literature ……………………………… ..21

1. Introduction

There is a well-known saying:English belongs not only to England, but to the whole world... And there is not a drop of exaggeration in this. Almost two billion people on Earth use both their native and foreign languages, English in their speech. Currently, English is the language of the computer, information technologies and, of course, the Internet. English is a priority language in the world practice of conducting correspondence.

English has long been established as a global language of international communication. A rich vocabulary, containing only half a million words related to terminology, determined the advanced meaning of English in science, and today a huge number of scientific publications are published in English. English is used in diplomacy, trade, medicine, industry, business.

The English language has a long history of development. Since the settling of the British Isles by the Angles and Saxons, the English language has been shaped by conquest and trade. And today, the English language continues to constantly change and evolve not only in countries where English is the official language, but throughout the world.
Why is English an international language? This is due to the fact that learning it is a fairly easy process that can be mastered as quickly as possible. Moreover, we note that any person at any age can master this language.

1.The topic of work - "Why has English become an international language?"

2. Justification of the relevance of the topic

Today, the ability to communicate in English has become the norm and even a necessity. But why exactly English? Why not Japanese or Arabic? Why has English become an international language, a language of international communication?

3. Research hypothesis

We propose calling English the language of international communication, identifying the areas of use of English that we know, and understanding what motivates students to choose English over other foreign languages.

4. Purpose of work

Clarification of the expediency of calling the English language the language of international communication.

5. Tasks

1.Educational

- to develop skills in conducting and designing the simplest research

Expand students' knowledge of the target language

To form the ability to use previously studied material in the speech and practice of students

2.Educational

Develop the ability of students to carry out monologue statements

Develop interactive communication skills

Develop auditory skills

3. Educational

Cultivate social skills

To instill in students the ability to objectively assess what is happening

To form the skills of self-control and the ability to objectively assess their capabilities

6. Object of research

English as a universal international language

7. Research methods

Communication-oriented learning

Development of cognitive interests

Person-centered learning

Information Technology

8.Subject of research

The process of globalization of the English language, its spread and significance throughout the world.

9.Practical relevance

English in the modern world is evolving not only in countries where it is the state language, but also in countries that actively use English as the main international language. Everything more people they want to know the language not just at the level of minimal understanding of each other, but in order to easily and most accurately express their thoughts. And accordingly, all the changes taking place with the language in its homeland are firmly intertwined with the lives of people who study and use it outside the English-speaking countries.

2. The concept of "international language"

international language- a language that can be used for communication by a significant number of people around the world. The term is also used to denote this concept.language of world significance... In the modern world, there are from 7 to 10 international languages. Border between international languages ​​andlanguages ​​of interethnic communication is blurry.

After World War II, and especially since the early 1990s, English became the most widely spoken international language. An international language can also mean an artificial language created for international communication, such as Esperanto. Also in the XVII-XVIII centuries. attempts were made to create an artificial universal writing -pazigraphy

Signs of an international language

Languages ​​considered international have the following characteristics:

• A large number of people consider this language to be their native language.
• Among those for whom this language is not native, there are a large number of people who speak it as a foreign orsecond language .
• This language is spoken in many countries, on several continents and in different cultural circles.
• In many countries, this language is taught at school as a foreign language.
• This language is used as an official language by international organizations, at international conferences and in large international firms.

3 the history of the origin of the English language

Celtic culture at the origins of the history of the English language

The first mentions in ancient chronicles of the inhabitants of the British Isles date back to 800 BC. At this time, a tribe of the Indo-European people - the Celts - moved to the island. Those tribes that lived on the islands before the arrival of the Celtic people left no trace in history.

From 800 BC begins the era of the British Celts and, accordingly, the Celtic language in Britain.Many linguists are of the opinion that the word "Britain" comes from a word with a Celtic root - brith "painted". In the annals, you can find a mention that the Celts really painted their faces and bodies when they were going to war or hunting. There are also mentions in the annals that the British Celts already had a developed culture at the time of the conquest of the British Isles by the great Caesar. Patriarchy flourished in the tribes. The men had 8-10 wives. Children were raised by women until a certain age, then the boys were taken under the care of men who taught them to hunt and wield weapons.

Also in the annals it is mentioned that the British Celts spoke a special dialect.

And words such as whiskey, plaid, slogan came into English much later from the Celtic languages, which were widespread at that time: whiskey (Irl. Uisce beathadh " living water"), slogan (from the Scottish sluagh-ghairm" battle cry ").

The influence of the Roman Empire on the development of the English language

A century after the conquest of the British Isles by Caesar, in 44 BC. The British Isles were visited by the Roman emperor Claudius, after which Britain was considered a Roman province. During this period, there is close communication between the Celtic people and the Romans, which, of course, is reflected in the language.

Thus, many words in modern English have Latin roots. For example, the word castra (from Latin ″ camp ″). This root is found in many place names of modern Britain - Lancaster, Manchester, Leicester.

There are also such common words as street "street" (from the Latin expression via strata "paved road") and wall "wall" (from vallum "shaft").

There are many common nouns borrowed from Latin: wine "wine" - from Lat. vinum "wine"; pear "pear" - from lat. pirum "pear"; pepper "pepper" - from lat. piper.

Old English period (450 - 1066 g) in the history of the English language

The immediate ancestors of the English people are the Germanic tribes of the Saxons, Jutes, Angles and Frisians, who penetrated the territory of Britain in 449. Since the number of these tribes far outnumbered the Celtic ones, gradually the Anglo-Saxon dialect completely supplanted the Celtic dialect from use.

Thanks to the Anglo-Saxon tribes, many names of geographical objects that have survived to this day appeared in the English language. Also, words such as butter, pound, cheese, alum, silk, inch, chalk, mile, mint have common Germanic roots borrowed from Latin. Or the word Saturday - stands for "the day of Saturn" - the father of the god Jupiter in ancient Roman mythology.

In 597 A.D. the general Christianization of Britain begins. Before that, the tribes of the Anglo-Saxons were pagans. The Roman church sent a monk Augustine to the island, who gradually began to convert the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity through diplomatic means. The activities of Augustine and his followers brought tangible results: by the beginning of 700 AD. a significant part of the population of the British Isles professed Christianity.

This close fusion of cultures is reflected in the language. Many words appeared that were borrowed at this particular time. For example, school "school" - from lat. schola "school", Bishop "bishop" - from lat. Episcopus "watching", mount "mountain" - from lat. montis (genus pad.) "mountain", pea "pea" - from lat. pisum "peas", Priest "priest" - from lat. presbyter "presbyter".

According to rough estimates of linguists in this era, the English language borrowed from Latin more than 6 hundred words, not counting their derivatives. Basically, these are words related to religion, church, as well as government.

The work of the Venerable Beda (Beda Venerabilis), the first English historian and educator, who was the first to translate the Gospel from Latin into Anglo-Saxon, dates back to this time. The work of the Venerable Bede had a significant impact on the development of the language and is an important stage in the history of the English language.

Influence of the Scandinavian group of languages

In 878, the conquest of the Anglo-Saxon lands by the Danes begins. For many years, the Danes lived in the lands of Britain, entered into marriages with representatives of the Anglo-Saxons. As a result, a number of loanwords from the Scandinavian languages ​​appeared in the English language. For example, amiss "amiss", anger "anger", auk "auk", awe "awe", axle "axis", aye "always".

The combination of letters sk- or sc- at the beginning of a word in modern English is also very often an indicator that the word is a Scandinavian loan. For example, sky "sky" (in native English heaven), skin "skin" (in native English hide "skin"), skull "skull" (in native English shell "shell; shell").

Middle English Period (1066-1500) History of the English Language

Development of the English language in the Middle Ages

In the middle of the 11th century, the inhabitants of northern France conquered Britain. William the Conqueror becomes king, a Norman by birth. Since that time, the era of three languages ​​begins in the history of the people. The language of the aristocracy, the courts became French, the language of science remained Latin, and the common people continued to speak Anglo-Saxon. It was the mixing of these three languages ​​that gave rise to the formation of modern English.

Modern English - mixed

Linguists treat modern English as a mixed language.This is due to the fact that many words, in a general sense, do not have common roots. Let us compare, for example, a number of words in Russian: head - head - main. In English, the same row is represented by the words: head - chapter - chief. Why did it happen? Everything is explained precisely by the confusion of three languages. Anglo-Saxon words refer to specific objects, hence the word head. From Latin - the language of science and education, the word chapter remained. From the French there is a word that was used by the nobility, chief.

The same distinction can be found in many semantic lines in the English language. For example, there are differences between the words denoting the name of an animal (words of Germanic origin) and the name of the meat of this animal (these words originated from Old French). So, ox is a bull, cow is a cow, calf is a calf, sheep is a sheep, pig is a pig; but beef is beef, veal is veal, mutton is lamb, pork is pork, etc.

During this period of the history of the English language, there are changes in the grammatical structure. Many verb endings disappear. Adjectives acquire degrees of comparison, including supplementary degrees (with the addition of the words more, most). The phonetics of the language also undergoes significant changes. By the end of 1500, the London dialect is gaining more and more popularity in the country, in which 90% of native speakers begin to speak.

First books in English

The first British printer is considered to be William Caxton, who published the first book in English in 1474. It was a translation of Raoul Lefebvre's Collection of Stories of Troy. During his life, Caxton has published over 100 books, many of which were his own translations. It should be noted that thanks to his activities, many English words finally found their finished form.

Concerning grammar rules, then Caxton often invented his own rules, which, after publication, became publicly available and were considered the only correct ones.

New English Period (1500 - Present) History of the English Language

The founder of English literary language rightfully considered the great William Shakespeare (1564-1616). He is credited with the origin of many idiomatic expressions that are used in modern English. In addition, Shakespeare invented many new words that have taken root in the language.

For example, the word swagger "swagger; swagger" is first encountered in the history of the English language in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

History of the English language during the Enlightenment

In 1712, for the first time in history, an image appeared, personifying Great Britain and the national character of the British. This year was born the hero of John Abertnot's political pamphlets - John Bull. And to this day, the image of Bull is a satirical image of an Englishman.

In 1795, the first textbook "English grammar" by Lindley Murray was published. For nearly two centuries, this textbook has been fundamental to the grammar of the English language. All educated people studied Murray grammar.

4 the beginning of the globalization of the English language

By the beginning of the 20th century, English is increasingly becoming the language of international communication. English, along with other languages ​​of international communication, was used at international conferences, in the League of Nations, for negotiations. Even then, it became obvious that it was necessary to improve its teaching and develop objective criteria that would make it possible to learn the language more effectively. This need stimulated the search and research of linguists from different countries, which have not dried up to this day.which one of critical components learning any foreign language is the accumulation of vocabulary... Only after acquiring some vocabulary can one begin to study the interrelationships of words - grammar, stylistics, etc. But which English words should be learned first? And how many words should you know? There are a lot of words in English. According to linguists, the full vocabulary of the English language contains at least one million words. Record holders among famous dictionaries of the English language are the second edition of the 20-volume Oxford English Dictionary, published in 1989 by Oxford University Press, and Webster's 1934 Webster's New International Dictionary, 2nd Edition, which includes a description of 600 thousand words. Of course, not a single person knows so many words, and it is very difficult to use such huge dictionaries.

The "average" Englishman or American, even having higher education, hardly uses more than 1500-2000 words in his everyday speech, although he passively owns an incomparably large stock of words that he hears on TV or meets in newspapers and books. And only the most educated, intelligent part of society is able to actively use more than 2,000 words: individual writers, journalists, editors and other "word masters" use the most extensive vocabulary, reaching 10 thousand words or more for some especially gifted persons. The only problem is that every person with a rich vocabulary has a vocabulary as individual as handwriting or fingerprints. Therefore, if the vocabulary base of 2000 words is approximately the same for everyone, then the "plumage" is quite different for everyone.

However, conventional bilingual dictionaries and dictionaries, in which the interpretation of the meanings of words is given in one language, strive to describe as many words as possible in order to increase the likelihood that the reader will find most of the words he is looking for in them. Therefore, the larger the usual vocabulary, the better. There are often dictionaries containing descriptions of tens and hundreds of thousands of words in one volume. In addition to ordinary dictionaries, there are dictionaries that do not contain the maximum number of words, but, on the contrary, their minimum list. Dictionaries the required minimum vocabulary describes the words that are used most often and are of the greatest semantic value. Since words are used with different frequencies, some of the words are much more commonly used than all other words. In 1973, it was found that a dictionary of at least 1000 of the most common words in the English language describes 80.5% of all tokens in average texts, a dictionary of 2000 words - about 86% of words, and a dictionary of 3000 words - about 90% of words.

English became international thanks to the active colonial and trade policies of Great Britain.

WITH early 17th century, through the East India Company, England spread its influence in North America, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, the African continent, Australia, Indonesia, Oceania, China and Japan.

AND automatically, like it or not, English became the language of business people, the language spoken by the richest and most influential of this world.

AND looking at all this, people were in a hurry to learn English. After all, for them he personified good luck and success. And who doesn't want fame and fortune?

So, thanks to the massive influx of people who want to learn it, English has become international, which, by the way, is, to this day.

Unconvincing?

H then read the list of 17th century English colonies and everything will fall into place:

Ireland, Helgoland, Malta, Gibraltar, Ionian Islands, Minorca, Cyprus, Isle of Man, Mesopotamia (Iraq) , Real Jordan and Palestine), Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Treaty Oman (UAE), Aden, Afghanistan, British India (INDIA, Pakistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Burma), Ceylon, Nepal, Malaysia (including Singapore), Maldives, Sarawak, British Malaya, North Borneo, Brunei, Hong Kong, Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Egypt, Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika(Tanzania), Zanzibar, Somalia, Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), Nyasaland (Malawi), Northern Rhodesia (Zambia), Union of South Africa (South Africa), Southwest Africa (Namibia), Bechuanaland (Botswana), Basutoland (Lesotho), Seychelles, Swaziland, Chagos Archipelago, Gambia, Mauritius, Nigeria, British Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Gold Coast and British Togo (Ghana), Sierra Leone, Tristan da Cunha, Ascension Islands, St. Helena, CANADA, Newfoundland , Thirteen Colonies (USA), Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Barbados, Dominica,Anguilla, Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Lucia, Grenadines, Antigua & Barbuda, Grenada, Saint Vincent, Guiana (Guyna), Saint Kitts, Mosquito Coast, Cayman Islands, Nevis, British Honduras (Belize), Bahamas, Jamaica, Turks and Caicos Islands, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands, Falkland Islands, Montserat, Papua New Guinea, AUSTRALIA, Solomon Islands, Christmas Island, Nauru, Cocos Islands, Norfolk, New Zealand, British Samoa, Cook Islands,Ross Land (in Antarctica), Fiji, Gilbert Islands (Tuvalu and Kiribati), Tonga, New Hebrides (Vanuatu), Pinkairn.

5.English as a universal international language

The surest factor in accelerating the development of a universal lifestyle is
it is the spread of the English language. Language is a great homogenizing agent,
the wave along which the culture is transmitted. If English becomes
the main language of communication, the consequences of this are obvious: cultures
English-speaking countries will be dominant throughout the world.

English becomes the world's first universal language.He is
native language of 500 million people in 12 countries of the world.This is much less than
somewhere around 900 million Mandarin Chinese speakers.
But another 600 million speak English as a second language.And further
several hundred million have some knowledge of the English language,
which has official or semi-official status in about 62 countries.
Although there may be as many people speaking different dialects
Chinese, as well as English speakers, English is undoubtedly more
geographically widespread, indeed more versatile than Chinese.
And its use is growing at an amazing rate.

There are approximately 1.5 billion people in the world today who speak
English language.

As the most taught language, English is not a substitute for others
languages, but supplements them.

300 million Chinese - more than the entire population of the United States -
learn English.

In 90 countries, English is either a second language or is widely studied.

In Hong Kong, nine out of ten high school students learn English
language.

In France, public secondary schools for students are compulsory
study of English or German for four years,
the majority - at least 85% - choose English.

In Japan, students must study English for six years before
high school graduation.

In Russia, where the study of foreign languages ​​for children is mandatory,
most are learning English. In Norway, Sweden and Denmark, it is mandatory
are learning English. Of all European countries, not counting
Great Britain, Holland is in first place in terms of the number of people who know
English. Since Portugal joined the European Community,
the demand for English lessons has replaced the demand for French lessons
language.

"On the part of students, young professionals, teachers, business people and
civil servants in most countries, there is a general hunger for
materials and technological tools in English ", - notes the former
Charles Wick, director of the United States Information Agency (USIA).
The agency promotes behavior in 200 cultural centers in 100 countries of the world
English language courses. 450 thousand people attended English classes
languages ​​sponsored by USIA.

There are 1,300 English-language schools in Tokyo and 100 open annually.
new schools. Berlitz offers in its 250 language schools located in
27 countries around the world, learning both English and American
of English language. Worldwide from 80 to 90% of students at Berlitz schools
are learning English. Between 1983 and 1988, the number of people signed up for
English language increased by 81%.

Media and transportation

English prevails in transport and in the media
information. English is the language of travel and communication in international
airlines. At all international airports, pilots and dispatchers speak
English. In maritime shipping, flags and lights are used, but
"if the ships had to communicate verbally, they would find a common language,
which would probably be English, "says an American
Maritime Border Guard Service Werner Sims.

The five largest broadcasters - CBS, NBC, ABC, BBC and
CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Company) - Reach potential audience
approximately 500 million people via broadcasts in English.
It is also the language of satellite television.

Information age

English is the language of the information age. Computers talk to each other
in English. More than 80% of all information in more than 150 million computers on
all over the world is kept in English. Eighty five percent of all
international telephone calls are made in English, also
as well as three quarters of world mail, telexes and telegrams. Instructions to
computer programs and the programs themselves are often only in English
language. Once the language of science was German, today 85% of all scientific works
published first in English. More than half of the world's technical
and scientific periodicals are published in English, which is also
is the language of medicine, electronics and space technology. Internet
unthinkable without English!

international Business

English is the language of international business. When Japanese
a businessman makes a deal anywhere in Europe, it is highly likely that
negotiations are conducted in English. Industrial goods indicate
in English, the country of their production: "Made in Germany", not
"Fabriziert in Deutschland". This language has been chosen by the multinational
corporations. Datsan and Nissan write international memorandums on
English. Back in 1985, 80% of the employees of the Japanese Mitsui & K could
speak, read and write English. Toyota provides courses
English at work. English classes are held in
Saudi Arabia for Aramco employees and on three continents for
Chase Manhattan Bank employees. All employees of the firms "Tetrapak", "IBM"
must know English well.

International language "Iveco", Italian manufacturer trucks, -
English. Philips, a Dutch electronics firm, produces all assemblies
of the board of directors in English. French company "Cap Geminay
Sogeti Sa ", one of the world's largest manufacturers of computer programs,
declared English as its official language. Even in France where
hold a low opinion of all languages, except their own, in the leading
the business school will now be taught in English. The highest
the business school offers its classic advanced management course
business in English. This is the first time that a French higher
the school will teach in a foreign language. When in a Parisian
the headquarters of Alcatel, the second largest telecommunications network in the world,
the operator answers the phone, then he does not do it in French, but
in English, and it sounds like this: "Alcatel, good morning". When the French
are inferior on the issue of language, then something irreversible is really happening.

Diplomacy

English has been replacing the mainstream for centuries
European languages. English replaced French as a language
diplomacy, it is the official language of international organizations for the provision of
aid such as Oxfam and Save the Children, UNESCO, NATO and the United Nations.

Lingua franca

The prevailing picture of the world gave rise to the emergence of the world "lingua franca", which became the English language."" Lingua franca "- a language used for communication among people of different mother tongues." (Collins English Dictionary) ["Lingua Franca is a language that is used to communicate among people for whom it is not native"]

English serves as the language of communication in countries where people speak
different languages. In India, where about 200 different languages ​​are spoken,
only 30% speak the official Hindi language. When Rajiv Gandhi addressed
to the country after the murder of his mother, he spoke English.
European Association free trade only works in English
language, despite the fact that it is a non-native language for all member countries.

Official language

English is the official or semi-official language of 20 African
countries including Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia and South Africa.
Students are taught in English at Makerre University in Uganda,
The University of Nairobi in Kenya and the Dar es Salaam University in Tanzania.
English is the official language of the World Council of Churches, the Olympic Games and
competition "Miss Universe".

Youth culture

English is the language of the world's youth culture. Around the world
youth sings words from the songs of The Beatles, U-2 (U2), Michael
Jackson and Madonna without fully understanding them. "Break dance", "rap music",
"bodybuilding", "windsurfing" and "computer hacking" - these words invade
jargon of the youth of all countries of the world.

6. CONCLUSION

Today English is the generally recognized language of international communication. It is used on 157 national airlines (out of 168 existing in the world), it is spoken and written by hundreds of millions of people of different nationalities (for example, in India alone, up to 3 thousand newspapers are published in English). It is the language of modern business, science, office work, information technology.

“English is just as big a business as export industrial goods"(Professor Randolph Quirk, Oxford;

In modern society, the English language has taken its strong position. In kindergartens, kids are taught English alphabet and the simplest words. At school, it is compulsory for study, and in some institutes, students listen to whole courses of lectures in various subjects in English. When applying for a job, knowledge of this language can make an employer pay special attention to your resume. English has long been assimilated with ours - everywhere people use words such as "computer", "Internet", "business", "image", "presentation" ... We travel around the world, communicating with people of different countries and cultures in English, and we understand each other with them. Today, the ability to communicate in English has become the norm and even a necessity.

But why exactly English? Why not Japanese or Arabic? Why has English become an international language, a language of international communication?

1) Many centuries ago, England spread the English language in all the conquered countries - the colonies of the British Empire, and emigrants from England took him to North America and other parts of the world. So, united with emigrants from Europe, they created the United States of America, in which English played a major role in overcoming language and national barriers.. And automatically, like it or not, English became the language of business people, the language spoken by the richest and most influential of this world.

2) There are a lot of words in English. The richness of vocabulary has had a great influence on the spread of the language in the world.However, the main difference between English and many European languages ​​is that there are no static norms in the UK. On the contrary, it is the various dialects and adverbs that are in great use. Not only the pronunciation of words differs at the phonetic level, but there are also completely different words denoting the same concept.

3) During its existence, English has undergone many changes.The conquered colonies transformed the language of the colonizer and introduced elements of their national language into it. So, in the Philippines, Malaysia, England, the United States, the language differs slightly among themselves. The cultures of different countries leave their mark on the English language. Today eventhere is such a thing as American English, for us it is the language of the US superpower, simplified and more "convenient".The media and government officials communicate in British English. There are Australian English, Canadian English and many other dialects. On the territory of Great Britain itself, several dialects are used, which are spoken by the inhabitants of a particular province.

As you can see, the English language has retained its traditions of "mixing languages" to this day ..
The massive spread of the English language began in the era of globalization and scientific and technological progress.The globalization of the economy and trade, as well as "Americanization", contributed to the spread of American English, from which words were increasingly borrowed in other languages, such as Ukrainian and Russian.
Modern language in British Isles is not static at all. The language lives on, neologisms constantly appear, some words go into the past.

In truth, they speak in the language that linguist David Crystal called "Englishes" (which can be translated as "English languages"), in some cases languages ​​that are called "Creole", "pidgin" or "patois".

Currently, we are mastering the latest technology, the possibilities of the Internet and international communication. Scientists from all over the world come together for important scientific research... Literature in English, clothes from abroad, exchange students, tourists - all this surrounds us every day.And even though there have been attempts to create a new universal language of international communication, for example, Esperanto, which has achieved significant success - all the same, English has been and remains the main international language.

4) This situation causes both positive and negative emotions for many. On the one hand, of course,the existence of a single language in which you can communicate in any country and at the same time forget about any language barriers is wonderful.You can not only not think about how to communicate in a country in which they speak an unfamiliar language, but also make new friends, learn a different culture and thus consider completely different values ​​that are different for all nations. An international language such as English is able to unite all nations, make people more friendly and eliminate language misunderstandings forever, expanding the space to an unattainable level of communication.

But there is another opinion, which is not as optimistic as the above, namely, a fairly large category of people believes that the existence of an international language is, of course, good.but there is a danger that it will gradually absorb all other languages ​​and thus the cultural values ​​of each nation will remain in the past.Each nation will no longer be unique and unique in its own way, and the international language will gradually become one and replace the importance of national languages. Of course, this opinion will cause skepticism among many, but it is worth noting that it is not devoid of a certain meaning and relevance, and if we consider our future in perspective, then nothing is impossible and sometimes the situation can turn in the most unexpected way.

Perhaps in 100 years the inhabitants of the Earth will fall in love with the sophistication and beauty of one of the two dialects of the Chinese language - Mandarin or Cantonese - we do not know.

How many people, so many opinions, there can be no doubt about this, and everyone must decide for himself how important it is for him to know English and what is the role of this language in the world.

7.List of used literature

- Arakin V.D.

Essays on the history of the English languageM .: Fizmatlit, 2007 .-- 146 p.

Brunner K.

History of the English language. Per. with him. 2 volumes in one book. Edition 4
2010 .. 720 p.

Ilyish B.A.

History of the English language, M. Vysshaya Shkola, 1998.420s

Smirnitsky A.I.

Reader on the history of the English language from the 7th to the 17th centuries, Academy, 2008.304s

Shaposhnikova I.V. History of the English Language Flint. 2011

Internet resources

English is the language of world communication. A language that unites millions of people around the world. Why is English considered international? Today we invite you to look into history and find the answer to this question.

How English became international: historical background

Triumph of England. International trade - international language

English has not become an international language as quickly as it seems. It all began in the distant 17th century, when England ceased to be a country that was being conquered, and became a conquering country, being very successful in this matter. The English navy was one of the most powerful in the world. All sea routes were under the control of the British. Most of the land - half of North America, many countries in Africa and Asia, Australia, India - was under the rule of the British crown.

The English language has penetrated all corners of the globe. At that time, the most important task for England was to establish trade relations. Naturally, the language of the dominant and more developed country overshadowed the local languages. Here the golden rule worked - whoever has gold rules, he chooses which language to speak. England gave impetus to the emergence of the world economy and the development of international relations in the 18th century, it was English that was used for trade.

Even when the colonized countries gained independence, trade relations with Great Britain continued to develop, and the English language remained. First, because the languages ​​of the conquered countries lacked the right words: there were no terms to trade. Secondly, because English was already rooted in this area and the locals knew it well. Anyone who wanted to earn his living had to communicate in English.

Did the English-speaking races make it their rule to speak anything else than English, the marvelous progress of the English tongue throughout the world would stop.

If the English people recognized someone else's language other than their own, the triumphal procession of the latter would cease.

But why then did not English become the native language in the countries of Asia and Africa? Because the British did not move to these countries as massively as, for example, to America, and did not spread their language, their culture and their way of life. Great Britain introduced a system of government and education to the conquered countries. English was used in certain areas, but it was not the language of communication, the language of the people.

In India, English is far more entrenched than in many other countries. For 30% of Indians, English is their native language. Although over 400 languages ​​are spoken in India in addition to Hindi, only English is the second official language. You can read more about the peculiarities of the English language in India in the article "Indian English or Hinglish".

Rise of America

Another one good reason, which predetermined the use of English as an international language - the conquest of the New World, America. The British were not the only settlers. In addition to English, in America they spoke French, Spanish, German, Dutch. At the beginning of the 20th century, the question of national unity arose sharply: something had to unite the country and the people who live in it. And the English language in this case acted as a connecting link.

In the United States, there was a tough policy of ousting languages, despite the fact that America does not have a single official language. Official documents were written in English only. In many states, teaching in all languages ​​other than English was prohibited. This policy has borne fruit. If the American government did not supplant other languages, then Dutch, Spanish or any other language could become national. Then and now we would not talk about English as an international language.

In the second half of the 20th century, England faded into the background, the era of America began. After World War II, most powers were concerned with rebuilding their countries. In turn, the United States suffered less than others and continued to develop in all directions: economic, diplomatic, political and military. The country was especially active in developing economic relations. America made the right choice by continuing the English tradition. American goods flooded all countries. Naturally, a common language is needed to carry out an economic transaction, and again this language has become English. Why? Probably for the same reason as in the 17th century - who is stronger is right.

The influence of the United States has grown over time. But it is not enough just to win the championship, it is important to keep it. If in the 18th century trade played a key role for England, then America occupied its niche in history for other reasons:

1. The advent of the computer and the Internet

   It is beneficial for any country to have its language international. As one of the most powerful countries in the world, America pursued a language policy in the direction of the globalization of its language. And the key role was played by the fact that two inventions appeared in the United States, without which our life is unthinkable - the computer and the Internet. These instant messengers have greatly contributed to the globalization of the English language.

2. Fashion for the American way of life

   In the second half of the 20th century, against the background of post-war and dilapidated countries, the United States looked very attractive. The "American Dream" seemed like an ideal, and people from different countries tried to somehow get closer to this ideal, and language was one of the ways to get closer. Films, music, youth movements came to us from overseas and brought with them English-speaking culture.

Why English is international today

1. English is the world language

Today, English has become an international language, it is the most widely spoken in the world. It is a native language for over 400 million people, it remains a second language for 300 million, and another 500 million speak some degree of English.

2. English is the language of trade and business

In many countries, English is very important place as the language of diplomacy, trade and business. 90% of world transactions are concluded in English. World financial funds and exchanges operate in English. Financial giants and large corporations use English no matter what country they are in.

3. English is the language of education

English is the most popular foreign language in schools. Most prestigious universities the world - English-speaking. In countries where English is second official language, students prefer to study in English. Knowledge of English makes it possible to get a good education and build a successful career.

4. English is the language of travel

Large-scale travels of the British over two centuries have borne fruit. In the 21st century, English is the language of travel. Whatever country you go to, you will be understood in English everywhere. , in the restaurant, at the bus stop, you can talk to the locals.

5. English is the language of science and technology

English has become the language of the 21st century - a century of technological progress and information technology. Today, all instructions and programs for new gadgets are written in English. Scientific reports, articles, reports are published in English. 90% of Internet resources are in English. The vast majority of information in all areas - science, sports, news, entertainment - is published in English.

English has become the language of youth culture. American actors, actresses, musicians have been and remain the idols of more than one generation of people. Hollywood is still the undisputed leader of the film industry today. Cult American action films and blockbusters are watched in English all over the world. From America came jazz, blues, rock and roll and many other styles of music that are still popular today.

7. English is a universal language

In addition to all of the above, English is beautiful, melodic and easy to learn. English has one of the richest vocabularies in the world, but it also has an uncomplicated grammar. Words themselves are attracted to each other, forming laconic and understandable sentences. The international language should be simple and understandable for everyone. Perhaps we are very lucky that it was such a simple language that united the world. Read why English is easy to learn compared to other languages ​​in our article.

What a thorny path a language can take in several centuries! Today we can confidently say that in the 21st century English is the # 1 international language. How long it will remain international is difficult to say. But, definitely, this status will remain for more than one decade.

At all times, countries and peoples needed some common language to communicate with each other. As a rule, they did not even have to formally agree on this: the language of either the most numerous or the most influential ethnic group became a means of communication in one or another region of the world. Of course, in order to become generally accessible and generally understood, it was simplified and borrowed words and phrases from other languages.

V antique times in the Eastern Mediterranean it was Greek, and in the Western Mediterranean it was Latin. In the Middle Ages, simplified Latin with an admixture of other languages ​​\ u200b \ u200bof the region began to be called lingua franca (Italian lingua franca - "Frankish language"), by the name of the most powerful state in Europe at that time - the empire of the Franks (Frankish state).

The empire was gone, and Latin retained its function as an international language until around the 17th century, it was replaced by French. French became international not only through the influence of France, but also through the efforts of Cardinal Richelieu. After all, he not only plotted against the royal musketeers, but also created the French Academy specifically to monitor the development and spread of the French language.

The British did not create any academies. They conquered colonies all over the world and developed industry.

Practical people have a practical language. They quickly, by historical standards, got rid of the category of genus and case endings and offered on the linguistic market a compact and effective product - modern English.

Moreover, the British did not even bother with the topic of general norms and spelling. When, in the early 18th century, Daniel Defoe and Jonathan Swift proposed the creation of an English Academy in the manner of the French, they were expelled from parliament and advised to continue writing about Gulliver and Robinson Crusoe and not to infringe on the democratic right of the British to speak and write as they want.

French remained an international language until the 20th century, until a number of circumstances developed that brought English to the first place and raised it to an unattainable height:

1. Military-political and economic power English-speaking countries. She has ensured the presence and activity of native English speakers all over the world. English became the first international language that was not only needed for communication and was prestigious. His knowledge has become a competitive advantage in the labor market and in business. The global economy needs a global language. Serious factor. But not enough without the other two.
2. Cultural and informational factor... Hollywood, media corporations and popular culture have made English the key to information and cultural products that are significant around the world.
3. English is objective in most parameters easier and more accessible than all of its global competitors.

Of course, there are also problems. For example, there are practically no reading rules. But it is the only language that is mainly spoken by those for whom it is not native. And the majority, with their masses, is striving to expand the boundaries of the norm to the horizon. And in phonetics, and in grammar, and in vocabulary.

English pays a high price for international status, but so far better remedy for international contacts anyway, no.