Culture-Oriented Linguistics

LECTURE 2
Why Is English the “Global Language” of Today
Main topics:
1 Science and Technology
2 Education
3 Employment
4 Business
5 The Internet
6 Travel and Tourism
7 Press and Media
8 Entertainment

People often talk about English as a global language or lingua franca. With more
than 350 million people around the world speaking English as a first language and more
than 430 million speaking it as a second language, there are English speakers in most
countries around the world. Why is English so popular, though? And why has it become
a global language?
If you are learning English right now, chances are it’s probably something to do
with getting your degree, advancing in your career, or maybe for personal reasons like
having an English-speaking partner. Nowadays it seems like everyone is learning
English, and it is becoming the world’s most widely spoken language. It is used in
business and trade all over the world, and in places like Europe, it is spoken widely
outside of business. But why? What makes English the magic catch-all language that
everyone wants to speak fluently? How did it become so important and widespread?
The answer lies not just in the history of the language, but politics, culture and
technology!
Here are Reasons Why English Has Become Today’s Global Language.
The coolness factor. English is used across the world to signify a certain lifestyle
or culture linked to American-style success or entertainment, or sometimes to signify a
certain British quality. Advertisers use it all over the world in multi-national markets to
sell their products in this way. But, it is also the most common language used in the film
and music industry. Big-budget movies and everyone’s favorite classic films are mostly
produced in English. In music, if a band wants to become popular or famous, they will
produce their work in English as well. Maybe it’s because English will reach a wider
audience, or maybe because English is taken more seriously as an element of good pop
music. And then there are sports – American-invented sports today like BMX and
skateboarding, and even basketball, have an entire vocabulary in English, and many of
the best athletes in those fields are English-speaking – even if they have been recruited
from abroad!

1 Science and Technology

English is the language widely used in the field of science and technology. It has also
been adopted as the de facto universal language and this resulted a great impact on scientific
communication. As a result, scientists all around the world can make use of the available
scientific literature and communicate with the scientists of the other regions wherever they are in
the world. Now-a-days, the working knowledge of English has become a minimum requirement
in a number of professions and occupations such as a research, medicine, and computer and so
on.
The world of science is also dominated by English for much the same reason:
historically, universities publishing important research were doing so in English, and as
a scientist today, any serious publication must be done in English. With science and
technology playing such a big role in our lives today, English won’t be going anywhere
soon.
Since the middle of the twentieth century, there has been a drastic change in the
global scientific community. Now, English has become the prevalent predominant language in
some non-English speaking countries like France, Spain and Germany. In this context,
Adam Huttner-Koros says, “The academic papers outnumber in publications in the English
language several times more than that of in their countries’ own languages”. He further says
that this ratio is astounding that it has reached 40:1. It reveals that scientists who wish to
produce influential, globally recognized work have to publish their papers in English as they
have to share and enhance their knowledge with other scientists around the globe either by
attending several international conferences, seminars and workshops or by reading papers
written in English or through their discussions in English. Kumju Hwang, in his case study in
2005 on Korean scientists who were living in the UK mentions’ “The reason that (non-native
English speaking scientists) have to use English, at a cost of extra time and effort, is closely
related to their continued efforts to be recognized as having internationally compatible quality
and to gain the highest possible reputation”.
Even in the scientific publications, English plays a dominant role as more than 80% of all
scientific journal articles in 1998 were indexed by Chemical Abstracts and these were written
only in English (English 81%, French 11%, Latin 4%, other languages 4%). Moreover, almost all
the articles published in natural science in 1996 were in English and 90% of the publications in
humanities by 1995 were also in English. It is a fact that English is spoken by 5% of the native
speakers among 15% percent of its speakers world-wide. In the field of scientific research also
our scientists prove their talent and getting progress in all their attempts as they have a common
language to communicate with their co-scientists of the other regions of the world. As most of
the literature available in scientific and technology which are the major fields in the present
research is in English, there is a need to learn the English language by all the students as well as
researchers around the world.

2 Education
English also opens doors in the academic world. Of course, if the best program in
your field is in an English-speaking country, English will give you the opportunity to study
with the top scholars. Western universities are attracting more and more visiting
scholars, students and professors from all around the world, and their common working
language is English. As well as studying and teaching, attending international
conferences and publishing in foreign journals are some of the key steps to success in
academia. In order to speak at these conferences or publish in these journals, excellent
English is essential.
It is a known fact that English plays a predominant role in the field of education all over
the world. It has become a compulsion to learn English as most of the books of higher education
are written in English. English has been widely used by the students as well as the teachers and
researchers around the world as English is the main medium used in the various fields of
education and it is the only language where the information is stored in the form of books and
journals in both printed and electronic form. As there have been rapid changes in the field of
educational system, the students can make use of the resources available all around the world
just by accessing the internet.
Moreover, the learners can learn the subjects independently and develop self-
learning attitude. Now-a-days, most of the students would prefer to study in a foreign country in
order to get better employment opportunities around the world and English will be a great asset
for them. So, the learners of English as a foreign language are encouraged to learn English in
order to promote their learning abilities in the fields of science and technology, IT,
engineering, medicine, law, business, tourism, and so on. Though English is not an official
language in some countries like Sweden and Netherlands, the syllabi in science and
engineering is written in English because most of the literature in these areas around the world is
available only in English.
As the main intention of writing the materials of higher education in English is to make it
available for the learners and the teachers wherever they are located on this earth, most of the
students, teachers and research scholars make use of this opportunity to enhance their
qualification as well as knowledge. So, there is also a possibility for them to improve their
language skills and also with the learning knowledge of these subjects. Therefore, the
importance of English in the field education is of immense use as most of the books are
published in English and the research that is done in education is also in English.

3 Employment
Another advantage of learning English is getting employment as most of the job providers
ask for the language skills, especially, communication skills in English. This is because most of
the companies are dealing with the international companies. At the time of the interviews also
the interviewers test the candidates’ communication skills in addition to their academic
background. Even if the candidates’ educational qualifications are excellent, the job providers
concentrate mainly on their ability of expressing their ideas freely and frankly to the target
people. As there are ample numbers of opportunities to work for the international
organizations in the present global job market, everyone is trying his best to acquire the
language skills in English. Once the job seekers acquire oral as well as written
communication skills, they can work anywhere in this world. Even a majority of the Chinese and
the Japanese are learning English in order to get better employment opportunities in this global
era.
More and more professions have a need for English comprehension or fluency
such as magazine or newspaper editor, engineer, journalist, teacher, banker, lawyer,
scientist or researcher, entrepreneur, travel agent, sports trainer, diplomat, and the list
goes on. For those who work with the internet, whether in marketing, sales, or
development, English is also the main language of the trade, with many online platforms
and computer programs based in English. The HTML code used to write websites is
based on English and most retail websites have an English-translated version. You
might have also noticed that more and more English words are being inserted into the
mainstream vocabulary all across Europe, especially as technology like Facebook and
entertainment like Netflix continue to be major cultural influences.
But many other fields besides the internet use English just as frequently, and
being fluent can change the quality of your work or of your personal experience within
your field. Even jobs in the restaurant and hotel service industry  have an increasing
need for English for customers who are traveling for work or studies. In Europe, the
opening of borders also means that people are seeking jobs outside of their home
country – and they can communicate across borders easily is using English.
Consumers around the world are increasingly using English for online shopping or
customer service calls. And that’s one reason why, in most kinds of jobs, being able to
speak English can make you more hireable, and more eligible for promotions or travel
opportunities.
4 Business
In the modern business world, English is widely used for all the international business,
trade and commerce. As a global language, English serves the purposes of the multi-
national companies’ needs and it is being used as a tool of communication between one
business organization and the other. Using the latest technologies in business, the mode
of communication such as emails, letters, documentations, video, fax, telephone, etc. are mainly
done in English. Graddol (1997) says, “About 80% people use English while they are in
Europe. Not only in Europe, it is also used in global business which is happened under the
control of World Trade Organization (WTO)”.

5 The Internet
At the same time that the USA was becoming the world’s business superpower,
the internet was also invented in the USA. This created an entire lexicon for computers
and technology that was invented in English. Computer keyboards are suited for writing
languages using the Latin alphabet, and the hardware for all our smart technology uses
English words that have become commonly used around the world, as there was no
other alternative in place when the technology spread like fire to the corners of the
Earth.
 The widespread of English as an international language and with the advent of the
internet as a mode of fast communication channel which has no boundaries, both are mutually
enforcing novel trends and bringing tremendous changes in this age of globalization.
Since the inception of the internet, it has brought drastic changes and revolutionized the
ways of people’s communication and their learning of their English language in the global
context.
The internet has become an important linguistic medium as computer-mediated
communication which is one of the main factors of globalization. The internet has become
essential for every aspect of human life including the learning of languages. In 1960s, a new
term ‘global village’ was coined by McLuhan (1962) and he further says, “Electronic
communication will unite the world because “the medium is the message”.
It is a well-known fact that English has attained the status of a global language. It is true
in the case of internet usage also. The above chart unveils that there is no other language that is
widely used for internet purposes than English. It shows that majority (56%) of the internet sites
are designed in English, whereas in the other languages, the internet sites are designed with a
low percentage i.e., 6% and below. So it is evident that English is the international language that
is used even to design the websites and to browse the internet.

6 Travel and Tourism

As travel and tourism is related to both national and international levels, English is
the language that is commonly used by all the international travel and tourism departments,
agencies and companies. To travel to a foreign country, one must know the language of the
others to communicate with the people of that country. So there should be a common
language for the tourists to visit any country around the world and English as an international
language serves the purpose. The international travel agencies also aim at recruiting people who
can communicate well with the international tourists in English.

7 Press and Media

Journalists and writers around the world are finding a good command of English to
be an increasingly useful skill. Even if you’re writing your articles and doing interviews in
your own language, with good English you can get background material from
international wire services and papers and magazines from around the world. You can
interview foreign businessmen, diplomats and maybe even get sent to cover overseas
stories. Good English skills mean that you are not reliant on translators and can work
faster and more accurately with English information sources.
In the field of press and media, English is used as the primary language of the world due
to the fact that it is the language used internationally by a majority of speakers. The world
leading newspapers and magazines are printed in English and most of the news broadcast their
programmes on the television in English. There are some television channels such as Discovery,
Animal Planet, National Geographic, etc. help the learners improve their English.
By watching the programmes in English on the TV, the learners not only improve their
active vocabulary and understand English well but also develop their passive vocabulary
gradually.
There is a lot of impact of the media as well as the press on the young generation learners
of English and most of them follow these English channels to improve their language skills.
Even children can pick the English language very fast by watching the channels in
English and by reading some story books, comics, cartoons, detectives, novels and so on.

8 Entertainment
English plays a vital role in promoting entertainment through movie, television and music
industries. The most famous and the biggest world-wide famous television, music and movie
industries have their basic foundation in Hollywood in the United States where they use English
as their medium of communication to convey their message. Their main purpose of using
English as their primary language is to promote their programmes or movies to all the parts of
the world to make it understood by most people in the world. Due to the busy and tireless work,
people are strained and feel stressed in these present days. So, movies or some entertainment
programmes are made in English to entertain such kind of people. There are also some
entertainment programmes in English like cartoons, movies, TV shows, comics and moral
stories which entertain the children and improve their English language skills.
There are also channels that telecast some valuable information for both the children as
well as the adults like Discovery, National Geographic, Animal Planet, BBC, CNN, Star Movies,
AXN, to name a few. Children not only learn the English language but also enrich vocabulary
and great knowledge about the subjects that have been discussed. As music, television and
music are the three which play a key role not only in entertaining people and gaining more
knowledge but also in enhancing their English language skills.
Therefore, it is evident that English is used in all fields predominantly as a main or
official language. The importance of English language increases day by day across the world. So
the need to learn English language and use it as a foreign or second language for
various purposes is essential today for everyone irrespective of regions, countries and contents.

References
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Culture-Oriented Linguistics
SEMINAR 2
Why Is English the “Global Language” of Today
1 Main topics:
1 Science and Technology
2 Education
3 Employment
4 Business
5 The Internet
6 Travel and Tourism
7 Press and Media
8 Entertainment
SCOTLAND
1 Is Scotland an independent country and nation? What is the ancient and modern Gaelic
name for Scotland?
Scotland is a country and former independent kingdom of northwest Europe and one of the three
nations comprising Great Britain. Alba is both the ancient and the modern Gaelic name for
Scotland
2 Where is Scotland located and what are the specifics of its landscape and climate?
Scotland comprises the northern third of island of Great Britain. It is bordered on the south by
England. The country consists of a mainland area plus several island groups including Shetland
Orkney and the Hebrides divided into the Inner Hebrides and Outer Hebrides. Three main
geographical and geological areas make up the mainland: from north to south, the generally
mountainous Highlands, The Central Lowlands and the hilly Southern Uplands
Scotland has a temperature oceanic climate milder. Rainfall is greatest in the mountainous areas
of the west, as prevailing winds, laden with moisture from the Atlantic blow from the southwest.
East winds are common in winter and spring. The Inner Hebrides off the west coast have a mean
temperature in winter of 5° in the coldest month as high as southern England whereas Dundee on
the east coast has 3°. Dundees mean temperature in the warmest month is 15°. There is a smaller
range of the temperatures over the year in Scotland than in southern England. Rainfall varies
dramatically. Some two-thirds of Scotland receives more than 1, 000mm annually the average
for Britain, with the total reaching3,600 mm in the Ben Nevis area. In the flat Outer Hebrides
conditions are less humid as in the east where the Moray Firth receives annually less than 635
mm. A significant amount of snow falls above 60 metres in the Highlands in winter.
3 What were the early settlements in Scotland? What are the earliest known tribes in
Scotland as described by the Romans?
Researcher have found the earliest settlements in Scotland in the Inner Hebrides island. Dating
back some 9000 years. Skara Brae was excavated in the Orkney islands from 1850 and is today
preserved as a village dating back to about 3100 BC. Calanais stone circle on the Isle of Lewis
also dates back to that time before the pyramids were built.
The Romans invaded Britain in 43 AD. When they arrived in Scotland in about 78 AD the
Romans found British tribes living south of the rivers Clyde and Forth who they called
Picts( painted people) the name arising from the locals habit of painting their skin mostly blue.
Evidence indicates that the Picts had lived in northern Scotland since about 700 BC or earlier.
4 When does the name “Alba” first appear? After what historic event?
From the late 600s the Picts came to rule Scotland from their base in Pictavia in the northeastern
part of the country. The Picts often dominated the Scots in the 700s and 800s. Pictavia suffered
invasions by Norsemen which allowed the Scots King Kenneth Mac Alpi to make himself King
of the Picts in 843 by inviting all rival claimants to a banquet and then killing them. The
resulting unified Scottish/Pictish Kingdom became known as Alba
5 What was the major change in the development of the country starting from the 1000s?
How did William Wallace and Robert the Bruce affect Scottish history?
From the late 1000s onwards Scotland gradually lost its mainly Celtic character. It took on a
mixture of Celtic and English characteristics. In 1297 the angry Scots rebelled against Edwards
authority. The leader of one revolt William Wallace, decisively defeated the English at Stirling.
Edward in turn won a great victory at Falkirk in 1298 but did not reoccupy Scotland until 1304.
Edward II who became King of England in 1307 had to face a new rebellion. In 1306 Robert the
Bruce whose grandfather had been Baliols rival for the succession in 1290, seized the throne.
The Bruce began his bid to free the Scottish kingdom from English control. As Robert I he took
advantage of the great resentment the English occupation caused among the Scottish.
6 How did the relations between Scotland and England develop in the 14-th to 16-th
centuries? What were the consequences of the failure of Mary, Queen of Scots to become
ruler of England?
Scotland was by now a mainly English or Lallans-speaking kingdom with Gaelic-speaking
people in the mountains and along the western coast who followed their own customs. Both
James IV and James V made foolish wars on England. The Scots suffered a disastrous defeat by
the English. Lames Vs war was equally disastrous. He had come to the throne as a child and
French and English interests had jockeyed for position during his minority.
In 1565, she married her English cousin Lord Darnley in order to reinforce her claim of
succession to the English throne after Elizabeth’s death. In 1567, Darnley was mysteriously
killed in an explosion at Kirk o’ Field, and Mary’s lover, the Earl of Bothwell, was the key
suspect. Although Bothwell was acquitted of the charge, his marriage to Mary in the same year
enraged the nobility. Mary brought an army against the nobles, but was defeated and imprisoned
at Lochleven, Scotland, and forced to abdicate in favor of her son by Darnley, James.
In 1568, Mary escaped from captivity and raised a substantial army but was defeated and fled to
England. Queen Elizabeth initially welcomed Mary but was soon forced to put her friend under
house arrest after Mary became the focus of various English Catholic and Spanish plots to
overthrow Elizabeth. Nineteen years later, in 1586, a major plot to murder Elizabeth was
reported, and Mary was brought to trial. She was convicted for complicity and sentenced to
death.
7 What happened to Scotland under the rule of Oliver Cromwell and later with the Act of
Union of 1707?
Under Oliver Cromwell who ruled England in the 1650s Scotland virtually became an English
province. The English government controlled the Scottish government through a system of
patronage. The English government engineered the Act of Union in 1707. The English and
Scottish kingdoms and parliaments were combined as the United Kingdom and the Parliament of
Great Britain. The act of Union was not popular in Scotland and was passed only after wholesale
bribery.
8 What was the major change that happened to Scotland under the Blair Labour government of
the UK?
9 What differentiates the history and current state of education in Scotland from those in other
countries?
10 What are the peculiar features of Scots Law found nowhere else?
11 What churches and religions are there in Scotland? What was the story of how Scotland
turned Protestant?
12 What are the most popular kinds of sport in Scotland? Describe the Highland Games?
13 What are the popular festivals in Scotland? What are the specifically Scottish holidays and
traditions related to them? National Icons.

Гапонів А.Б., Возна М.О. Лінгвокраїнознавство. Англомовні країни. Підручник для

студентів та викладачів вищих навчальних закладів. Вінниця: НОВА КНИГА, 2005. 464 с.
Chapter 3. Scotland (pages 95-137).
Exercises 1, 2, p. 134-135; 4, p. 136; 6, 7, p. 137.