Patrick Chou Week #9 Power of English
English is often referred to as the most used language with "all 100 of the world’s most influential science journals publish in English" according to an article written from Amy Chua from the New York Times. But what led to this rise of influence and use of English globe wide?
During the era of European colonialism, British colonization spread the language to various parts of the world. For example, India once colonized by Britain, many people worked with the British in civil sources which rose the dependence on English during day-to-day life, and by the time India became independent, English was seen as a viable language.
English has become a language of academic standard and international communication in research and education. For example, much of the human body anatomy stems from Latin and derived into English, Moreover, programing languages are done in English in order to maintain ease of access for developers. Many high-raking universities use English as the medium of instruction, attracting student seeking a globally recognized education. English's dominance in academia and technology is widespread across the world.
English is used in many sectors including government, the internet, business, broadcasting, the press, street signs and popular music. This can be seen as English can be seen "for 60 percent of world internet content". English plays a crucial role in the early development of the internet. Many of the pioneering websites and coding languages were English-centric, establishing the dominance of English. English prevalence on the internet has made it more accessible to a global audience. English-language content reaches a broad audience which contributes to its status as the primary language of online communication. English-Language media, including Hollywood films, music, and literature has a powerful influence on global pop culture. The widespread popularity of English-Language entertainment creates a cultural connection that overcomes linguistic and national boundaries.
The influence of English in the economic stage especially by the U.S has made English the language of international business and trade. Companies with different backgrounds use English in order to communicate with other companies from different linguistic backgrounds. English is commonly used for global transactions and negotiations thus, the exigence for it.
Hello Patrick! The unifying diction you employ in terms of English as a global language adds emphasis to your claims of how various aspects of the English language have made it especially appealing to large audiences to receive messages. I agree that the spread of English stemmed from British rule of various parts of the New World and the majority of Asia itself. Then, the British language and culture spread to the places that were colonized, subsequently altering the languages spoken there to primarily English as well. One of the main aspects of English as the major language in the world is because of the strength and vitality of the American economy, which you mention.
ReplyDeleteMost trades and services are transferred through the American dollar, further incentivizing companies to employ English as the primary medium of communication. These companies utilize English to attract clients and new projects as well, further revolutionizing the technology sector of the American economy. English media and entertainment are popularized by the Western world that America spearheads. The usage of the English language creates a cycle in and of itself—considering the prevalence of the language in the professional world, it becomes a necessity for applicants and opportunity seekers in any industry. I appreciate your usage of a reference to English as being used to communicate the ideas of the majority of scientific journals in our modern age. Your example of English is backed by a process analysis of a credible source that has analyzed the trends that have led to the belief that English composes most of the scientific and technological publications, further incentivizing prospective workers in the industry to learn the language. Altogether, your blog was an informative deep-dive into the workings of the English language and the unique motivations that one may have for learning the language and using it frequently.
ReplyDeleteHi Patrick! I found your ideas on the spread of English to be very compelling. I recently came across this idea in an article I was reading. Although many people around the world may not prefer English, it is slowly becoming a very crucial language to achieve proficiency in. I also found it interesting how you mentioned the importance of English in coding since coding uses separate languages. I believe that coding is a platform for people of all lingual backgrounds to communicate smoothly based on their passion for coding because of the external languages that one uses to code.
While using one language for everything can make facilitation more smooth and efficient, it also comes with numerous issues and negative side effects. For example, using English to express concerns on climate change and world issues causes many non-native speakers to uninformed about these major problems. In addition, the language gap results in a lack of innovation in some of these countries because most research is done in English. Specifically for evolving issues like global warming, it is necessary for more of the population to be educated and aware about how to combat it. In these situations, using one language does not accomplish the main goal of informing others on the issues.
It is interesting to think about how English has come to have such a significant role in the world. Because of the extensive power of the United States in global affairs, it is understandable that English has developed into such a popular language. In addition, learning how to speak English can help one to get access to better resources because of the reduced communication gap.
Hey Patrik, I agree that the spread of English can be considered a power of its own. The spread of a language and making it globally accepted is very good as it allows us to communicate with people with ease. It also allows for new discoveries and ideas to be spread quicker. While with modern technology the language does not matter as much anymore as we can translate, the idea of having a global language is still good to have. Other globally accepted things help the world function properly. Many of our scientific discoveries were spread quickly and were improved upon because of this. Without a globally accepted language, we probably would not have been able to spread this info as fast. Our discoveries of vaccines would have been delayed significantly if it were not for a globally accepted language like english. The power that it holds has helped the world evolve together and we have hopes of it evolving quicker with more technology and globally accepted factors in the future.
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