English Global Language
ENGLISH AS A GLOBAL LANGUAGE: ITS HISTORICAL PAST AND ITS FUTURE
Zuliati Rohmah
Abstract: This paper discusses English as a global language. The description of its history is offered to enable us to detect the underlying motivation of spreading English world-wide. How English plays a role on the death of other languages is presented to make us aware of preserving our own language, while making use of English. The future of English is predicted to give us a direction to our activities in relation to a possible future of English. Key words: English, global language, history, future.
We are now experiencing a globalization era. Globalization is a relatively new phenomenon of multi-dimensional nature that puts variety of complex trends in the economic, social and cultural fabrics of all societies. These trends have presented alarming challenges which throw people into perplexing situation. Globalization impacts on all conceivable aspects of life. Globalization has created a smaller world for people. Recently, people can reach more than three countries within a single day. Early in the morning, an executive is still in Jakarta. After dropping in Singapore for some minutes and flying for other four hours, the executive enters Tokyo. Eleven hours later, he reaches one of the U.S. cities, a place located far on the other surface of the earth. Hence, meeting people from different places in the world is greatly possible in the era of globalization. When people of different backgrounds meet, they need to communicate using a particular language as a lingua franca. English is now a world lingua franca. Nowadays, English is used by people in almost every part of the
Zuliati Rohmah adalah dosen IAIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya
106
Rohmah, English as a Global Language 107
world. What is interesting is how English become so widely spread. This paper describes the notion of English as a global language. The history of English is then depicted to understand the spread English in the
Zuliati Rohmah
Abstract: This paper discusses English as a global language. The description of its history is offered to enable us to detect the underlying motivation of spreading English world-wide. How English plays a role on the death of other languages is presented to make us aware of preserving our own language, while making use of English. The future of English is predicted to give us a direction to our activities in relation to a possible future of English. Key words: English, global language, history, future.
We are now experiencing a globalization era. Globalization is a relatively new phenomenon of multi-dimensional nature that puts variety of complex trends in the economic, social and cultural fabrics of all societies. These trends have presented alarming challenges which throw people into perplexing situation. Globalization impacts on all conceivable aspects of life. Globalization has created a smaller world for people. Recently, people can reach more than three countries within a single day. Early in the morning, an executive is still in Jakarta. After dropping in Singapore for some minutes and flying for other four hours, the executive enters Tokyo. Eleven hours later, he reaches one of the U.S. cities, a place located far on the other surface of the earth. Hence, meeting people from different places in the world is greatly possible in the era of globalization. When people of different backgrounds meet, they need to communicate using a particular language as a lingua franca. English is now a world lingua franca. Nowadays, English is used by people in almost every part of the
Zuliati Rohmah adalah dosen IAIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya
106
Rohmah, English as a Global Language 107
world. What is interesting is how English become so widely spread. This paper describes the notion of English as a global language. The history of English is then depicted to understand the spread English in the
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