Pros and cons of English being the international lingua franca
Pros and cons of English being the international lingua franca English speakers in the world including those who are in the inner circle, outer circle and expanding circle had reached to 380 millions of people since 2001. The finding shows how influential English Language is. Gradually, English become the international lingua franca, “utilized outside of the country or countries of its origin.”( Subject Area - English Language Essays) The Lingua Franca There are both pros and cons of English becoming the international lingua franca.
English is the best candidate language for lingua franca. Many countries take English as the second language, students learn English under the education system mandatorily. In this way, the percentage of the population had the standard level of understanding of English, which is a non-native language, is unprecedentedly large. Also, there are so many English Language media immersing in the world, for example movies, pop music, the American TV programmes and the internet etc. The high level of invasion of the Anglophone societies’ culture creates a platform for learners to enhance their English abilities, just by sitting in front of the computer. Learning English is as easy as this without having to go to an English speaking country. Under the fact that English is widespread in comparison to the most other languages, there is no doubt that English is the most suitable to be the international lingua franca.
In addition, overcoming the language barriers is the potential benefit of English. Communications are difficult when people don’t have a common language. With English being the lingua franca, it is easier for people to disseminate ideas and also break down cultural boundaries that separate people apart at the same. Van Parijs who is a Professor at the Faculty of economic, social and political sciences of the University of Louvain, gives the example of the use of English by Belgians when discussing the separation of that
English is the best candidate language for lingua franca. Many countries take English as the second language, students learn English under the education system mandatorily. In this way, the percentage of the population had the standard level of understanding of English, which is a non-native language, is unprecedentedly large. Also, there are so many English Language media immersing in the world, for example movies, pop music, the American TV programmes and the internet etc. The high level of invasion of the Anglophone societies’ culture creates a platform for learners to enhance their English abilities, just by sitting in front of the computer. Learning English is as easy as this without having to go to an English speaking country. Under the fact that English is widespread in comparison to the most other languages, there is no doubt that English is the most suitable to be the international lingua franca.
In addition, overcoming the language barriers is the potential benefit of English. Communications are difficult when people don’t have a common language. With English being the lingua franca, it is easier for people to disseminate ideas and also break down cultural boundaries that separate people apart at the same. Van Parijs who is a Professor at the Faculty of economic, social and political sciences of the University of Louvain, gives the example of the use of English by Belgians when discussing the separation of that
Cited: Profile of Van Parijs. University of Oxford. http://www.law.ox.ac.uk/profile/philippe.vanparijs. 14 Feb 2014 Benjamin Studebaker. English Lingua Franca. http://benjaminstudebaker.com/2013/05/20/english-lingua-franca/. 20 May 2013 “Subject Area - English Language Essays The Lingua Franca”. http://www.ukessays.com/essays/english-language/pdf/the-lingua-franca.pdf. 2006