Филологические науки/ 7. Язык, речь, речевая коммуникация

Kalugina D.A.

Yaroslavl State Medical Academy

English as a global language

The many languages in the word today can be ordered in the “global language system”, a system with a strongly hierarchical structure. We face a very different situation, however, when we look at the many linguistic minorities at the bottom end of the world language system. At this level, as we must acknowledge at the outset, multilingualism is an extremely variable phenomenon, where a host of difficult social, geographical, economic, legal, historical, educational, psychological, political, religious and ideological factors may play role [8: 5].

Any language at the centre of an explosion of international activity would suddenly have found itself with a global status. English was apparently ‘in the right place at the right time’.

The prospect that a common language might be needed for the whole world is something which has emerged strongly only in the twentieth century, and since the 1950s in particular. The chief international forum for political communication – the United Nations – dates only from 1945. Since then, many international bodies have come into being, such as the World Bank, UNESCO and UNICEF, the World Health Organisation and the International Atomic Energy Agency. Never before have so many countries (around 190, in the case of some UN bodies) been represented in single meeting-places. At a more restricted level, multinational regional or political groupings have come into being, such as the British Commonwealth and the European Union. The pressure to adopt a single common language, to facilitate communication in such contexts, is considerable, the alternative being expensive and impracticable multi-way translation facilities [1:12].

Globalisation could promise a golden age for translation and across the world. But that promise may be too good to be true and we need to be on our guard. If this analysis is right, we shall see translation activity dividing into two broad categories. The first might be called spontaneous translation, done on the spot, often from International English, or direct composition in English by business people, civil servants, scientists, and secretaries, a kind of internalized translation that removes the need for the translator as a middleman. The second will be specialist translation in technical, professional, legal, political and cultural domains, including the related studies of summarizing and information transfer [6:27].

Although one study done in the USA showed that in the communication of attitudes, 93 percent of the message was transmitted by the tone of the voice and by facial expression, whereas only 7 percent of the speaker’s attitude was transmitted by words [7: 10].

We are reminded that we communicate so much information non-verbally in conversations that often the verbal aspect of the conversation is negligible. Several 20^th century methodologists have begun to explore the relationship between language and some of these other communicative aspects.

The practice of analyzing interactions in which the researcher participated has a long history in discourse analysis. Inter-actional sociolinguists acknowledge that there are disadvantages as well as advantages in analyzing conversations they themselves took part in. People who regularly interact with each other create a special language between and among themselves, a language that is called upon and built upon in their continuing interactions [2: 359].

A global language will cultivate an elite monolingual linguistic class, more complacent and dismissive in their attitudes towards other languages. Perhaps those who have such a language at their disposal – and especially those who have it as a mother-tongue – will be more able to think and to work quickly in it, and to manipulate it to their own advantage at the expense of those who do not have it. Perhaps the presence of a global language will make people lazy about learning other languages, or reduce their opportunities to do so. Perhaps a global language will hasten the disappearance of minority languages or – the ultimate threat – make all other languages unnecessary. ‘A person needs only one language to talk to someone else’, it is sometimes argued, ‘and once a world language is in place, other languages will simply die away’. Linked with all this is the unpalatable face of linguistic triumphalism – the danger that some people will celebrate one language’s success at the expense of others.

It is important to face up to these fears, and to recognize that they are widely held. There is no shortage of mother-tongue English speakers who believe in an evolutionary view of language or who refer to the present global status of the language learning is a waste of time. And many more who see nothing wrong with the vision that a world with just one language in it would be a very positive occurrence[1:15].

References

1. Crystal David English as a global language/ second edition. – Cambridge university press, 2003. – 212.

2. Fasold Ralph, Connor-Linton Jeff An Introduction to Language and Linguistics. – Cambridge university press, 2006. – 540.

3. Erling Elisabeth I learn English since 10 years: The global English debate and the German university classroom // English today 70. – Vol. 18. – № 2. – Cambridge university press, 2002. – 10-14.

4. Lee McKay Sandra Western Culture and the teaching English as an international Language // English today 71. – Vol. 18. - № 3. – Cambridge university press, 2002. – 10-15.

5. Mugglestone Linda Talking proper: the rise of accent as social symbol. – Oxford university press, 2002. – 360.

6. Reeves Nigel Translation, International English, and the Planet of Babel // English today 72. – Vol. 18. - № 4. – Cambridge university press, 2002. – 21 – 28.

7. Rodgers Ted Methodology in the New Millennium // Forum. – Vol. 41. - № 4. – Cambridge university press, 2003. – 2-13.

8. Salverda Reinier Language diversity and international communication // English today 71. – Vol. 18. - № 3. – Cambridge university press, 2002. – 3-10.