English may be the language of global business and international education but it is surprising to know that English is not a very simple language to learn. This begs the question of why? We were taught in our biology classes that it is natural selection and the path of least resistance that nature would choose. English doesn't exactly fit that bill. I Know English's Teacher Thomas on the other hand has a different view of it altogether. He reminds us that, "Reading and writing are not natural phenomenon similar to learning to speak but they are a human construct of symbols used to communicate when we are not capable of speaking or wish to communicate with someone who is far away which we cannot speak to in person." It is because of this fact that Thomas suggests we should look at learning to read and write from a perspective of economics. So, why did and does English language proliferate? Well, as Teacher Thomas suggested, it may have to do with economics. Before the rise of the British empire, you could have just as easily asked the same question about the proliferation of French, Spanish or Dutch. As the British colonized many parts of the world, so too did their language and culture. This is similar to how technology works, with early adopters of the language improving their standard of living by their development of their English abilities. Then mass adoption begins and so the proliferation begins. Further we can't deny that, despite the decline of the British empire, the USA's dominance after WWII continued to fuel the spread and adoption of the English language. With such a dominant economic force, it would have been and still is a detriment to companies and individuals who wish to pursue a career in large MNC's abroad. It is quite clear to see that English language is not the simplest but its proliferation and global reach through economic circumstances was a determining factor as to why many wish to learn English as opposed to Mandarin or any other language for that matter. What do you think? Share your thoughts and comments. |
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September 2016
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