In our globalized world, it is difficult to escape the dominance of the English language. Although there are only an estimated 360 million native speakers, a total of 1.6 billion people speak English as a first, second or third language. Over the centuries, English became a “bridge language” that developed through cross-border trade, diplomacy and culture. And while the numerical advantage lies with Chinese and Spanish – two of the world’s most widely spoken languages in terms of number of native speakers – there is little evidence that they can compete with English as a global “lingua franca.” But with one in four students already proficient in English at a “conversational” level, is learning the language still as good an investment as it was in the past? And if we assume a foreseeable increase in good machine translations, will the ability to express yourself in English become less valuable in the future?
Learning English: The Roots of Dominance
While speculation about the global status of the English language continues, and possible decline remains a possibility, many linguists still believe that these speculations are exaggerated. As David Graddol said in “The Future of English?” noted, there is no reason to believe that another language will become the global lingua franca within the next 50 years. English is unlikely to replace any of the other languages, but its usefulness as a common language in trade, diplomacy and popular culture will remain. English dominance is rooted in history: centuries of colonization, industrialization and globalization have allowed the language to spread throughout the world. Linguist David Crystal estimates that 60-70 “Englishes” have developed since the 1960s because of this. But the roots also lie in practicality: Over centuries, English has slowly but steadily become our global linguistic currency: a common language that has, quite literally, oiled the wheels of an increasingly interconnected world. Although it would be difficult – if not completely impossible – to replace an established and deeply rooted language on a global scale, another language, perhaps encouraged by the discomfort some feel with the linguistic and cultural dominance of the English-speaking world, take the place?
Speak English? That’s not important, is it?
Although Mandarin Chinese is seen as the standard rival to English (with nearly a billion native speakers), it is an impractical competitor for several reasons: The complex sounds and difficult writing system make Mandarin Chinese notoriously difficult to learn. Furthermore, Mandarin Chinese is not supported by a machinery of globally available and popular popular culture, which drives the spread of English among young people in particular. Even in East Asia, the connection between Mandarin and the political actions of the Chinese state has, at least to some extent and at certain times, prevented further spread. In fact, English is seen as more “neutral” even in an environment that might be thought to be dominated by Chinese, as evidenced by the adoption of English as a working language by ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations).
And what about Spanish? The language has more than 400 million native speakers and also has a widespread cultural and pop culture influence in the world. Compared to Chinese, it is also relatively easy to learn. And although the number of Spanish students will increase, it is unlikely that it will be able to challenge the dominance of English. Because in addition to the anchoring of English in commerce to pop culture, the dominance is not only linked to practicality and can be justified historically, but is also due to a perceived dominance: as long as people continue to believe in the importance of English and learn the language, it will Don’t swing the pendulum towards Spanish or any other language that is important in any way.
ENGLISH IS A BUSINESS MATTER
The importance of English as a global lingua franca is particularly noticeable in the international business environment. Even in the areas where multilingualism is highly valued and diversity is the watchword – diplomacy and education, for example – English is dominant.
Communicating effectively across borders and offices is essential in today’s geographically and culturally diverse workplaces. Harvard Business School Professor Tsedal Neeley says bilingualism is the answer. “Companies need a language strategy, especially if they want to interact globally in some way,” she explains. The benefits of using a lingua franca in a business environment are numerous: Seamless, cross-border communication to accommodate international customers makes English, as Ms Neeley notes, “…now a global business language.” There is no reason to reinvent the wheel, linguistically speaking. And most companies make no move to move away from English, even if they need other languages to sell their products locally or introduce them to the market. Managers who are fluent in English are sought after as they are viewed as better prepared to lead global projects, businesses and multinational teams. This in turn leads to a cycle of positive feedback that further reinforces the importance of English for people who want to work and trade across borders.
Learning English: A diverse online landscape
The online environment also continues to stick to English. But although English is the founding language of the World Wide Web and truly dominated the early days, today “only” 40 percent of online content is in English and less than 30 percent of users are native speakers. As millions of people add content to the Internet, the structure of language continues to change: the popularity of social media in China is just one example to demonstrate the displacement of English. Content creators choose the language in which they write based on the audience and influence they want: to reach and connect with a wide range of internet users, English remains the obvious choice. There is no escaping English in its broader sense either: seemingly trivial neologisms like “selfie,” “hashtag,” or even “internet” are often not translated into other languages, allowing English expressions to permeate other languages in unprecedented ways.
A SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY?
The actual importance of the English language in a global world based on international trade and borderless communication is the reality – but it is also to some extent the perceived importance of English that keeps the machine running: because who would Given the current state of things, stop your children from learning English? In fact, the sheer number of students – currently more than a billion – keeps the dominance of English alive, generation after generation. According to Eurostat, 94 percent of high school graduates learn English. English is considered an obvious second language in Scandinavia, where early education, small classes, comprehensive techniques and the recognition of language learning as a necessity to compete globally have led to high levels of language proficiency. In Malaysia, some parents even go so far as to send their children to a school in Singapore, where English is the primary language. In Vietnam – where there is an emotional, automatic rejection of Mandarin – people are comfortable with English as opposed to the language of their neighboring country. In China itself, children learn English from kindergarten onwards and more and more Chinese are studying English in other countries.
Why it is important to speak English fluently
Learning other languages remains as important as ever, but to participate in what we share across borders – from commerce to pop culture – English remains a must: the language is a global language currency, giving the speaker a world opened beyond his home country. Therefore, in a world where more and more people speak English, fluency, as opposed to necessary mastery, makes the real difference. Proficiency in English at a native or near-native level, characterized by an understanding of nuances, idioms and even local slang, will become a hallmark of those who travel, study and work across borders and are always at home in them feel a changing world.
WHY MACHINES WILL PROBABLY NOT TAKE POWER FOR THEMSELVES
But perhaps none of this will matter anymore when machines take over and translate everything from text messages to Skype conversations flawlessly and in real time? With projects like Google’s “Neural Machine,” a recent extension of Google Translate, engineers are trying to address the translation tool’s tendency to mistranslate and ultimately challenge the human ability to make sense of a sentence in context, rather than just as a collection of words to look at, to approach. While this new tool is expected to be more accurate than Google Translate, it will still struggle with the very messy process of making sense of spoken language. In fact, in the future, a highly accurate Google translation engine could be helpful in making sense of more mundane or technical texts that lack human nuance. But grasping the full range of meaning in a language will remain the prerogative of humans for now.
In international trade, diplomacy and culture, nuance and context are often crucial – and getting this right can mean the difference between success and failure. Therefore, mastering fluent English will likely remain a valuable skill in the future.
