Saturday, July 30, 2022

Global English and Power


As we know everything depends on the language. The degree of power we have in the world is closely correlated with our capacity for communication.  Language serves as our culture's preferred means of communication, the force behind our goals, and the focus and alignment of our energies. The influence of language is entirely dependent upon how it is used. Whether or not we are aware of it, we continuously use language to transform our concepts and convictions into tangible reality. We can choose to express ourselves and understand others in more thoughtful, thoughtful ways by becoming more conscious of the effect and power of words.

The video "The Expansion of English in China- Worlds of English" talks about how English is becoming a convenient language in China. In order to succed in your career, you would need to learn English. Also as China is becoming bigger and bigger part of the world's ecomomy and as people start traveling much more outside and multinational companies coming into China and the Chinese comapnies having collabrations with outside companies. It is clear that they will have to learn more than one language. For young professionals entering into the coporate world you are expected to learn English and the expectation level as wells as the need and the pressure to increase and improve their English level has become much stronger. 

The video "English in the Euproean Union"-Worlds of English" talks about the English laguage is spreading throughout Europe. The Euproean parliament  there are about 23 languages. English is becoming more used and more valued. The French lanuage has dropped below 10 %, but the reality is that you can't live without English. When the MEP's dont use their mother tounge misunderstandings can occur. People say things what they don't really mean and they say what they are able to say. These are two different things and for intereptors that can be difficult to explain what the person is trying to say. 

The problematic issues in the first video would be: 1) Learning another laugage for some people might be difficult. Especially that are certian age group, they have been speaking Chinese for almost their whole life. 2) In order to succed in your career you would need to learn some basic English even to move outside of China to the US. Learning a whole new language can take sometime. 3) Impact on mother tongue, the next generation might not even speak Chinese and would be learning English. As the Chinese language is not being taught at home. 

The problematic issues in the second video would be: 1) People who don't know English will have a hard time understanding what the other person is trying to say. The English lanugage is spreading at a much rapid pace and is more valued. 2) Some people would be learning English much later in life when they have been speaking mother tounge their whole life. 3) Some people don't prefer to learn another language and would rather speak their mother tongue. 

From the video "The Expansion of English in China- Worlds of English" the speaker Bob says "you can’t study any language for so long like in my case I’ve studied English for over thirty years now, without really seeing any deep changes in you, both in the way you look at your own country, the way of thinking exactly, living your lifestyle so everything is different now" Learing a whole new language can change they way you live and the way you might speak your mother tongue. It also has an effect on identity whether you are Chinese or an American. Another speaker from the video YI’AN "In my view and in many of my colleagues view, actually English is more than natural because language and thought and language and culture are tied to each other inextricably. The learning of English has an impact on the identity of our learners, who you are". When you learn another language you tend to adpot that culture and the question is who you really are?

From the video: "English in the Euproean Union"-Worlds of English" The french guy is not willing to accept that English becoming the dominant language in the Eurpoean Union. He thinks that English is a threat to the legtitmacy of the European Union. The amount of money that is being spent to ensuring that interceptors are always avaiable for all twenty three languages. The three dominant lanagues French, German and English have been resisted. 









Created by Sana Mumtaz 






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Global English and Power

As we know everything depends on the language. The degree of power we have in the world is closely correlated with our capacity for communic...