The English Language Today

The English Language Today
By David Crystal
Summary


The English linguist, David Crystal, tries to explain the importance and the reasons why English counts as a global language. The text shows two different theories of why a language can be counted as worldwide. The first is the extent to which a language is found useful outside its original setting and the second describes the grade of difficulty of considering the language as global with the help of the total number of its speakers.
To count all the mother tongue speakers of English is not the biggest obstacle, because we have exact numbers of the population of these countries. The problem seems to be the countries that use English as a second or as a foreign language. In these areas where English is used as a foreign language, it is studied at high levels, for example in schools and universities. Even though this happens mostly in developed countries, to make an estimate of the English speakers here is, as Crystal claims, something almost impossible and of course the question of -to what extent somebody speaks English- comes in the picture as well.
In countries where English is used as an official/second language such as Ghana and Nigeria the problem becomes even more difficult. Here, the legal system, education and media are mainly in English. But because of the existence of several ethnical groups, all with different native languages, English has been chosen to neutralize possible ethnical and lingual conflicts in the area. English is counted here as a “second” language also because the people want to maintain their traditions. Because of this many of them speak their own language at home. This factor combined with the poverty that makes the educational opportunities limited, makes it, again, impossible to make an exact estimate of the English speakers in the area.
Crystal argues that every language reaches its climax with the help of the economy. Several languages as French and Latin have reached the worldwide status. Today is the turn of English, but in case of a massive change in the economy and of the balance of power of the western world, the position of the English language can be put in danger, but until then the English language will continue to develop and the number of the English speakers will continue to increase.

Word Count: 383