English worldwide

Name _______________________________________________ No. _______ Class _________ Date _________________

I
READING

A. Read the text.

What is a Global Language?

There is no official definition of “global” or “world” language, but it essentially refers to a language that is
learned and spoken internationally, and is characterised not only by the number of its native and second
language speakers, but also by its geographical distribution and its use in international organisations and in
diplomatic relations. A global language acts as a “lingua franca”, a common language that enables people
from diverse backgrounds and ethnicities to communicate on a more or less equitable basis.

Historically, the essential factor for the establishment of a global language is that it is spoken by those who
wield power. Latin was the lingua franca of its time, although it was only ever a minority language within the
Roman Empire as a whole. Crucially, though, it was the language of the powerful leaders and
administrators and of the Roman military, and later of the ecclesiastical power of the Roman Catholic
Church. Thus, language can be said to have no independent existence of its own, and a particular
language only dominates when its speakers dominate (and, by extension, fails when the people who speak
it fail).

The influence of any language is a combination of three main things: the number of countries using it as
their first language or mother tongue, the number of countries adopting it as their official language and the
number of countries teaching it as their foreign language of choice in schools. The intrinsic structural
qualities of a language, the size of its vocabulary, the quality of its literature throughout history, and its
association with great cultures or religions, are all important factors in the popularity of any language. But,
at base, history shows us that a language becomes a global language mainly due to the political power of
its native speakers and the economic power with which it is able to maintain and expand its position.

On almost any basis, English is the nearest thing there has ever been to a global language. Its worldwide
reach is much greater than anything achieved historically by Latin or French, and there has never been a
language as widely spoken as English.

British imperial and industrial power sent English around the globe between the 17 th and the 20th centuries.
The legacy of British imperialism has left many countries with the language thoroughly institutionalised in
their courts, parliament, civil service, schools and higher education establishments. In other counties,
English provides a neutral means of communication between different ethnic groups.

A report by the British Council suggests that the number of people learning English is likely to continue to
increase over the next 10-15 years, peaking at around 2 billion, after which a decline is predicted. Having
said that, though, there may now be a critical mass of English-speakers throughout the world which may
make its continued growth impossible to stop or even slow. There are no comparable historical precedents
on which to base predictions, but it well may be that the emergence of English as a global language is a
unique, even an irreversible, event.

www.thehistoryofenglish.com (accessed in October 2018)

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 B. Find an equivalent in the two first paragraphs for the following words.
1. dissemination _______________
2. allows ____________________
3. balanced __________________
4. crucial ____________________

C. Complete the following sentences according to the information in the text.

1. The influence of a language is related not only to the number of people who speak it as a first
or official language but also ___________________________________________
2. Compared to Latin or French, English _____________________________________

3. In former British colonies English has been kept as the language used _____________
______________________________________________________________
4. According to a report, after 15 years the number of people learning English ____________
______________________________________________________________

D. Answer the following questions about the text.

1. What are the factors that are taken into account for a language to be considered a “global”
or “world” language?
______________________________________________________________
2. Explain why a language has no independent existence of its own.
______________________________________________________________
3. What is the main reason why English as a global language may be an irreversible event?
______________________________________________________________

II
WRITING

Write a short explanation (around 150 words) about how English has established itself as the
most spoken language around the world today.

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 III
LANGUAGE USE

A. Fill in the gaps with the words in the box.

former dominance assured factors colonial imposed

independence culture subjugation change

The Future of English

Although English currently appears to be in an unassailable position in the modern world, its future as a
global language is not necessarily 1.____________ . In the Middle Ages, Latin seemed forever set as
the language of education and 2.____________, as did French in the 18th Century. But circumstances
change, and there are several 3.____________ which might precipitate such a 4.____________
once again. The very dominance of an outside language or culture can lead to a reaction against it.
People do not take kindly to having a language 5.____________ on them, whatever advantage and
value that language may bring to them. As long ago as 1908, Mahatma Gandhi said, in the context of
6.____________ India: “To give millions a knowledge of English is to enslave them”. Although most
7.____________ British colonies retained English as an official language after 8.____________,
some (e.g. Tanzania, Kenya, Malaysia) later deliberately rejected the old colonial language as a legacy of
oppression and 9.____________, disestablishing English as even a joint official language. Even today,
there is a certain amount of resentment in some countries towards the cultural 10.____________ of
English, and particularly of the USA.
www.thehistoryofenglish.com (accessed in October 2018)

B. Choose the option with the same sound.

1. /e/ = mad
a. made b. cave c. few d. leopard

2. /ei/ = make
a. sad b. save c. cap d. tap

3. /u:/ = you
a. two b. boot c. cut d. mute

4. /ai/ = die
a. weight b. mail c. sail d. buy

5. /I/ = pretty
a. women b. sew c. file d. pine
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 C. Turn the following sentences into either the passive or the active voice.

1. English is spoken by more than two billion people today.

More ___________________________________________________.
2. The English language has been spread all over the world in recent years.
Speakers _________________________________________________.
3. Corporations in European countries are hiring workers who speak English fluently.
Workers who ______________________________________________.
4. Employers may offer you job opportunities abroad if you speak foreign languages.
You ____________________________________________________.
5. Globalisation will reinforce the need for a global language.
The need for _______________________________________________.

D. Rewrite the sentences beginning them as suggested.

1. Everybody knows that English is the most spoken foreign language.

English ___________________________________________________.
2. English is estimated to be spoken by millions of people worldwide.
Experts estimate ____________________________________________.
3. It is believed that speaking foreign languages is an asset in any job.
Speaking foreign languages _____________________________________.
4. Linguists say that young children learn languages very easily.
Young children ______________________________________________.
5. Scholars claim that there are many varieties of the English language.
It is _____________________________________________________.

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 Answer key

I. READING III. LANGUAGE USE

A. A.
1. distribution 1. assured
2. enables 2. culture
3. equitable 3. factors
4. essential 4. change
5. imposed
B.
6. colonial
1. (…) to the number of countries that teach it as a foreign
7. former
language of choice in schools.
8. independence
2. (…) has got a greater worldwide reach.
9. subjugation
3. (…) in courts, parliament, civil service, schools and higher
10. dominance
education establishments.
4. (…) may decline. B.
1. d
C. 2. b
1. The number of native and second language speakers, the 3. d
geographical distribution, and its use in international 4. d
organisations and in diplomatic relations. 5. a
2. A language is powerful and dominant only when those who
C.
speak it are also powerful and dominant.
1. (…) than 2 billion people speak English today.
3. The huge amount of people speaking English today.
2. (…) have spread the English language all over the world in
recent years.
II. WRITING 3. (…) speak English fluently are being hired by corporations in
Personal answers European countries.
4. (…) may be offered job opportunities abroad if you speak
foreign languages.
5. (…) a global language will be reinforced by globalisation.

D.
1. (…) is known to be the most spoken foreign language.
2. (…) that English is spoken by millions of people worldwide.
3. (…) is believed to be an asset in any job.
4. (…) are said to learn languages very easily.
5. (…) claimed that there are many varieties of the English
language.

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