‭The Future of the English Language by Amirali Zare‬

‭English. The most commonly used language to communicate between two or more people, and if you‬
‭understand this, you just happen to speak a language that is also spoken among 1.35 billion other‬
‭people. English has been shaped to suit various cultures regardless of where you come from. Most‬
‭bilingual people will speak a mash-up of their native language with English words. And one day, we‬
‭might live to know that the English language spoken 100 years or 1000 years from now might sound‬
‭different.‬

‭Before discussing the future, let’s see how English came about. And that happened over centuries, way‬
‭before the Romans ruled. Dialects of Celtic were spoken in the British Isles. When the Romans‬
‭conquered, Latin had spread like wildfire to other languages, becoming the root for most common‬
‭words. Additionally, with the growing community of Anglo-Saxons in Western Europe, their influence‬
‭had spread back to the British Isles, which resulted in Old English. So, with these newer societies‬
‭trading and interacting with one another, Old English had spread and reflected different parts of the‬
‭UK, constructing different dialects such as Kentish, Northumbrian, Merican, etc. After them, the‬
‭Vikings had conjoined Old Norse and Old English before getting conquered by the Normans, forming‬
‭Anglo-French in the 11th Century. With their detrimental downfall by the 16th Century, the Great‬
‭Vowel shift had occurred, establishing the first English Dictionary in 1604.‬

‭Now, that may seem a bit much to consume, but the beauty of language is that despite having solid‬
‭roots and strict rules, it constantly changes. It always evolves. You and I get to be a part of that.‬
‭Whether it is slang or jargon, English changes to satisfy the different needs of people, and this is evident‬
‭in modern-day conversations where people shorten and abbreviate words to make it easier for people to‬
‭understand without having to spend time writing longer paragraphs and sentences that can be‬
‭simplified. While basic grammatical structure is often ignored and slang becomes the new norm, slang‬
‭is seen as proper English in many other areas as younger age groups blend and adapt new kinds of lexis‬
‭into their vocabulary that can mean or imply different meanings in different regions. An example is‬
‭“selfie,” which uses the suffix “ie.” These combinations have been gradually integrated into a broader‬
‭lexicon as it is informal, playful, and easily recognizable.‬

‭While traditionally considered informal, these graphical representations of emotions and reactions‬
‭now serve as tools for conveying tone and adding a personal touch to messages. For instance, a simple‬
‭smiley face or thumbs-up emoji can make a message seem friendlier and less formal, promoting a sense‬
‭of camaraderie among colleagues. But it also shows that visual representation can aid in faster‬
‭communication rather than using words that may often be deemed redundant and strenuous,‬
‭especially when multiple people are engaging in a conversation or may communicate in a relatively‬
‭quick manner. A study published in‬‭Frontiers in Psychology‬‭found that using semiotics to design‬
‭educational materials can improve student learning outcomes. In the future, we may see visual‬
‭representations of words or phrases that often speak for themselves with in-depth symbols that allow‬
‭people to connect different ideas. However, using semiotics (icons and symbols) has influenced how we‬
‭engage with technology, road traffic, infographics, etc. Which may herald a significant shift in how we‬
‭convey and understand information, suggesting a growing reliance on visual symbols and semiotics as a‬
‭means of communication in the future.‬

‭Among other age groups, the evolution of the English language has adjusted how co-workers‬
‭communicate, as the need for formality and professionalism can be substituted for more casual and‬
‭collaborative language. This shift in workplace communication is exemplified by the increased use of‬
‭informal language and acronyms in emails and conversations like ASAP or ETA since it fosters a much‬
‭more relatable environment where language should not be exaggerated to convey a simple message or‬
‭idea.‬

‭As English continues to be spoken around the world and the resources to learn it become more‬
‭accessible, it is unlikely we see a shift in the way we communicate in the short-run. In the long run,‬
‭however, just as most English speakers cannot speak Old English, a study published in the journal‬
‭Nature Human Behaviour‬‭predicted that Mandarin Chinese could become the most spoken language‬
‭by 2099 through a mathematical model to analyze different countries' population growth and language‬
‭trends. This is attributed to the circumstances that China is the most populous country in the world,‬
‭with over 1.4 billion people, and its thriving economy significantly influences trade and technology.‬
‭And with its exports becoming cheaper and higher in quality, more people will want to learn Mandarin‬
‭to do business with China in the coming decades. Nevertheless, this does not mean that through the‬
‭rise of artificial intelligence and machine translation, we won’t expect that other methods of‬
‭communication may change the language landscape in the long run.‬

‭Only time will tell, but the evolution of language, with its blend of words, symbols, and new forms of‬
‭expression, will undoubtedly continue to reflect society's changing needs and dynamics. But what will‬
‭English look like a thousand years from now? We can expect grammar changes, new words, phrases,‬
‭and spelling reforms that make it more phonetic and more accessible to learn. The term “awful” was‬
‭used to describe something worthy of awe. Historian Albert Marckwardt believes that the Great Vowel‬
‭Shift is still occurring as words transform and morphological changes give rise to novel vocabulary. But‬
‭as long as society is around, new communication methods will be found and spread among the billions‬
‭of people who are constantly engaged and interacting with one another.‬