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Presented byBernadus DhangaMahmudinJoniENGLISH AS AN INTERNATIONAL OR A GLOBAL LANGUAGE

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INTRODUCTION

Language is the primary medium of human social interaction, and interaction is the means through which social relations are constructed and maintained. It is a vital commodity in a globalized world (Block and Cameron, 2002). It means that every people needs and uses language as a means to communicate to each other. People need language to express their needs in many aspects of life. So, as the community of the world, people need language to be used as a means of global communication. In this sense, our group will present the topic about English as an International/ a Global language.

This paper will focuses on discussing the following questions: What is international or global language? Why do we need international or global language? Why English becomes an international or a global language? What are the implications of English as an International or a Global Language in English Language Teaching?

What is International or Global Language?

Smith (1976) as cited by Sandra Lee McKay defines an international language as the language which is used by people of different nations to communicate with one another. David Crystal, 2003 in English as a Global Language, gives some ideas on what a global language is. He stated that a language achieves a genuinely global status when it develops a special role that is recognized in every country. Such a role will be most evident in countries where large numbers of the people speak the language as a mother tongue. He also stated that to achieve a global status, a language has to be taken up by other countries around the world. They must decide to give it a special place within their communities, even though they may have few (or no) mother-tongue speakers.

There are two main ways in which a language can be made the official language of a country

Firstly, it is used as a medium of communication in such domains as government, the law courts, the media, and the educational system. To get on in these societies, it is essential to master the official language as early in life as possible. Such a language is often described as a second language, because it is seen as a complement to a persons mother tongue or first language.Secondly, a language can be made a priority in a countrys foreign-language teaching, even though this language has no official status. It becomes the language which children are most likely to be taught when they arrive in school. (Crystal, 2003)

Why do we need an International or a Global Language?

There are some reasons such as:According to Crystal (2003), thousands of years ago, translation played a central role in human interaction. For example, when ambassadors met on the International stage there would be interpreters present. In this way, misunderstanding will appear because of so many languages used in the community.As global community, people around the world will always keep in contact in international forums for political, economical, educational, and many other international affairs, and even in private businesses. Another example is that when communities begin to trade with each other, they communicate by adopting a simplified language, known as pidgin, which combines elements of their different languages.

Why do we need an International or a Global Language? (Continued)

United Nation (UN in 1945) and many International bodies such as World bank (1945), UNESCO and UNICEF (1946), WHO (1948), etc. were established. Around 190 countries take part in UN bodies and will be represented in single meeting places.These reasons determine that every people in this world need a language which can be used globally or internationally as medium of communication to enable them to communicate and understand each other easily. The need for a global language is particularly appreciated by the international academic and business communities, and it is here that the adoption of a single lingua franca or common language is most in evidence, both in lecture-rooms and board rooms, as well as in thousands of individual contacts being made daily all over the globe.

Map of English spread to become an International/ a Global Language

Why English becomes an International/ a Global Language

A Brief HistoryOf English

ModernEnglish

Old English

Middle English

1. Old English (450-1100 AD)The invading Germanic tribes spoke similar languages, which in Britain developed into what we now call Old English. Old English did not sound or look like English today. Native English speakers now would have great difficulty understanding Old English. Nevertheless, about half of the most commonly used words in Modern English have Old English roots. The words be, strong and water, for example, derive from Old English. Old English was spoken until around 1100.

2. Middle English (1100-1500)In 1066, William the Conqueror the Duke of Normandy (part of modern France), invaded and conquered England. The new conquerors (called the Normans) brought with them a kind of French, which became the language of the Royal Court, and the ruling and business classes. For a period there was a kind of linguistic class division, where the lower classes spoke English and the upper classes spoke French. In the 14th century English became dominant in Britain again, but with many French words added. This language is called Middle English. It was the language of the great poet Chaucer (c1340-1400), but it would still be difficult for native English speakers to understand today.

3. Modern English Early Modern English (1500-1800)Towards the end of Middle English, a sudden and distinct change in pronunciation (the Great Vowel Shift) started, with vowels being pronounced shorter and shorter. From the 16th century the British had contact with many peoples from around the world. This, and the Renaissance of Classical learning, meant that many new words and phrases entered the language. The invention of printing also meant that there was now a common language in print. Books became cheaper and more people learned to read. Printing also brought standardization to English. Spelling and grammar became fixed, and the dialect of London, where most publishing houses were, became the standard. In 1604 the first English dictionary was published.

3. Modern English Late Modern English (1800-Present)The main difference between Early Modern English and Late Modern English is vocabulary. Late Modern English has many more words, arising from two principal factors: firstly, the Industrial Revolution and technology created a need for new words; secondly, the British Empire at its height covered one quarter of the earth's surface, and the English language adopted foreign words from many countries.

The reason why a language becomes a Global or an International Language is not only deals with how many people speak it, but more deals with who those speakers are. A language has traditionally become an International language for one chief reason: the power of its people in many aspects (especially economical, technological, political, and military power). From the time the US entered the First World War in 1917 right through to the present, the US has been one of the major military powers in the world. The economic and military has forced the traders and soldiers had to learn English to do their job properly. Because industry, exploration and military demands needed and contributed to learning, so, a lot of scientific discourse carried out primarily in English. The combination of industry, trade, war, and learning all of which use English has put English in its position as the worlds pre-eminent language (Bauer, 2002).

Similarly, Crystal as cited by McKay also concluded the primary reason for the spread of English becoming an international language that:in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries English was the language of the leading colonial nation (Britain). In the eighteenth and the nineteenth centuries it was the language of the leader of the industrial revolution also in Britain. In the late-nineteenth century and the early twentieth century it was the language of the leading economic power the (USA). As a result, when new technologies brought new linguistic opportunities, English emerged as a first-rank language in industries which affected all aspects of society the press, advertising, broadcasting, motion pictures, sound recording, transport and communication (Crystal 1997:110-11 in McKay, 2002:16).

VARIETIES OF ENGLISH AND STANDARD ENGLISH

Kachrus concentric circles of English

OuterExpandingInner

Used for wider communication and official purposes

Used for primary education and local newsUsed with family and friendsExample of English Varieties in SingaporeE.g. She kena sabo by them. She was sabotaged by them.

Standard English

Standard Singapore English

Singlish

Standard EnglishLongman Dictionary of Applied Linguistics defines Standard English as: The variety of a language which has the highest status in a community or nation and which is usually based on the speech and writing of educated speakers of the language.

IMPLICATIONS OF ENGLISH AS AN INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE TO THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING IN INDONESIA

INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE

TEFLTESL

Listening Reading SpeakingWritingTEFLIN4 Major Skills

Language Components in TEFLGrammarVocabularyPronunciationLang.Components

Language is very important in our life as means of communication. As a global community, we really need a language which can be used as a means of global communication. In this case, English has become an international or a global language. So, every people in this world should be able to communicate in English in order to participate in global affairs.In teaching English as an international language, there are many theories, methodologies, and techniques that can be applied. However, as teachers, we should realize that there is no one best method for all contexts. So, it needs teachers sense of plausibility to select the appropriate methods, techniques, and materials that reflect local culture and meet students needs to develop language proficiency.

CONCLUSION

Thank You