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The Future of English: David Graddol
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Name: Gohil Beenba S
Roll no: 14
Paper:
English language teaching
Subject: The
Future of English: David Graddol
E-mail: binagohil1995@gmail.com
Introduction:
The Future of English: is the eaasy by David Graddol. And it
stand vey strong in the fild of english language teaching. Lets throw some
lights on the work of Daavid Graddol. David Graddol is a British linguist ,who has
worked in applied linguistics, discourse analysis, sociolinguistics, and
history of linguistics. He is perhaps best known for his 1997 book The future of English?, published by the British Council, in which he offers scenarios for how English as a world
language may develop. Most notably, he points out that native speakers of
English are or will soon be outnumbered by those who speak English as a second
or foreign language. Graddol's
views about English as a world language are similar to, though not identical
with, those held by his linguist colleague David Crystal.
This book is about the English
language in the 21st century, about who will speak it and for what
perpose, it is practical breifing documents written for educationist,politicians ,mannagers indeed any desine makers or
planning team with profesional interet
in the development of world wide. The
Future of English? takes stock of the present, apparently unassailable,
position of English in the world and asks whether we can expect its status to
remain unchanged during the coming decades of unprecedented social and economic
global change. The book explores the possible long-term impact on English of developments
in communications technology, growing economic globalisation and major
demographic shifts. The Future of English? Examines the complex mix of material
and cultural trends which will shape the global destiny of the English language
and concludes that the future is more complex and less predictable than has
usually been assumed.
The book is
divided into main sections, each followed by a summary of main points and
references. The section explains how English came to reach its present position
in the world. Section two examines techniques of forecasting, indentures the
patterns which underlie typical linguistic change and describes the way large
corporations have used scenario planning as a strategy for coping with unpredictable
futures. Section three outlines significant global trends which will shape the
social and economic world in the 21st century. Section four discusses the
impacts these trends are already having on language and communication in
everyday life. The last section summarises implications for the English
language and outlines ways in which we might reach a better understanding of
the status which English will hold in the 21st century world. This concluding
section also argues for a reassessment of the role played by British providers
of ELT goods and services in promoting a global brand image for Britain.
Book highlights
· English
and the international economy
· English
and global culture
· A
bilingual future
· Social
value shifts
· Need
for scenario building
There are seven ages of English:
1. Pre-English period ( c. Ad 450)
2. Early Old English (c.450–c.850)
3. Later Old English (c.850–1100)
4. Middle English (c.1100–1450)
5. Early Modern English (c.1450–1750)
6. Modern English (c.1750–1950)
7. Late Modern English (c.1950–)
v
Who speaks English?
There are
three kinds of English speaker: those who speak it as a first language, those
for whom it is a second or additional language and those who learn it as a
foreign language. Native speakers may feel the language ‘belongs’ to them, but
it will be those who speak English as a second or foreign language who will
determine its world future.
v The world
language hierarchy
The English language has changed
substantially in vocabulary and grammatical form – often as a result of contact
with other languages. This has created a hybrid language; vocabulary has been
borrowed from many sources and grammatical structure has changed through
contact with other languages. This may cause problems for learners, but it also
means that speakers of many other languages can recognise features which are
not too dissimilar to characteristics of their own language. Although the structural
properties of English have not hindered the spread of English, the spread of
the language globally cannot be attributed to intrinsic linguistic qualities. There
have been two main historical mechanisms for the spread
of
English. First was the colonial expansion of Britain which
resulted
in settlements of English speakers in many parts of the
world.
This has provided a diasporic base for the language –
which is
probably a key factor in the adoption of a language as a
lingua
franca. In the 20th century, the role of the US has been
more
important than that of Britain and has helped ensure that
the
language is not only at the forefront of scientific and
technical
knowledge, but also leads consumer culture.
The position of
English as a world language may seem to be so entrenched and secure that
agonising over ‘where we are’ and ‘where we are going’ might be regarded as no
more than a fin de siècle indulgence. The end of the 19th century was
characterised by much heart searching over the state of society – evident in
social behaviour and experimentation, fiction, scientific writing and
legislative reform – prompted by a concern at the social consequ- ences of the
industrial revolution. How much greater might be the mood of self-reflection at
the end of a millennium, when the communications revolution and economic
globalisation seem to be destroying the reassu- ring geographical and
linguistic basis of sovereignty and national identity. How many titles of
social and econo-mics books include the word ‘end’ or the prefix ‘post’:The end
of history’, ‘the post-industrial societies’,‘post-modernism’, ‘post-capitalism’,
‘post-feminism’. There is a general awareness of change, but no clear vision of
where it may all be leading. It seems we are not yet living in a new era, but
have fallen off the edge of an old one. There is
no reason to believe that any other language will appear within the next 50
years to replace English as the global lingua franca. The position of English
has arisen from a particular history which no other language can, in the
changed world of the 21st century, repeat.
§ This is language tree.
Conclusion:
There is
an argument that global processes are too complex, too overwhelming in their
momentum and too obscure in their outcomes to permit the activities of a few
people and institutions, even with coherent policies, to make any difference.
David Crystal suggests that the English language may have passed beyond the
scope of any form
of social control. There is a growing appreciation that the business environment
of the next century will require global enterprises to meet three ‘bottom
lines’: economic prosperity, environmental protection and social equity. Public
trust in the institutions and organisations which provide goods and services
may in the future represent a more important component of brand image than the
quality of the product itself. Hence ethical, as well as environmental, values
are likely to come under increasing public scrutiny and significantly influence
customer loyalty. However, one of the problems facing the proponents of an
ethical approach to English teaching is that no one is sure where the moral
high ground lies when it comes to the export of ELT goods and services. English
has for long been seen as a ‘clean’ and safe export, one without some of the
complex moral implications associated with the sale of products such as weapons
or military vehicles. The ELT industry has been portrayed as one which benefits
both producer and consumer and both exporting and importing countries. It has
been a major component in overseas aid as well as a commercial enterprise.
https://www.britishcouncil.jp/sites/default/files/eng-future-of-english-en.pdf
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