disadvantages of english as a global language essay

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The advantages and disadvantages of a global language

I was reflecting upon the topic for my blog post when an idea popped into my head. Last summer, I was going over old photo albums, records, passports and such with my family. And then I stumbled across something that really struck me. My mother showed me my maternal grandfather’s work card, which he obtained in Germany. After World War  II , my grandfather, who was the eldest in his family, decided to leave his village in Calabria, in the south of Italy, and search for work elsewhere in Europe. This German work card surprised me because there was no English translation in sight! In fact, the text was translated into French. I had become so used to English being the global language, especially after feeling its omnipresence while travelling abroad, that I forgot that French once occupied that same global position. This got me thinking, “What are the advantages and disadvantages of a global or universal language?”

Advantage 1: Facilitates communication between different cultures

A global language allows for communication between different cultures. Language has always been the focal point of cultural identity. A global language dismantles communication barriers and offers individuals a gateway to understanding one another’s cultures.

Two years ago, my family and I travelled to Argentina, where we watched the Buenos Aires soccer team play a game. As a futbol fanatic, I remember talking in English with this Argentinian university student after the game. We had an amazing conversation about Argentinians’ passion for soccer compared with that of Canadians. Even though we were both from different countries, and English was not our native tongue, we were able to connect culturally through our ability to speak the current global language.

Advantage 2: Facilitates international trade

With the rise of globalization and neo-liberalism since the 1970s, an unprecedented amount of international trade and business between different countries has been carried out. The reality is that in order to buy from or sell to a business partner from another country, you need to communicate effectively and accurately. Thankfully, a global language eliminates the communication barrier, promoting greater international trade and opportunities for economic growth.

As I was doing research for this blog post, I came across a very interesting index called the “Language Barrier Index (LBI).” In short, the LBI “quantifies international language barriers by measuring the dissimilarity between the main languages of trading partners.” Footnote 1 Although it involves a very complicated mathematical equation, it speaks to the advantage of having one world language. Using the LBI , Lohmann found that “language barriers are a significant deterrent to bilateral trade. A 10% increase in the Language Barrier Index can cause a 7% to 10% decrease in trade flows between two countries.” Footnote 2

Disadvantage 1: Presents challenges for non-native speakers in the sciences

There are bigger disadvantages of having a global language than the one I’m going to discuss in this section. However, I wish to explore this one because it has a direct impact on the field I’m currently studying in. Since I’m in environmental studies, scientific literature is vital to any lab, research project or assignment in my classes.

Getting a scientific paper published is a long (about one year) and difficult task that requires many steps. Having a global language has allowed scientists to access a vast amount of literature from around the world, but it has also presented significant challenges for non-native speakers of English. You might be thinking, “They’re scientists. Why are adequate English language skills needed by scientists to get their papers published?” Well, scientists need to clearly communicate their findings, conclusions and methods, and for some non-native speakers, that can be strenuous. Scientists who want their work to be globally recognized need to attend English conferences or discussions and read English scientific papers. According to an article published in The Atlantic , 80% of scientific papers were in English. Footnote 3 Furthermore, the article notes that “a journal published in a language other than English must at the very least include English abstracts.” Footnote 4

Disadvantage 2: Poses a threat to minority languages

According to a BBC article, in this last century, some 400 languages have become extinct – about one language every three months – and in the next century, 50% of all remaining languages will become extinct. Footnote 5 Needless to say, this is worrying, because simply put, an extinct language means the loss of a unique culture. People who speak a global language have greater opportunities for employment, education and overall success. Therefore, some minority language speakers believe that learning to speak a global language will benefit them financially. Footnote 6 Furthermore, with globalization, our cultures are ever increasingly interconnected, catalyzing the takeover of minority languages by a global language.

In conclusion, a global language has its advantages and disadvantages. Its strong points include facilitating communication between different cultures and paving the way for greater international trade between countries. Its drawbacks are the challenges it creates for non-native speakers in the sciences (especially when it comes to publishing scientific literature) and its contribution to the extinction of minority languages. The question remains: Will English continue as the world’s global language in this century and beyond, or will another language take its place?

The opinions expressed in posts and comments published on the Our Languages blog are solely those of the authors and commenters and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Language Portal of Canada.

Get to know Alexandre Chemla

Alexandre Chemla

Alexandre Chemla is a student at the University of Ottawa. He is enrolled in the bilingual environmental studies program, with Italian as his minor. As a fluent French and Italian speaker in Canada, and an active member of both the French and Italian communities, he values the importance of a language in connecting to his family roots.

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Using English Essay (Article)

The five official languages of the United Nations are English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, and Arabic. All of these languages are very commonly used all around the globe. According to the tendency observed over the last several decades, English is gaining popularity as an international language. The rapid development of the Internet and its worldwide coverage facilitates the global use of English. Among the other factors that promote the use of English and stimulate the growth of its popularity are education (exchange students), tourism, and business. At the same time, Graddol (2006) projects the decline of the popularity of the English language due to the challenge presented by the other languages. For instance, the numbers of learners of English are expected to decrease within the next five years as English is now a part basic education in most countries (Graddol, 2006).

As a result, from an international language in demand English has become a universal skill, common for most contemporary people regardless of their age and background. One of the main disadvantages of using English today is being monolingual. As the globalisation spreads, the native speakers of English are facing the need to learn other languages to be able to function in a multilingual society. Regardless of the geographical region (Europe, Asia, Africa, North or South America), being able to speak only English is very limiting for any kind of professional or traveller. Besides, if earlier the knowledge of English was necessary for doing business globally, today, as various cultures and languages started to compete for resources, English is challenged by Mandarin and Spanish (Graddol, 2006). The primary benefit for the English speaking countries is that the flow of the international students is expected to stay very dense, so the demand for the English-based education will remain high (Graddol, 2006).

The concept of global citizenship is composed of a set of advantages and disadvantages. The main benefits of being a global citizen are international connectedness, open mind, broad outlook, and deep knowledge of the diverse information. As for the main disadvantage, it is the fact that global inequalities come along with the global citizenship (Killick, 2012). Moreover, it is important to mention that global citizenship is not quite as advanced a privilege as it sounds; this means that becoming a global citizen today includes leaving the original place of birth, relocating one or multiple times and fitting in as “the other” in the new societies.

Discussing global citizenship, Killick (2012) raises the question of cultural diversity as a source of clashes and conflicts due to the rejection of some groups of individuals by the others. In a diverse environment, language as one of the most vital aspects of culture becomes a necessary link that connects social groups. Killick (2012) uses an educational facility environment as an example a diverse society where the exchange students play the role of the global citizens attempting to make their ways to the new culture without losing their own. Generally, global citizens are under a constant risk of being rejected by the cultural majority, those who do not speak English in a multicultural society are doomed to be isolated. Today, the knowledge of English is the only pathway towards fitting into the international society.

Graddol, D. (2006). English next . London, UK: British Council.

Killick, D. (2011). Seeing-Ourselves-in-the-World: Developing Global Citizenship Through International Mobility and Campus Community. Journal Of Studies In International Education , 16 (4), 372-389.

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IvyPanda. (2021, January 23). Advantages and Disadvantages of Using English. https://ivypanda.com/essays/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-using-english/

"Advantages and Disadvantages of Using English." IvyPanda , 23 Jan. 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-using-english/.

IvyPanda . (2021) 'Advantages and Disadvantages of Using English'. 23 January.

IvyPanda . 2021. "Advantages and Disadvantages of Using English." January 23, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-using-english/.

1. IvyPanda . "Advantages and Disadvantages of Using English." January 23, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-using-english/.

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IvyPanda . "Advantages and Disadvantages of Using English." January 23, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-using-english/.

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English as a global language

The advantages provided by English as a global language will continue to outweigh the disadvantages.

To what extent do you agree with the statement?

The Essay Marked by the student

As the global communication expands throughout the world, so does the need for a global language. English has become the lingua franca in many parts of the world. This essay will discuss the merits and demerits caused by English as a global language.

English is a very effective language as it is proved by the native and non-native speakers all over the world. Statistics suggest that nearly half of the world population is familiar with this language. Moreover, English is easier to learn than any other language. For example, unlike Chinese, English has only 26 alphabets which put together to form words. Adding to that, a number of English words are borrowed from many other languages and many English words are adopted in other languages and are used as part of their own language. Furthermore, English is the language of technology. To make the best use of internet knowing English is necessary. Also, any international meeting will be probably done in English. It also makes tourism easy, as it helps in better understanding among the people.

However, many fear that English as a global language would result in the extinction of local cultures which are inter related with regional languages. Moreover, it is bounded to be divided into dialects. Another drawback is that the works of many authors and writers who are belonging to different territories become incomprehensible.

In conclusion, I believe that there are more advantages than disadvantages in globalizing English language. In future, the demand for English would rise as more number of people are learning this language and would decrease the nation barrier.

Essay Evaluation of the given article

Objective: Band 7.0

• The author has showcased the advantages and disadvantages of adopting English as a global language.
• The word count is 264 i.e. well within the prescribed limits of 250-270 words.
• The essay has been divided into an introduction, two paragraphs on the advantages, disadvantages, and a final conclusion.  

Coherence: Band 4.0

• Two to three sentences are long and incoherent.  

Incorrect: “As the global communication expands throughout the world, so does the need for a global language.”

Correct: “In the landscape of global communication, there comes the need for a global language.”

Incorrect: “English is a very effective language as it is proved by the native and non-native speakers all over the world”

Correct: “English is a very effective language as it is widely spoken by  the native and non-native speakers all over the world”

Incorrect: “For example, unlike Chinese, English has only 26 alphabets which put together to form words.”

Correct: “For example, unlike Chinese, English has only 26 alphabets which put together can form a sea of words.”

Incorrect: “Furthermore, English is the language of technology.”

Correct: “Moreover, English is a technical language.”

Grammar: Band 6.0

• Appropriate usage of models, punctuations.

Incorrect: “In future, the demand for English would rise as more number of people are learning this language and would decrease the nation barrier.”

Correct: “In future, the demand for English will rise as more people are learning this language and this is likely to erase the existing barriers.”

Incorrect: “To make the best use of internet knowing English is necessary.”

Correct: “To make the best use of the internet, knowing English is necessary.”

Vocabulary: 6.0

• This essay presents a decent range of vocabulary but still better can be done.

Overall Band: 6

Sample essay submitted post Essay Evaluation

 This essay will attempt to present the benefits and drawbacks while providing a conclusion.

English as a language has brought humanity closer.  Further, the advent of English has bridged physical distances and lot of tourism flourishes primarily because of accessibility and removal of a language barrier.

H owever, the invasion of English is not bereft of drawbacks.  This has impacted the local culture and tradition. So, since these are very closely linked to the regional languages.  The local vernacular is dying a natural death since there are no takers for it.  Even the priceless literature work by maestros in local languages is not getting due acknowledgment and credit. Since very little is left of the population who understand the language.  For instance, several regional classics are getting lost since the youngsters are not interested in reading them due to regional language challenges.

Going by the above views, it will be good to continue with English as a global language. Also, the future generations will be able to enjoy the best of both the worlds.

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Essay on English as a Global Language

500 Words Essay On English as a Global Language

A global language is one that is spoken and understood at an international level by a wide variety of people. Moreover, no language in the world better fits this description than the English language. This essay on English as a global language will shed more light on this issue.

                                                                                                  Essay on English as a Global Language

Why English is a Global Language

When it comes to languages, one can make a strong argument that a strong link exists between dominance and cultural power. Furthermore, the main factor that the languages become popular is due to a powerful power-base, whether economic or political or military.

The derivation of the English language took place from languages like French, Latin, German, and other European languages. This can be a reason why many Europeans don’t find English a difficult language to learn. Furthermore, linguists argue whether the simplicity of the English language is the main reason for it becoming a global language.

The Latin script of the English language appears less complicated for people to recognize and learn. Also, the pronunciation of the English language is not as complex as other languages like Korean or Turkish for example.

Generally, the difficulty level of a language varies from person to person and it also depends on the culture to which one may belong. For example, a Korean person would find less difficulty in mastering the Japanese language in comparison to a German person. This is because of the close proximity of the Korean and Japanese cultures.

Due to the massive British colonial conquests , no culture is in complete oblivion of the English language or words. As such, English is a language that should not appear as too alien or strange to any community. Consequently, learning English is not such big of a deal for most people as they can find a certain level of familiarity with the language.

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The Effectiveness of the English Language

English is a very effective language and this is evident due to the presence of various native and non-native speakers on a global scale. Furthermore, according to statistics, one-fourth of the world is either fluent in the English language or content with it. While it’s true that the number of native Mandarin speakers is the greatest in the world, Mandarin is not the global language due to its complex spellings, grammar , and letter system.

The English language, on the other hand, does not suffer from such complexity problems. Furthermore, the English language has a lot of words and synonyms to express something. As such, any word or its meaning can be expressed with a high level of accuracy.

Conclusion of the Essay on English as a Global Language

English is certainly the most widely spoken language in the world by far. On a global scale, English has the most number of speakers, who speak English either as a first or second language. Without a doubt, no other language in the world can come close to English in terms of its immense popularity.

FAQs For Essay on English as a Global Language

Question 1: Why English is referred to as the global language?

Answer 1:  Many consider English as a global language because it is the one language that the majority of the population in almost every region of the world can speak and understand. Furthermore, the language enjoys worldwide acceptance and usage by every nation of the world. Therefore, it is an extremely essential global language.

Question 2: How English became the global language in the world?

Answer 2: By the late 18th century, the British Empire had made a lot of colonies. Moreover, they had established their geopolitical dominance all over the world. Consequently, the English language quickly spread in the British colonies.

There was also the contribution of technology, science, diplomacy, commerce, art, and formal education which led to English becoming a truly global language of the world.

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What Is Global English and Does It Really Matter?

Published on, october 1, 2021, november 15, 2022, this article may contain affiliate links.

There are 3 non-native speakers of English to every native English speaker. If you are learning English, what does this mean for you?

Table of contents

When I was training to be an English teacher, I imagined that I would be teaching students to communicate with other native speakers, like me. 

Instead, I soon found myself teaching a class of Turkish students who worked for a German company! They wanted to learn English so they could talk to their coworkers in Munich and customers in Spain.

English is used so widely in today’s world that we forget there was a time when it was only spoken in countries like the United States, Great Britain, Canada and Australia.

There is a common saying in English that “the world is getting smaller”. In the last forty years or so, the process of globalisation has meant that more business crosses borders, more students are educated abroad and overseas travel has become affordable for hundreds of millions of people.

With the birth of this global culture comes the need for a global language. Chinese is spoken by over a billion people. Spanish is spoken in almost every country in South America. French, Arabic and German are international languages.

English, however, has emerged as the one truly global language.

You may think this is a matter of great pride for native speakers of English. In fact, native speakers of English are now in the minority . The vast majority of English users speak English as a second language . 

Most English conversations taking place right now around the world are between people who had to learn English as a second language, just like you.

English is changing

No language stays the same over time. The English spoken 1000 years ago was not the same as the English spoken today. If you had a time machine and you travelled to England in the year 1000, you would probably not understand a thing! 

There are many things that cause a language to change. Shakespeare had a huge influence on English . Then, think about how technology has given us words like upload and download and slang such as ROFL and LOL .

In the future, the biggest thing causing English to change will be people speaking English as a second language. In fact, it is already happening. A new kind of English is emerging, global English.

What actually is "global English"?

Global English is a relatively new thing, and people disagree over the exact definition. 

In 1995, an early attempt to define global English came from Jean-Paul Nerrière, an IBM executive. He proposed a style of English that he called “Globish ”. Globish had a vocabulary of only 1500 words and most people found this was not enough for effective communication.

Modern business websites often propose a writing style where we use short sentences in standard word order (subject-verb-object). According to these sites, we should avoid passive voice and idioms.

This style of English is sometimes called plain English, or clear English, and you can learn more about it from the website of the plain English campaign .

Linguists even disagree whether global English should have standardised spelling. Some say the spelling should be a standardised mix of British and American spelling. Others wish to leave it to individual writers to decide.

This sounds very confusing, so let’s look at what we can agree on.

We can agree that global English is a style of English which is simpler than the English spoken by native speakers. Because it is global, it has no colloquialisms that tie it to a particular place. It came about to help people communicate more effectively , so it avoids idioms and nuance .

Let’s go over some examples so we can better understand.

Colloquialisms 

I have been speaking English all my life. But when I visited Australia a few years ago, I heard some words that were new to me.

For example, I heard people call a chicken a “chook”. Chook is a real word; it is in the dictionary . However, if I use this word in the United States or in England, people will have no idea what I am talking about.

The word chook is an example of a colloquialism. That is, it is an informal word. What is more, it is only used in one part of the world. Every English-speaking country has words like this, but they are not suitable for use in global English.

Simple vs complex language structures

Let’s examine the following exchange between native speakers:

Laura: Do you think the new government will do more to tackle climate change? Peter: Unfortunately, that doesn’t really seem to be the case.

You may have expected Peter to answer with a “yes” or a “no”. Instead, he used a much more complex language structure. Essentially, he said, “From what I can see so far, the answer is no.”

Speakers of English as a second language might answer something like this:

Laura: Do you think the new government will do more to tackle climate change? Pietro: No, I don’t think so.

Hence, we can expect that global English uses simpler language structures and less nuance.

Will complex language structures like “that doesn’t seem to be the case” disappear from English? Perhaps one day they will!

Idioms and phrasal verbs

English is a colourful language, full of idioms and fun phrases. You probably learned many of these idioms at school, such as “it’s raining cats and dogs”. It is likely that English speakers around the world can understand you if you use this idiom.

There are other idioms, lots of them, that you probably did not learn at school. For example, the phrase “for good” in the following example means permanently :

The shop has closed down for good .

Perhaps someone who speaks English as a second language might misunderstand. They may think that the speaker is saying that it is a good thing that the shop closed down.

Which idioms should you use when speaking global English? It is best to use your common sense, but try to keep your language simple.

Phrasal verbs are a particularly tricky language point. There are just so many of them and they often have multiple meanings. Here are just some of the meanings of take off :

Pete took off his hat. ( Remove an item of clothing ) The plane took off. ( Fly up into the air ) Sales really took off last month. ( Increase by a large amount ) I took the book off the table. ( Remove from a surface )

Are phrasal verbs suitable for use in global English? Again, some common sense is needed, but we should try to minimise our use of phrasal verbs where we can.

Why is global English important?

The world is going to keep getting smaller. 

More and more people are going to speak English, and most of the people who you speak English with will probably not be native speakers.

It’s more important than ever to understand the impact of this, both for native and non-native speakers.

Let’s imagine that you go on holiday to Japan, but you don’t speak a word of Japanese. No problem, the Japanese people working at the airport and at your hotel will speak a little English.

If you have the ability to speak to people in a simple but clear way, it will help you to avoid misunderstandings. You’ll have a much happier holiday.

In a similar way, global English can help us communicate better at work when our customers come from other countries.

It can even help us to enjoy our interactions on social media with friends from all over the world.

The main advantage of using global English is that it increases the number of people you can communicate with . People around the world with a good working knowledge of English will be able to understand you. 

What good is it to use incredibly complicated language if the person you are communicating with can’t understand what you’re saying?

Disadvantages

Global English is simpler than normal English. It means you may need to simplify the way you speak or write. 

Many of my own students love to use idioms and advanced vocabulary that they have learned. 

Using global English means you should avoid these things, because others may not understand. Yes, it’s nice to show off what you know, but is this really worth making life harder for the person you are speaking with?

What does this mean for you?

If you are learning English, there are a few simple things you can do to speak global English:

• Focus more on communication rather than specific grammar rules
• Work on understanding people from different countries
• Learn to simplify your English where appropriate and speak clearly

There is also some good news for you.

When others use global English, It means they will be easier to understand and you may see and hear less confusing language.

What does this mean for English teachers?

English teachers need to think very carefully about who they are teaching and why they wish to learn English. Not all students need to communicate with native speakers.

If you teach English, here are some ways that you can adapt your lessons:

• Avoid words and phrases that are only used in your country
• Use listening materials that feature speakers with different accents
• Avoid teaching nuanced language (such as ‘that doesn’t seem to be the case), especially as a model for the students to follow

In particular, English teachers should attempt to teach neutral pronunciation. They should avoid strong accents as a model for the students to copy .

In conclusion, when we talk to other people around the world in English, we need to use global English. 

It is clear and simple, and it means that everybody will be able to understand. After all, the role of language is to communicate meaning. If you’re speaking in a way that makes it hard to be understood, then you aren’t speaking very well.

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Task 2 Essay: English as a Global Language

Question: The development of tourism contributed to English becoming the most prominent language in the world. Some people think this will lead to English becoming the only language to be spoken globally. What are the advantages and disadvantages to having one language in the world?

Band 8+ Sample Answer:

(Intro) Thanks to the recent boom in travel and tourism, English has developed into the world’s most dominant language , leading some to suggest that it might become the only lingua franca in existence. I believe that although this trend might help facilitate more efficient access to knowledge, it could lead to the death of cultural diversity.

(Body 1) On the one hand, the collective pool of knowledge would be more accessible than ever once English was globally accepted as the only language. Indeed, an academic paper would be instantly available to students in all continents without having to be translated into other languages in a process which might take weeks to complete. Similarly, a Vietnamese farmer could learn how to cultivate more fruitful crops by following the rich source of advice on Youtube, while an Arabic student might be eligible to enrol in a prestigious university in Vietnam with no obligation to study a second language.

(Body 2) On the other hand, a mass disappearance of languages is highly likely to bring an end to cultural richness. Anthropologists have shown that a mother tongue is at the core of every culture as its unique features represent the belief and history of the culture. For example, the word “politician” in Chinese is a combination of three “mouths”, implying a common idea that politicians are generally greedy and self-interested. Meanwhile, the similarity between Chinese and Vietnamese pronunciation is a relic of China's attempt to occupy Vietnam over the course of centuries.

(Conclusion) In summary, the idea of one global language might foster knowledge exchange, albeit at the expense of cultural loss. Looking forward, I can predict with certainty that countries will refuse to give up their national tongues while still encouraging their citizens to acquire English proficiency for the thirst of knowledge and collaboration. (296 words).

Words: Student essay, corrected & upgraded by Nick Kemp, former IELTS examiner.

Image: Oli Lynch / Pixabay.

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