| Should we promote English as an international language? Discuss |
| Is English useful in development? Should young children learn English as a second language? Are there any negative effects of promoting English? What about local languages? Will learning English erode national and local cultures? Will using English prevent more cultural misunderstandings? Is English the best way for countries with very different languages to communicate? How much is lost in translation? | |||||||||||||
| Before you answer the main question read/listen to the following : | |||||||||||||
| UK and China Summit - | BBC Learning English Words in the News | |||||||
| 1.English linked to Development | - Guardian Online | |||||||
| 2.Development's Language Barrier | ||||||||
| Hidden Language Recorded - National Geographic Also, an extra article from the BBC; Why do some Americanisms irritate people? | ||||||||
As globalization is everywhere, the increasing numbers of people are eager to learn a second language for a better communication with people from different countries. I think that teaching a child a second language is beneficial in many ways. As he/she can speak two different languages, they are more communicative and accepting with people from different cultures.
ReplyDeleteThe world is dvelopping that English is useful to every person. The children who learned English have a superiority to know the knowledge from all over the world. People may lose some local languages when they learning Engklish. But I think we can not forget our local languages. It is a culture of our own country. It is hard to say learning English will destroy our own cultures. I think a person who love their country will never forget or destroy thier own cultures. Yeah, I think to learn English will cause some cultural misunderstandings' problems. But the more we experience, the more things we will know. English is the most useful language in the world. It can be the best wat to communicate with each country now. But It hard to say in the next 50years, It could be changed. I think it will lose much things from the translation. Like a kind of feeling or emotion.
ReplyDeleteYou make a few good points guys.
ReplyDeleteHow do you think we can stop losing local languages? What can we do to preserve them?
I agree with u that we need pay atetion to protect the local languages. We need to practise the local languages in our daily lives. We can use the English at work or in the business, but the local languages is very important in our common lives. The school also need to have the couse to learn the local languages to preserve them.
ReplyDeleteI agree with above viewpoint.
ReplyDeleteI think young children learn English as a second language is very necessary after to learn better with the local language. Beacuse we cannot give up ours mother language. This is very important.
ReplyDeleteTo learning second language is useful. Beacuse this is globalizate world and the global economy is rapid expansion. So we could keep pace with the times. The second language can help us better to communication with international friends.
About the local languages, we are absolutely not forget it and we can to preserve them. I think we should to learn better with local languages and then transmit to younger generation.
“To have another language is to possess a second soul.”
ReplyDeleteCharlemagne Quotes
I agree with the views. I think English is very conducive to development. Now, English is the universal language. In many international affairs and trade, people need use English. The children learn English, as a second language is a good way. Because of the child has good learning ability. And this should let them have a broader vision. On the other hand, when people learn English, they should also pay attention to their national language and culture. There is a good way that makes them together to learn.
ReplyDeleteA language can be regarded as a code for conveying a great varity of information. The linguistic code uses symbols-signals which mean or convey something other than themselves.
ReplyDeleteKOENRAAD KUIPER AND W.SCOTT ALLAN,2004
"If you were a marine biologist and following a school of whales, recording their sounds, what would you be able to say about whale language on the basis of your observations of the whales' and the sounds they made? The answer must be 'very little'. You might be able to relate particular sounds to particular activities, such as feeding. However, this would not prove much since the sounds could indicate pleasure, or the type of food being consumed, or call signs that food was available, and any number of other things. The problem is that as a marine biologist you cannot crack the code because you know nothing about how the code in organized or indeed if there is a code at all."
ReplyDeletestated by KOENRAAD KUIPER AND W.SCOTT ALLAN,2004
I agree with the opinion that English is an international language.
ReplyDeleteI feel that some of my points of view is the same as Allen's. However, to talk about studying foreign culture by English, I think that the best way is using local languages. It may be the most original way to experience notion of culture.
ReplyDelete"There is retreat from English as the world laguage;no retreat from an English-speaking world".
ReplyDeleteDavid Crystal
1997
Language is a tool for human beings to communication with each other. As we know, with the rapid development of economic, English is more and more important than before, and it is applied in many areas, like business, law, government and so on. As a common language in the world, the role of English is increasing.
ReplyDeleteYou hav a good point. I think promote English as an international language can make other countries to understand China and let the world to know China. Besides, only learn the language to really understand the culture. We need to understand Western culture and studies to the Western compared to own developed aspect.
ReplyDelete"A high level of critical awareness regarding what it means to teach a language needs to be developed so as to avoid repetition of customary practices inherited from past expeiences as language learneers and established as the dominant commonsensical practices.In that sense, reading and discussion of books which critically discuss the implications and discussion of books as an international language."
ReplyDelete--Farzad Sharifian, <>
" The limits of my language means the limits of my world.“
ReplyDelete—— Ludwig Wittgenstein
I agree that because English is an international language, is widely used internationally, including business, diplomacy and so on.
ReplyDeleteI do not agree, because kindergarten children learning English may not be better to learn their mother tongue. It brings a bad effect to local culture
1. I agree that we should promote English as an international language.
ReplyDelete2. In my opinion, English is the widest range language in this world. And there is so many languages existing, but almost everyone know English, and it's also easy to learn as an international language relatively. As for local language, we can speak with people from the same country in most circumstances.Because this world now is connecting firmly, we should grasp a language that most people can understand. I think English is the best choice.
I think we are looking at the same way. In the presentday society, English is very useful in development.People need to learn English to understand the world, learn about different cultures in different countries. In order to ensure that when we study different cultures,Wrong translation gives us the wrong understanding of the culture, therefore we will learning language, about the world. And the best age for learning languages is starting from the children.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion,I think the English is very important usefurl the contury development.
ReplyDeleteyes,The English is my second language.
becouse,The Chinses is my first language.so leaning English I think is very difficulty,
May be English can prevent more cultural minsunderstandings.
Yes,The English is the first language in this world.English is best way for countries communicantion.
In my view, English can be come a second language in many countries. It benefits for communication, trading ,and studing. However, I think goverment should not forced every to learn it. Actually，not all of the people will use it in the future. What's more, it may be wast of time if they learned it, and not use.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the view of children learn the Englishd. with the social economy development, learning English for a country or even individuals become more and more important. The children will have a developing view, and the good learning environment, and exotic education method. it is rearly a wonderfor idea. for Another, the global economic expansion, we must keep up with the times, whether in the study, life or on the job, English is the best language to communicate with other countries.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, I think English is very useful in global development, thus, it should be promoted as an international language. Also, people should learn English as the second language, especially for young children. English can make the communication between persons more easily and effectively. Moreover, nowadays, English plays an important role in the development of economy, the transmission of culture and the development of technology. However, learning English also has some negative effects, which may erode the national and local cultures and even their local languages. In addition, there is an important thing which should be considered that there may be much precious culture lost in translation. Eventually, I consider that people should improve English as an international language to promote their native development of economy, but they also should treasure and maintain their own culture and language.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Allen's view. It is necessary and important to improve English as an international language, which can make people's life more efficiently and accelerate the economic development. while, people also should maintain their own cultures and languages as a precious wealth in order to tranmit from generation to generation.
ReplyDelete"Certain other statements in the Council questionnaire were also given an unequivocal response. They included: English will retain its role as the dominant language in world media and communications. 94 percent agreed or strongly agreed. ...
ReplyDeleteExercises of this kind have no clear predictive value, but they do provide a useful glimpse of the way specialists are thinking in the world market-place, and when identical opinions are expressed from so many countries they undoubtedly help to confirm the picture of English emerging as a global language."
Stated by David Crystal, 2003
There are many interesting views. I have the same point of view with Summer,Mary and Tina that English is very useful in development. Fei's opinion is interesting, but why do you think it's waste of time when you feel that it benefits for communication, trading ,and studing.
ReplyDelete"If language dominance is a matter of political and especially economic influence, then a revolution in the balance of global power could have consequences for the choice of global language" stated by David Crystal,2003.
ReplyDeleteI agree taht English is an international language. We all use it in the world. But we cannot forget the local language. As there are many languages disappeared. We need pay more atetion on the local languages. If there is only one language in the world. We would all living in a boring world and be a robot!
ReplyDeleteHowever, people from all countries are studying English; I don't think that it is easy to lose local languages.
ReplyDeleteFor example, though people are taught Mandarin for many years，in each area they still have their local language. However some young people under 20 couldn't communicate in local language. The government should not force the school to teach in the mandarin and teach English. There should creat a language environment that people could communicate in both local language and English.
While I believe that a linguafranca has benefits, I think we should be promoting the study of more than one language in schools, especially senior schools.
ReplyDeleteIt may not make sense for someone to study English, if perhaps they work at a German company that mostly has clients in Korea or Chile, where the language and culture is completely different. And English is not the most widely spoken language in the world today.