What
is the Lingua Franca?
A lingua
franca, is a language
or dialect systematically used to make communication
possible between people who do not share a native language or dialect, particularly when it is a third
language that is distinct from both native languages.
Today, English is a common lingua franca across the globe. According to some estimates, almost 80 percent of English speakers in the world are non-native speakers.
Reasons for English Becoming A Global Lingua Franca
English as we know it today is also labeled "Modern English" to distinguish the language from its historical roots. This language is also viewed as the first global "lingua franca" - a language which serves as the mode of communication between two people with distinct mother tongues. Experts estimate that the number of non-native English speakers is already more than that of the native English speakers.
Calculations show that for every one native speaker, there are three non-native speakers of English, or a ratio of one to three.This wider use and immense popularity of English that has awarded it with the status of a lingua franca is not spontaneous instead many reason stand behind it. Some of these reasons are numerated as under:
1. English is a dominant language in several countries
and non-sovereign territories around the globe.
2. English is also the primarily required international
language when it comes to communications, business,
science and technology, education and research,
aviation, entertainment, mass media and diplomatic
arrangements.
3. Knowledge of English at different levels has become
part of the requirements in many of the major fields
and professions. These fields of study, occupations
and careers such as medicine and education, are of
equal importance to any country or region in the
world,.
4. Instructional materials, resources and mode of
instruction in most schools are mainly in English.
This is regardless of the country where these
materials are to be used, regardless of the level of
education (from primary, to secondary, to those
offered by colleges and universities), and regardless
of the profile of the materials' manufacturers.
5. Manufacturers and other entities which want to be
part of the international market, produce items and
services are inclined toward the English language.
6. Subsequently, because the English language is
required in the major fields and professions, there are
already about one billion people from all parts of the
globe who understand and speak English at least in
the basic level.
7. The economic and cultural influences of the United
States make it possible for the English language to
spread the world over.
8. The United Nations, an international mediating body,
uses English as one of its six official languages.
9. The Internet, a vast resource of information and
probably the best communication tool ever created, is
about 95% in English.
There is no denial to the fact that English is already the
global lingua franca of today. Learning of English will
definitely be a key to open up the gates of opportunities for
years to come.
How is it used?
English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) differs from Standard English in a number of ways. Several documented overarching similarities are variances in article usage (or no article usage at all), variances in preposition usage, and novel use of morphemes (such as importancy and smoothfully). Many instances of ELF also incorporate across-the-board third-person singular usage (such as “He go to the store.”), using “who” and “which” interchangeably, and a lack of gerunds. Verbally, noted differences include the omission of some consonants and addition of extra vowels, as well as a general tendency towards efficient communication over grammatically normative English.
Different Concepts of English as a Lingua Franca
English in its role as a means of
international communication has recently been given a variety of names (cf.
Erling 2005a; McArthur 2004). Labels include English as an International
Language (EIL), World English, English as a global language, World Standard
(Spoken) English, Euro-English, Globish, Lingua Franca English and English as a
Lingua Franca (ELF). Some researchers use terms interchangeably (e.g.
Seidlhofer 2003), whereas others emphasize differences between them (e.g.
Prodromou 2008: xiv, who explains that he uses EIL to refer to English in an
international context including English native speakers and ELF when excluding
them).
English
has assimilated into more societies than one might be willing to admit. This
leads to an extremely important and emerging trend of World Englishes, which
will shape the future of the language.
What is World Englishes?
The
many and varied dialects of English spoken in different parts of the world,
including not only American and British English, but such varieties as Indian,
Pakistani, Australian, and New Zealand English, as well as the English spoken
in various African and Asian countries.
What are the classifications of Englishes?
The most common
classification of Englishes, especially in the language teaching world,
has been to distinguish between English as a native language(ENL), English as a
second language (ESL) and English as a foreign language(EFL).
+
ENL is
spoken in countries where English is the primary language of the great majority
of the population. For example, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the
USA.
ESL is
spoken in countries where English is an important and usually official
language, but not the main language of the country such as Nigeria, India,
Malaysia and the Philippines,
EFL occurs
in countries where English is not actually used or spoken very much in the
normal course of daily life. For example, China, Indonesia, Japan
and many countries in the Middle East.
Kachru's Classification
Kachru(1992) put
forward classification outlining the roles of English in the world as
three concentric circles: the Inner Circle, OuterCircle and Expanding Circle.
The Inner Circle refers to countries where Englishis used as a mother-tongue
language for example, USA, UK, and Ireland. TheOuter Circle refers to countries
where English is used as a second language forexample, Singapore and India. The
Expanding Circle refers to countries whereEnglish is used as a foreign language
or an additional language for example,Thailand and China.
*The aim of the model was to demonstrate the pluralistic reality of the language and show that English changes as it spreads.
Here is the example of English in Outer Circle (Hinglish)
a) You have taken my book, isn’t it?
b) You are soon going home, isn’t it?
In standard American or British English
a) You have taken my book, haven’t you?
b) You are soon going home, aren’t you?
What are the advantages of World Englishes?
The
advantages of this model over the ENL/ESL/EFL one are, first of all it makes
English plural so that one English becomes many Englishes.
Second,
the model does not suggest that one variety is any better, linguistically
speaking, than any other.
The
spread of English has resulted in the development of many Englishes and
not the shifting of one model to other countries: English now has multicultural
identities.
What are the
disadvantages of World Englishes?
Just because speakers
of World Englishes are speaking the same language does not make them mutually
intelligible. Obviously, if the speakers are from different circles, e.g. a
Kiwi and a Turk, then the likelihood of successful communication is not guaranteed.
Even speakers from the same circle, e.g. an American and an Australian, can
have difficulty understanding each other due to the influence of the verbal,
non-verbal and para-verbal components of communication.
Accent is one factor
which plays a critical role in determining whether speakers of World Englishes
are understood. Even amongst speakers of the same World English, a difference
in accents can cause miscommunication.
Speakers
of ELF may eventually speak both their native language and English imperfectly,
leading to issues with effective communication.
