Изменение статуса английского языка в ХХI-м веке

As is generally well-known, the English language has become the global language and, thus, a major item of British export to all other countries.

The Bible has it that in the ancient times people spoke the same language. But they began building the high tower trying to reach to the skies and the God punished them he mixed their languages and they couldn't understand each other. Since then, one united language as a means of universal communication became a dream of mankind. The 2nd half of the 20th century made the English language such a language in many spheres of life.

The language must be considered as something alive. It has all phases of a living being:

• >     it is born;

• >     it develops;

• >     it has its prime;

>     it decreases, sometimes it dies.

So, in the context of modern trends, it is vitally important to consider, what lies before the English language:

• >    Does the language challenge really exist?

• >    Is the language challenge one of the modern challenges in the sphere of ecology and, thus, really dangerous?

• >    Will the Global English become a “killer” for a lot of local languages?

• >    Will it develop parallel to other languages?

• >     Will it give way to some other language(s) and “die”?

• >     What can be the possible ways of overcoming this threatening

situation?

• b)    Aims and Objectives

The aim of the research paper is to make an attempt to forecast the ways of developing the English language. The objectives are as follows:

> Will the demand for English in the world continue to rise at its present rate?

> Will English continue to be associated with leading-edge technology?

>     Will the demand for English in Russia continue to rise?

>     Can anything be done to influence the future of English?

• c)    Subject and Object

The subject of the research includes the threatening trends in development of the English languages in the 21st century. The object deals with the transitional nature of development of the English language in the 21st century.

• d)    Methods Used in the Research

• 2. English as a Transitional Phenomenon

The methods used in the research include working with both printed reference books and internet sources.

Виртуализация общества, скорость и глобализационная общность бытия воздействуют и на развитие языка – оно также ускоряется и унифицируется. Всё это ведет и уже привело к появлению общих закономерностей в развитии языков и языковых контактов.

Английский завоевал статус общего языка эры глобальных сетей, новой экономики и Интернета. В 90-е годы ХХ века и сегодня он доминирует в области политики, экономики, прессы, рекламы, радио, кино и развлекательной музыки, путешествий, безопасности, системы коммуникации, науки и образования. Около 80% коммерческих переговоров по всему миру ведутся на английском. Еще десять – пятнадцать лет назад знание английского было необходимо на среднем и высшем уровне корпоративной иерархии, сегодня же его основы требуются и в низовом звене.

«Крупные», «полнокровные» языки, то есть языки развитых стран, имеющие высокий коммуникативный статус (разработанный письменный стандарт, охват множества сфер жизни - от науки до судопроизводства, значительное количество говорящих), сокращаются. Подобно шагреневой коже, они съёживаются, уступая английскому целые области - науку, международную коммуникацию.

Воздействие английского выражается и в лавине заимствований: в европейской лингвистике уже зафиксированы Denglish (Germeng), Spanglish - в некоторой степени ироничные названия национальных языков, отражающие влияние на них английского. Имеются данные и о различных видах китайского английского - Chinglish ; есть основание говорить и о русском английском (Runglish).

Британия сделала для объединения, мира больше, чем какая-либо другая нация, сначала через величайшую торговую империю, затем - через английский язык, ставший мировым.

Научный мир обсуждает сегодня вопрос: «Погубит ли английский другие языки?»

Значительное число ученых описывает ситуацию при помощи пессимистических метафор: английский - язык-убийца, язык-тиранозавр, язык-кукушонок в гнезде языков и даже лингвистический геноцид, лингвистический империализм, преступление против человечности в области образования и т.д. Появился термин «Неанглийские языки».

Существует и скрытое воздействие английского. Исследовательница Дебора Камерон отмечает: повсеместно происходит насаждение единых норм общения, жанров и стилей речи под предлогом того, что они дают максимальный «эффект» в коммуникации. На деле же насаждается не чужой язык, а чужой взгляд.

В 2000-е годы в Российской Федерации также наблюдается сокращение числа изучающих какой-либо неанглийский язык - как в школах, так и в вузах.

Согласно политическим декларациям и документам, Европа заинтересована в поддержании и в строгом соблюдении многоязычия. Формально все языки ЕС равноправны. На практике же – хотя бы по причине финансового и технического характера – обеспечить равноправие нереально. В ЕС сложилась тенденция ограничиваться французским и английским языками, иногда к ним добавляется немецкий язык.

Английские названия товаров и рекламные стратегии представляют глобальную эстетику, глобальную систему ценностей, которая через них утверждается в повседневности. Тем самым создается и новая система убеждений и социальных поведенческих образцов. Важнейший результат этого не языковое воздействие англицизмов само по себе, а возникновение элиты. Английский в неанглийском контексте свидетельствует о современности говорящих и символизирует власть.

Разумеется, нелепо отрицать, что обмен с другими языками и культурами ведёт к взаимному обогащению. Речь, однако, идёт о том, что на кону оказались культурный статус и роль национальных языков. Без вмешательства общественных сил и русский язык рискует со временем попасть в число слабеющих языков, будущее которых ограничивается частной сферой и фольклором.

У глобализации есть два аспекта – объективный, естественный ход вещей и искусственный, создаваемый через политику, экономические условия и идеологию. На искусственную составляющую можно и должно воздействовать, если мы хотим сохранить свой язык и свою культуру и историю. [1]

• >    Will the demand for English in the world continue to rise at its present rate?

Member of the British Council David Greddol, the author of "The English language and its future", made a prediction about the spread of English around the world. He suggested that by 2015 half of the world population will communicate with each other in English. In the next half- decade, nearly three billion people will be able to speak English and about two billion - study it. However, at the same time, in the words of David Greddol, the second half of this century, the peak of learning English will have passed, and it will become a "victim" of its success.

By 2050, we’ll see decline in the number of people learning English. According to David Greddol, that number will dropp to five hundred million people from three billion. But the number of people wishing to learn French, on the contrary, will increase sharply. Knowledge of several foreign languages would be very much appreciated in work and business.

Economic development of Eastern countries will lead to the need to study languages such as Spanish, Chinese and Arabic. In the future, these languages will play a leading role in the study of foreign languages. Indeed, knowledge of two or more languages is a must in today's world. [2]

• >    Will English continue to be associated with leading-edge technology?

Leading-edge technology, particularly computers and information technology, has been largely English based in several respects. First, its research and development is focused in the US, often in close collaboration with Japanese transnational companies. Second, the research literature and conferences are English based. Third, communications technology and document-handling software have developed around the English language. Fourth, the installed user base of new technology is primarily located in the US.

The close association between English and information technology may be a temporary phenomenon. As software and technology become more sophisticated, they support other languages much better. Desktop publishing and laser printing are now capable of handling hundreds of lesser used languages and a wide range of scripts and writing systems. Computer operating systems and software are now routinely versioned for many languages. In many cases the user can further customise the product, allowing even very small languages, unknown to the manufacturers, to be accommodated. So whereas English speakers used to enjoy the best and latest technology, this is no longer so true.

• >    What impact will the internet have on the global use of English?

The Internet epitomises the information society, allowing the transfer of services, expertise and intellectual capital across the world cheaply, rapidly and apparently without pollution or environmental damage. At present 90% of Internet hosts are based in English-speaking countries. It is not surprising, therefore, that the majority of traffic and the majority of Web sites are based in English and that those users based in other countries and who normally work in other languages, find they have to communicate with others in the cyberspace community through the medium of English.

The quantity of Internet materials in languages other than English is set to expand dramatically in the next decade. English will remain pre-eminent for some time, but it will eventually become one language amongst many. It is therefore misleading to suggest English is somehow the native language of the Internet. It will be used in cyberspace in the same way as it is deployed elsewhere: in international forums, for the dissemination of scientific and technical knowledge, in advertising, for the promotion of consumer goods and for after-sales services.

In the meantime, local communication on the Internet is expected to grow significantly. This, and the increasing use of email for social and family communication, will encourage the use of a wider variety of languages.

• >    Can anything be done to influence the future of English?

• 3.    Conclusion

This is a difficult question to answer. 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:

It may well be the case ... that the English language has already grown to be independent of any form of social control. There may be a critical number or critical distribution of speakers (analogous to the notion of critical mass in nuclear physics) beyond which it proves impossible for any single group or alliance to stop its growth, or even influence its future. If there were to be a major social change in Britain which affected the use of English there, would this have any real effect on the world trend? It is unlikely. (Crystal, 1997, p. 139)

Even if the English language cannot be managed, there is an argument that complex systems have an unpredictability in their behaviour which needs to be taken into account by strategic management. The institutions and organisations which will best survive the potentially traumatic period of global reconstruction which has only just begun, and even thrive during it, will be those which have the best understanding of the changing position of English in local markets, which can adapt the products and services they offer most quickly and effectively and which know how to establish appropriate alliances and partnerships.

But the function of strategic management can extend beyond ensuring either survival or the exploitation of changing conditions in the marketplace. In complex systems, small forces, strategically placed, can lead to large global effects. There is no way, at present; of knowing what nudges placed where will have what consequences. Careful strategic planning, far-sighted management, thoughtful preparation and focused action now could indeed help secure a position for British English language services in the 21st century. [3]

The indications are that English will enjoy a special position in the multilingual society of the 21 st century: it will be the only language to appear in the language mix in every part of the world. Yesterday it was the world’s poor who Were multilingual; tomorrow it will also be the global elite. So we must not be hypnotised by the fact that this elite will speak English: the more significant fact may be that, unlike the majority of present-day native English speakers, they will also speak at least one other language -probably more fluently and with greater cultural loyalty.

During the work, we found that the English language in the near future will score even more popular in the world. Perhaps it will lead to the death of some of the local languages... Yet the English language as the world will replace any other language. English will reach its peak, and then his popularity will fall. Influence is very difficult, almost impossible.

By the 2nd half of this century the peak of learning English will have passed. It is very difficult to try to influence this process.