ENGLISH THE GLOBAL LANGUAGE CONTENTS The English language

ENGLISH – THE GLOBAL LANGUAGE

CONTENTS Ø The English language facts. Ø History of English – speaking world. Ø The international language of the modern world. Ø English in the media. Ø English and the Internet. Ø Typical English Food. Ø Is it important to learn English? Ø Conclusion

The English language facts. First language: 350 milion people Second language: up to 1, 4 billion people A basic knowledge: 1 billion people Official language: 53 countries Number of words: over 1 milion Websites in English: about 70%

The relative numbers of English speakers in the major English speaking countries. Country First language Additional language USA 215, 423, 557 35, 964, 744 United Kingdom 58, 100, 000 1, 500, 000 Canada 17, 694, 830 7, 551, 390 Australia 15, 581, 329 2, 591, 660 Nigeria 4, 000 75, 000 Philippines 3, 427, 000 43, 974, 000 India 226, 449 Second- 86, 125, 221 Third-38, 993, 066

Pie chart showing the relative numbers of native English speakers.

Countries of the world where English is an official language or national language. Countries where it is an official/non-official but not primary language.

History of English - speaking world. In the 19 th century, rich European countries started to explore the world. British explorers and traders went on voyages of discovery to Africa, Asia and the Pacific. They sailed across the oceans and discovered countries like Australia and New Zealand. The new countries became part of the British Empire. The emigrants took their language and way of life to their new homes. These countries often have a mix of British traditions and their own customs.

The international language of the modern world. People travelling in foreign countries use English when they don’t speak the local language. At the airports all over the world you can hear English. When there are business meetings between people speaking different languages, they are usually in English, so that everyone can participate.

International organisations use English as their official language of communication: ü United Nations ü European Union ü Commonwealth of Nations ü Co. E ü NATO ü NAFTA ü OAS ü OIC ü PIF

English in the media

You can’t escape from English in the media nowadays! If you turn on the radio or TV you’ll hear music in English. If you can understand English you have a bigger choice of programmes. Lots of sportswear brands, cars and another products have slogans in English. Many magazines, newspapers and books written in English are available in countries around the world.

English in the Internet • About 70% of websites are in English. • Most of the new words used for computers, new technology and the Internet are English: chat, pod cast, blog, spam, e-mail, hacker, mouse. • The names of your favourite websites are often in English, You. Tube, Google are just a few.

Traditional English Food § English tea it is a widespread stereotype that the English ‘drop everything’ for a tea-time meal in the afternoon. Tea itself, usually served with milk is consumed throught the day and is sometimes also drunk with milk. § Fish and chips is a popular take-away food that originated in the UK. It consits deep- fried fish covered in butter accompanied by deep-fried chipped potatoes.

Conclusion: Is it important to learn English? Today our world has become a global village and English has become an international language. It is widely used in the communication, tourism and trade. At the all airports we can hear English. In hotels there is an information written and spoken in English as well. There is no doubt that English is the most useful language in the world and everywhere we can communicate in this language. It is spoken all over the world. What is more, English grammar is quite simple and it isn’t difficult to learn. Besides many computers programs, games, are made in English so it is important to know this language for this reason. Nowadays if you want to travel around the world, you don’t manage without the basic knowledge of this language. In the era of globalization, a person who speaks English has the possiblity of finding a better job. .

• Project created by: Ø Marzena Krasowska Ø Ewa Skrzypko Ø Edyta Matys Ø Iwona Bielawska Ø Patryk Kiszło