REDESIGNING ENGLISH NEW TEXTS NEW IDENTITIES GLOBAL ENGLISH
REDESIGNING ENGLISH: NEW TEXTS, NEW IDENTITIES GLOBAL ENGLISH: GLOBAL CULTURE Dr. Faisal AL-Qahtani 1
English as the global language: a dominant world language n One out of five of the world’s population speaks English. n English is the main language of q books and newspapers q airports and air traffic control q international business and academic conferences q science, technology, diplomacy, sport, international competitions, advertising, etc. Dr. Faisal AL-Qahtani 2
English as a Lingua Franca English is becoming a lingua franca due to some n linguistic characteristics: q rich in monosyllables (easy to learn) q capable of absorbing foreign words q flexible in forming neologisms (new words) Dr. Faisal AL-Qahtani 3
Other Factors Helped In Spreading English n Colonization n New forces in the 20 th century (USA) n Technological developments n Economic globalization n Improved communications n Global Media: q Global communication uses English (internet, satellite TV, etc. ) Dr. Faisal AL-Qahtani 4
English as a Killer Language The growing world supremacy of the English Language: n q Positive view: a language of economic opportunity. q Negative view: a destruction of linguistic and cultural diversity. The official language in many countries: n q countries of endangered languages. It is intimately connected with the processes of economic globalization: n q indirectly causing lesser used languages to disappear. It has more direct responsibility for the loss of the indigenous languages in its territories: n q e. g. Australia, USA. Dr. Faisal AL-Qahtani 5
English And The Creation Of Social Inequality n Positive view: q English is the key to economic opportunity and modernization in developing countries. n a major contributor to economic and social advancement in most countries. n essential for progress: q n The language of high-tech communication and information. Negative view: q English encourages elitism and increases socio-economic inequalities: n n access to better jobs and opportunities. access to English is only available to those who can afford expensive education. Dr. Faisal AL-Qahtani 6
English and Communications Media Dominance of the global electronic media by English since n the 18 th century. the electric telegraph n Development of global media n global communication: q n New technology was first invented or exploited in Englishspeaking countries (p. 211). n the linguistic hegemony of English language broadcasting. Dr. Faisal AL-Qahtani 7
English and Communications Media- cont. National cultures: n q Breakdown of national media cultures q Emergence of Global media n Satellite television reflects global media culture and extensive English language programming, rather than a national one. Dr. Faisal AL-Qahtani 8
English and Communications Media- cont. n Indirect cultural influence from English language programming: q Indirect influence of English on other languages. q English language media texts : n images of lifestyles, social relations and ways of representing the world which goes beyond verbal communication. n Cultural imperialism of English programs: q Even if dubbed or translated. Dr. Faisal AL-Qahtani 9
Summary Emerging homogenous global culture: A result of the n q continuing expansion in the use and learning of English q the loss of lesser used languages. n Emerging new varieties of English: n Spreading into different speech communities causes the English language itself to become fragmented. q n n English could make the world a more homogenous place. English may be more diverse in its forms, functions and cultural associations. The English language often has different social significance to different people in different parts of the world. Dr. Faisal AL-Qahtani 10
n. Questions? n. Comments! Dr. Faisal AL-Qahtani 11
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