Phyo Kyaw Week 9 - Universal Language
Throughout the entire United States of America, every human being has one commonality. The ability to speak English. Yes, there are people who aren't fluent. There are even some who do not understand most of the language. But they get the basics. Everybody knows the basics of English. How did this come to be? How did such a diverse country full of diverse people and communities all agree on one language as the basis of society?
These are the questions I ask myself when thinking about America. I implore you to consider the same. Even outside of the country, English is a universal language everywhere. You will always find people who understand and can speak English somewhat fluently. Thailand? Yes. China? Yes. Greenland? Yes. Any place you can think of there will be people who at least know the basics of the English language.
I think this fact is overlooked by a lot of people. This language isn't just a form of communication, it serves as a purpose to bring people together. An example of this unity is right in front of us in the form of our country. People of different backgrounds can combine and interact with one another as a result of this language.
The language barrier that existed hundreds of years ago is no longer an issue. We as people can converge with one another. I mean, we have Google translate even to fix out any communication issues that may arise. The language barrier has dissipated with the industrialization and technological advancements people have made throughout the years.
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| Map from Google Showing Amount of English Speakers by % in Every Country |
Hey Phyo, your blog on the importance on English was enjoyable to read. I like the use of the questions in the end of your first paragraph. It engaged me with your blog and made me want to read more of your blog so that I could get an answer to those questions. I agree with a lot of the points you made. Worldwide, English is commonly a mandatory language to learn at school. I even remember my parents telling me that growing up, their parents pushed them to learn English at a young age because of the importance of knowing some degree of English. Anywhere you go on Earth, you are bound to see English, like on a street sign or shop sings, really anywhere. This is different from every other language where it is rare to see it "out in the wild". I agree when you say that English brings people together. With all the vastly different languages in the world, it's hard for people to come together and communicate. So, with English being a commonly known language, people can use that to communicate and build bonds that wouldn't be possible if there wasn't that shared knowledge of English. Overall, your blog on how the English language is important was simple, enjoyable, and reinforced ideas that I also shared.
ReplyDeleteHi Phyo! This was an interesting observation about the commonality of English. The structure of your first paragraph was very compelling and kept my interest, they help set the background of the question of why English has prevailed as such a widespread language despite problems with fluency. Personally, I would attribute the spread of English to British colonialism and the way English was imposed upon areas that were controlled by the British. For example, India has an extremely high amount of English speakers, fluent or not, which mainly rose during and after colonization. I think living in America we often take for granted the advantages that come with learning English as a first or second language. I agree with your point that the spread of one language has simplified globalization by allowing people across the world to communicate easily, even those with very basic fluency. I think it is really interesting how countries come together often due to one commonality, the language they speak, despite many other differences. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHello Phyo. English is also a relatively new language as well, the fact that it was able to spread and become a dominant language is impressive. A theory I have is that America was called the land of opportunity, therefore people from different countries came for jobs that offered salaries higher than ones they would have received. This forced people to learn English and when they got enough money, they took English along with them. American technology companies like Apple and Facebook are used throughout the world. When I visit my family in Taiwan the younger generation would have Apple products and the grandmas and grandpas would be scrolling through Facebook. This would have integrated some of American culture into these non-English speaking countries. A flip side to this perspective of seeing how English has influenced other cultures, it is also interesting to think about how other cultures have affected American culture and its language. The English language has taken several words from different countries. The word ballet has a French origin, which is not that surprising. However, did you know that the word ketchup has a Chinese origin? This blog me appreciate the history of how came to be. Everything that is a factor in our everyday lives has taken a long time to get here. Thank you for writing.
ReplyDeleteHey Phyo, I understand what you’re trying to say, but I disagree with some ideas you present here. First, you assume some idea of universality in the U.S., however many people don’t speak English at all. I feel that your blog could use some historical perspective, specifically about the history behind the dominance of English. Aside from that, I agree with the idea of globalization and technology rapidly eradicating language barriers. I remember once on my trip to Mexico, my cousin and I were lost on a hike and found some locals that didn’t speak English. I used Google Translate to communicate with them and got home safely. I like how you touched up on the idea of unity, it emphasizes what I feel is the entire purpose behind language. Without it, we would all be people without a purpose and communication. The language brings us together, especially slang, which is another topic I feel you should have covered. Slang connects certain cultures in the U.S., which I believe is far more powerful than any government.
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