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28.07.2020 10:35 •  Английский язык

English as a World Language

The English language has nowadays become the “new Latin”

of the century. One billion people speak English. That’s 20% of the

world population. For the other 600 million it’s either a second

language or a foreign language.

There are more than 500,000 words in the Oxford English

Dictionary. Compare that with the vocabulary of German (about

155200,000) and French (about 100,000). At present no other language

on the Earth is better suited to play the role of a world language.

There are many reasons for this. First, English is easier to learn

than any other languages. Second, it borrows words and phrases

from the very countries into which it expands. Eighty per cent of

all English vocabulary comes from other languages. For example,

such words as pork, mutton, beef, etc. were borrowed from French;

book, renew, water, etc. were borrowed from German; library,

renovate, aquatic, etc. were borrowed from Latin; bibliography,

hydraulic, telephone, television, etc. were borrowed from Greek.

Many words have entered English as a result of trade and colonial

expansion: alcohol and algebra have come from Arabic; divan and

khaki from Persian; chocolate and tomato from Native American

languages; tea and tycoon from Chinese.

English is so widespread nowadays because it has become the

standard language for all kinds of international communication:

80% of all information in the world’s computers is in English; nearly

50% of all the companies in Europe communicate with one another

in English; 75% of all international letters and telexes are in English.

English is also the international language of businesspeople, pilots,

diplomats and politicians, sportsmen and scientists, doctors and

students, musicians and singers.

Today in Russia the English language has become the most

popular one among foreign languages. Learning English helps in

talking to people, reading and writing, in understanding foreign

music and foreign films. It opens up much a wider range of sources

of information.

Besides, when you travel in different countries, you can manage

to communicate a lot better if you understand people and people

understand you. When you speak English to people, they’re often a

lot more friendly and helpful. English is the language of

communication between different peoples and countries. If you are

interested in science, business, medicine, literature, music and you

want to be up¬to¬date with progress in those fields, you can always

read the latest report in English and know the latest information

about the question you are interested in. Learning English broadens

your mind and way of thinking.

English is a global language. The problems of the twenty¬first

century, such as the problems of war and peace, ecology,

156demographics, democracy and many others cannot be solved if

people do not speak the same language. I think that English is going

to become even more important as a global language, dominating

the world’s trade, computers and media while other languages will

become localized or just die out.

I think it’s very valuable and helpful in learning English if you

start learning it from an early age. People can learn the best up to

about the age of 20, as they have a lot of time for it, which later

isn’t possible. Learning English is not like learning maths or science

because it involves a different way of thinking. You have to learn to

think in English. And, of course, you have to learn the grammar

and vocabulary too if you want to know the language quite well.



Questions ответить н во используя текст и добавляя свое личное мнение.

1. Why is English a global language nowadays? 2. What will the

role of the English language be in the twenty ¬first century? 3. Which

vocabulary is the largest in the world? 4. What percentage of words

in English comes from other countries? 5. What borrowed words in

English do you know? 6. Why is English a language of

communication? 7. Why do people in Russia learn English? 8. What

is the best suitable age to begin to learn English? 9. What is the best

way to learn English?