English as a Global LanguageDavid Crystal's classic English as a Global Language considers the history, present status and future of the English language, focusing on its role as the leading international language. English has been deemed the most 'successful' language ever, with 1500 million speakers internationally, presenting a difficult task to those who wish to investigate it in its entirety. However, Crystal explores the subject in a measured but engaging way, always backing up observations with facts and figures. Written in a detailed and fascinating manner, this is a book written by an expert both for specialists in the subject and for general readers interested in the English language. |
Contents
Why a global language? | 1 |
Why English? The historical context | 29 |
Why English? The cultural foundation | 73 |
Why English? The cultural legacy | 91 |
Education | 110 |
The right place at the right time | 120 |
Grammar | 158 |
Other domains | 168 |
| 192 | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
accent advertising Afrikaans Ahulu Airspeak American English areas arguments Australia Awonusi Bamiro Baskaran Baumgardner 1990 became become bilingual Britain British English broadcasting cent chapter colonial countries country’s creole cultural decade dialect distinctive dominant economic emergence endangered languages English language English-speaking especially European example foreign language French German Ghana global language grammar groups growth guage Gyasi identity immigrants increasingly India influence Internet Islands kind Language death large numbers Latin lexical lingua franca linguistic major Malaysia medium Mesthrie 1993b million in 2002 mother tongue multilingual Nigeria nineteenth century official English official language official status pidgin political population radio regional role of English second language Singapore Singlish social sociolinguistic South Africa South African English South Asian English Spanish speak speakers speech spoken Standard English syllable-based syllable-timed territories tion usage varieties of English vocabulary widely words world English world language WSSE Zealand