English as a Global Language

Front Cover
Cambridge University Press, Jul 28, 2003 - Foreign Language Study - 212 pages
David Crystal's informative account of the rise of English as a global language explores the history, current status and potential of English as the international language of communication. This new edition of his classic work includes additional sections on the future of English as a world language, English on the Internet, and the possibility of an English "family" of languages. Footnotes, new tables, and a comprehensive bibliography reflect the expanded scope of the revised edition. An internationally renowned scholar in the field of language and linguistics, David Crystal received an Order of the British Empire in 1995 for his services to the English language. He is the author of several books with Cambridge, including Language and the Internet (2001), Language Death (2000), English as a Global Language (1997), Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language (1997), and Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language (1995) as well as Words on Words (University of Chicago, 2000). First edition Hb (1997): 0-521-59247-X First edition Pb (1998): 0-521-62994-2
 

Contents

Why a global language?
1
What is a global language?
3
What makes a global language?
7
Why do we need a global language?
11
What are the dangers of a global language?
14
Could anything stop a global language?
25
A critical era
27
Why English? The historical context
29
The press
91
Advertising
93
Broadcasting
95
Cinema
98
Popular music
100
International travel
104
International safety
106
Education
110

Origins
30
America
31
Canada
36
The Caribbean
39
Australia and New Zealand
40
South Africa
43
South Asia
46
Former colonial Africa
49
Southeast Asia and the South Pacific
54
A world view
59
Why English? The cultural foundation
72
Political developments
78
Access to knowledge
80
Taken for granted
83
Why English? The cultural legacy
86
The media
90
Communications
114
The right place at the right time
120
The future of global English
123
The rejection of English
124
the US situation
127
New Englishes
140
The linguistic character of New Englishes
147
Vocabulary
158
Codeswitching
164
Other domains
168
The future of English as a world language
172
An English family of languages?
177
A unique event?
189
References
192
Index
202
Copyright

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