Approved TESOL School

english as a Global LanguageAn Internet search for the phrase, “teach english abroad,” will undoubtedly produce hundreds of results, from recruitment organizations willing to help eager job seekers find placement, to providers of online and classroom-based teaching certificates such as International TESOL Teacher Training and the like, all claiming connections to a plethora of teaching jobs in nearly every non-english-speaking country. Without even an in depth amount of research, one can easily see that people around the world are eager to learn the english language. The argument is whether or not english is becoming the global language, and if this is a positive or negative fact in today’s economy. With more than eight countries – u.s.A., Canada, Britain, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and several Caribbean countries – already speaking english as their mother tongue, and over 70 countries now speaking it in some form of a second language, and many others offering or requiring it in their schools, I believe the fact that english is a global language is hard to deny. No doubt other languages have a great impact in the world today – spanish, french, German, Russian and Arabic among them – but a language only reaches global status when it becomes the preferred or required second language, being sought after knowledge for countries around the world that do not already speak it as an official language. The same search terms for teaching other languages abroad, such as the ones listed above, do not produce an equal amount of Google results. It’s not as common for language institutes and public school systems to put as much time and effort into teaching any language other than their own and english because it has already proven to be so prominent across the globe. As for the second part of the argument, I think a quick look at today’s newspaper headlines will answer the question. From wars in Afghanistan and Libya to natural disasters in Japan and the U.S. East Coast, it becomes apparent to have a common language for which to offer help, aid, military support, etc. According to a New York Times 2007 article, “scholars say that about one-fourth of the world's population can communicate to some degree in english.” From war and science to telephone call centers and air traffic control; english is the commonly used language between countries. In a world where education is crucial and sets a certain social standard, it is said that to know english is to be well educated. It is the chosen language for companies doing business globally and/or on the Internet, and to earn a position at such a company, fluency is mandatory. It’s no surprise then that in developing countries such as Thailand and South Korea, english language institutes can be found on nearly every corner, and public schools have already incorporated programs to allow for native english-speaking teachers to teach their children. The same New York Times article said it well: “There may be more native speakers of chinese, spanish or Hindi, but it is english they speak when they talk across cultures, and english they teach their children to help them become citizens of an increasingly intertwined world.” Works Cited: Crystal, David. english As a Global Language. 2nd ed. New York, 2003. Sprachshop.com. PDF. 18 Apr. 2011. “Across Cultures, english is the Word.” Mydans, Seth. New York Times Online 9 Apr. 2007.