English is world’s lingua franca
English is now the acknowledged lingua franca of higher education. What started as a gradual process in the sciences has spread to higher education in general. With the internationalisation of higher education, it was only a matter of time before one language emerged as the dominant language of research and instruction.
We have, of course, been down this road before; in the Middle Ages Latin was the universal language of learning, except that in the age of the internet and globalisation this has translated first into the lingua franca of Europe and increasingly of the world.
The 4,000 to 5,000 ‘hard core’ scientific publications, which serve as references, are in English.
The main language for access to scientific information is English, which has become the dominant, even the sole language, in international scientific symposiums.
The US is where much of today’s research and development is concentrated as well as being the birthplace of the internet, initially developed exclusively in English and through which information of any kind is disseminated. Whether they like it or not, researchers are far more likely to have their work published if it is in English.
The teaching of English as a second language is now universal. The Scandinavian countries and the Netherlands were the first to recognise the dominant roll English would play; other European countries followed, including, with the fall of Communism, eastern European countries.
In the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and Germany, the teaching of English is compulsory, with the language attaining a quasi-compulsory status in an even larger number of countries. In the subcontinent of India English is more than a second language and the language of instruction. The British Council estimates that by 2015, two billion people will be learning English worldwide and three billion people, half the population of the planet, will be speaking it.
The Bologna Process, comprising 46 countries, which established a European Higher Education Area has, mainly by promoting the mobility of students and academic staff, contributed significantly to promoting English as the lingua franca of education. The Hokkaido University, Japan, has long recognised that for a country whose language is used only within its boundaries, using English as the language of instruction is the only way to attract foreign students of calibre.
There are currently over 4,500 university courses being taught in English in continental Europe,the largest number in the Netherlands followed by Germany, Sweden and France.
The prestigious Politecnico di Milano, a world leading school of engineering, announced in April 2012 that with effect from 2014 all postgraduate courses and a large number of undergraduate courses will be taught and assessed entirely in English. According to the university’s rector: “We strongly believe our classes should be international classes – and the only way to have international classes is to use the English language.” He asserts that other Italian universities will follow.
In an age of globalisation and internationalisation of higher education, the only way to attract overseas students from the emerging economies of India, China and Asia, and fund ongoing research, is to have courses in English. As the Politecnico put it, there is “no other choice”.
At the end of the day, the market place dictates. English is the lingua franca of commerce; a number of non-English companies adopt English as their company language; transnational companies and companies with international brands do likewise.
Globalisation has witnessed an increasing number of mergers between companies domicile in different countries, these too, in large measure, have adopted English as the language of communication and as a global marketing tool. English gives them a global perspective, they no longer belong to or are associated with a particular nation or culture, they belong instead to the world; modernity is associated with English.
Contracts between companies that do not share a common language are, more often than not, drafted in English. Furthermore, international tenders require applicants to submit their offer in English or to submit an English version.
English is gradually becoming the language of diplomacy, with a new generation of diplomats being trained in British and American universities. Nowhere is this more obvious than in EU institutions and affiliated agencies which, while promoting plurlingualism, has established English as the supranational language of these institutions.
The world is a village and English is the lingua franca; institutes of higher education have come to recognise this. Italy’s most prestigious business school, Bocconi University, has been offering courses in English for over a decade. Their reasoning: “The lingua franca of business is English and you need to know it. Our students are very active on the international market and demand an international environment.”
The aim is to give students “important tools to do work in a globalised world.” A command of English is a prerequisite for employment in a globalised world.
With the exception of Spanish and French in their former colonies, the other European languages are now ‘parochial’ languages; what is to become of them?
Clearly, they must be preserved for reasons of national identity and preservation of culture. In this regard a pass rate of 56.6 per cent in the Maltese Sec is inadequate for a national language; is it perhaps time for a radical unemotional rethink, considering the current formula does not appear to be the right one for a globalised world with a dominant language.
John Portelli is chairman of St Edward’s College Board of Governors.
Popular Stories
In Discussion
12 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
Jesmond Micallef
Jul 29th 2012, 23:38
The English language has most certainly evolved and has become a very articulate medium of communication, too. Apart from accademia, business and other areas, it is the preferred language of popular music too, worldwide. This dimension of the language is very significant because it conveys human emotion, hence a powerful means of promoting expression, which I think is quite fundamental to the interaction of the language, in itself, with the human being, as it's eventual user.
Furthermore, but consider German for instance. Reading Goethe in the German language, one discovers a passionate form of the language. German used to be a mainstream scientific language in former times too. Indeed, it offers a wealthy and very unique scientific vocabulary in this regard, but not just. Surely, similar capacity is also to be found in the French and Italian languages, too, just to mention a couple.
Languages are fascinating and it would be such a shame if a one single dominant medium erodes the linguistic diversity of the rest. Anyway, one also appreciates the importance of the English language in a realistic manner too and the way in which the language has maintained a constant presence is also respectable.
Franco Farrugia
Jul 30th 2012, 21:09
Dear Mr Micallef, I work within the multilingualism sector at the EU and I can ascertain you that it is not the case that one language is dominant over other languages. Nothing is further from the truth. This, however, does not in any way put the whole article of Dr Portelli in a bad light.
Anthony Connolly
Jul 29th 2012, 21:18
The Idea of Maltese being taught to foreigners is Very appealing. Along with my son I have been returning to malta for many years now and to my shame no very little of the Language. I also went to school whilst my father was based in Malta but with typical British arrogance the we never had to learn the language. I'm sorry to say that not very many English people I know speak and understand (sometimes) English. I was fortunate that my job took me throughout Europe but I only learnt the basics. As a HGV driver I did have to learn directions order food and drink and how to thank people (no matter how it's said Please & Thank you goes a long way) I'm going to keep my eye on the times for now hoping that Maltese for other nationals will soon be taught. I'm not 100% sure but does the Netherlands now teach Maltese?
Franco Farrugia
Jul 29th 2012, 18:43
Quote: 'Nowhere is this more obvious than in EU institutions and affiliated agencies which, while promoting plurlingualism, has established English as the supranational language of these institutions.'
Really? Must have missed that.
Kurt Waschnig
Jul 29th 2012, 17:40
I think it is well known all over the world that English is the lingua franca and it should go without saying that everyone shall have a high command of English.
English is a very practical tool to communicate with people all over the world.
I remember my childhood, I was raised bilingually French/German and at school English was taught.
And when I was a student I learnt Italian.
Knowing languages and to have a high command of them gives one lot of opportunities to get in touch with different cultures and it is very useful in the occupational fields.
When I compare French and Italian to English I am always of the opinion French and Italian are beautiful languages, full of emotions and passion and when I think of English I get the feeling, English is a tool to apply not more.
In the Middle Ages Latin was the universal language of learning, Latin is even used in the Church.
I agree a lingua franca is necessary and important in our globalised world but we need our national languages to preserve our culture, customs, values even our national identity.
Spanish and French are spoken in former colonies but the other European languages are now “parochial” languages.
Though there is an influx of people from all over the world to Europe, we need to be aware that our own vernacular language helps to keep our national identity alive.
Malta is a small country with an own language (Maltese), the Maltese are proud of their culture, history and language and the language plays an important role for identity.
Everything must be done to promote Maltese as language and even language course in Maltese should be offered for interested foreigners, who would like to achieve at least a basic knowledge of Maltese.
The globalised world needs a lingua franca, there is no doubt.
English should be spoken fluently by everyone all over the world.
Best regards
Kurt Waschnig Oldenburg Germany
e-mail: [email protected]
Kurt Waschnig
Jul 29th 2012, 17:23
I think it is well known all over the world that English is the lingua franca and it should go without saying that everyone shall have a high command of English.
English is a very practical tool to communicate with people all over the world.
I remember my childhood, I was raised bilingually French/German and at school English was taught.
And when I was a student I learnt Italian.
Knowing languages and to have a high command of them gives one lot of opportunities to get in touch with different cultures and it is very useful in the occupational fields.
When I compare French and Italian to English I am always of the opinion French and Italian are beautiful languages, full of emotions and passion and when I think of English I get the feeling, English is a tool to apply not more.
In the Middle Ages Latin was the universal language of learning, Latin is even used in the Church.
I agree a lingua franca is necessary and important in our globalised world but we need our national languages to preserve our culture, customs, values even our national identity.
Spanish and French are spoken in former colonies but the other European languages are now “parochial” languages.
Though there is an influx of people from all over the world to Europe, we need to be aware that our own vernacular language helps to keep our national identity alive.
Malta is a small country with an own language (Maltese), the Maltese are proud of their culture, history and language and the language plays an important role for identity.
Everything must be done to promote Maltese as language and even language course in Maltese should be offered for interested foreigners, who would like to achieve at least a basic knowledge of Maltese.
The globalised world needs a lingua franca, there is no doubt.
English should be spoken fluently by everyone all over the world.
Best regards
Kurt Waschnig Oldenburg Germany
e-mail: [email protected]
Charles DeMicoli
Jul 29th 2012, 15:08
Save for the last paragraph, this article is rehashing the obvious and I don't know why the author just kept on regurgitating known facts - nothing new here. All the author set out to do was to "prove" how insignificant our Maltese language is. What a shame.
Mary Mills
Jul 29th 2012, 14:59
OK, correction for having misread the reference to the Maltese language.
So, you seem to be saying that the Maltese language, like other minority languages merely marks ‘a people’ out as ‘other’, distinguishable as, for example, in the case of the Welsh not being English. Reason: they have something which is their own, namely, a language.
As for your “radical, unemotional rethink”, a cryptic throw-away idea and not just that; I say it’s even ominous that, for the sake of ‘getting on the world, status’, a whole people may turn into pidgin monoglots – it has happened where the native language was gradually forced to retreat and spoken just ‘amongst ourselves’, as one is growing into old age; the young must ape the foreigner.
I’ve seen that happen elsewhere – point of view (this) is, also, incidentally, of a Maltese person, by the way!
John Neville Ebejer
Jul 29th 2012, 13:42
Agree. But, this is missing a very important point. There are Maltese who do not understand or do not communicate well in English. In Malta they should have a right to be served, addressed, educated watever in the language they understand by the public services. This is not happening and is an injustice.
So it is not to 'be preserved for reasons of national identity and preservation of culture' - but to be a civilised society.
Mary Mills
Jul 29th 2012, 15:08
"So it is not to 'be preserved for reasons of national identity and preservation of culture' - but to be a civilised society".
Very true! Have seen that happen in Wales. OK, Malta is not quite cheek by jowl with England, neither is there some huge overlap in cultural outlook, but some parallel seems valid.
Francis Sammut
Jul 29th 2012, 12:45
Pray, please tell us, what did you try to tell us apart from the fact that English is the 'world's lingua franca', which we already knew?
Mary Mills
Jul 29th 2012, 11:25
Given the all-out plug for the usefulness of the English language (fair enough) what is actually meant by the last comment re pass-rate in Maltese Sec.? Does it mean 56.6% isn't quite satisfactory? What...?
And the, somehow, cryptic "...time for time for an unemotional rethink.... current formula...not the right one....globalised world"
These last thrown-in comments - explain...?
Please choose the reason of your report below: