Ayush Chaurasia - Week 5 - How America Facilitated the Spread of English Across the World
English is undeniably a global language, being used in 88 countries across the world. Originating in Britain, the language has progressed to be the most widely spoken language in the world, with over 2 billion speakers (Wikipedia).
How did it get to that point? Much of the success of the English language can be attributed to America’s rise as a global superpower.
Because they were founded by Great Britain, the thirteen colonies in early America were primarily English-speaking. Following the American Revolution, inventions such as the lightbulb and a surge in immigration allowed America to grow into a major exporter of manufactured goods. In the aftermath of the two World Wars, the most industrialized European countries were largely weakened, allowing the US to become the dominant economic power in the world.
The economic success of the US in the 1900s allowed major technological and scientific advancements to happen in the country. The economic prosperity in America allowed the colleges and universities in the country to flourish and invest resources into scientific research.
With the biggest discoveries in science and technology happening in America, and with many of the world’s best universities also in America, English became a necessary language for any academics seeking to advance the cutting edge of their field.
As time passed, the English language was made more relevant to the non-educated people in foreign countries, as well. The emergence of Hollywood in the 1900s turned America into a major exporter of culture; American movies and TV shows (with all the characters speaking English, of course) found their way throughout the world, where they would be idolized by people as a representation of modernity, opportunity, and innovation. As people watched American media, they slowly began to learn English.
Even in the modern day, America is still globalizing English through social media. Founded in America, globally popular platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) have primarily English-speaking populations. Although there are large numbers of users in foreign countries, much of the content is still in English, creating a need for those users to have some understanding of English.
How does the global dissemination of English affect America? For starters, American media continues to have a massive international presence, and English continues to be the primary language for most academic fields. American citizens experience many benefits because of this, whether it be the thriving culture, ease-of-communication while traveling in foreign countries, or access to the latest academic papers in their native language.
Overall, America has played a major role in the global spread of the English language (although Britain’s widespread colonization was also important to the process) through its economic, cultural, and educational influences on the world. By spreading English throughout the world, America has inadvertently changed the way that people communicate, work, and connect to one another.
How did it get to that point? Much of the success of the English language can be attributed to America’s rise as a global superpower.
Because they were founded by Great Britain, the thirteen colonies in early America were primarily English-speaking. Following the American Revolution, inventions such as the lightbulb and a surge in immigration allowed America to grow into a major exporter of manufactured goods. In the aftermath of the two World Wars, the most industrialized European countries were largely weakened, allowing the US to become the dominant economic power in the world.
The economic success of the US in the 1900s allowed major technological and scientific advancements to happen in the country. The economic prosperity in America allowed the colleges and universities in the country to flourish and invest resources into scientific research.
With the biggest discoveries in science and technology happening in America, and with many of the world’s best universities also in America, English became a necessary language for any academics seeking to advance the cutting edge of their field.
As time passed, the English language was made more relevant to the non-educated people in foreign countries, as well. The emergence of Hollywood in the 1900s turned America into a major exporter of culture; American movies and TV shows (with all the characters speaking English, of course) found their way throughout the world, where they would be idolized by people as a representation of modernity, opportunity, and innovation. As people watched American media, they slowly began to learn English.
Even in the modern day, America is still globalizing English through social media. Founded in America, globally popular platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) have primarily English-speaking populations. Although there are large numbers of users in foreign countries, much of the content is still in English, creating a need for those users to have some understanding of English.
How does the global dissemination of English affect America? For starters, American media continues to have a massive international presence, and English continues to be the primary language for most academic fields. American citizens experience many benefits because of this, whether it be the thriving culture, ease-of-communication while traveling in foreign countries, or access to the latest academic papers in their native language.
Overall, America has played a major role in the global spread of the English language (although Britain’s widespread colonization was also important to the process) through its economic, cultural, and educational influences on the world. By spreading English throughout the world, America has inadvertently changed the way that people communicate, work, and connect to one another.
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It’s really interesting to see how you related the growing use of the English language with the growing influence of the USA over the world. I was surprised to see that there were more English speakers than speakers of the languages of the most populous countries (India and China), but it seems reasonable given USA’s dominance in culture, economy, and technology. This current position causes many countries to view USA with reverence. I have noticed that so many countries include English as a second language, indicating how English is a seemingly necessary skill. I think your blog is really thorough in identifying the different ways Americanization is occurring, like through social media and entertainment. I also think it is important to discuss how this situation affects the self-perception of citizens of the USA. Having so many countries adapt to the needs of the US, have English as the second language, and emulate American trends likely gives the average American a sense of superiority. For instance, most US citizens look down on soccer and only consider basketball, (American) football, and baseball as the major sports. Most Americans have not even heard of Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, some of the most famous people in the world. This complacence with self and the lack of desire to explore and understand the outside world stems likely from a partial truth: like the spread of the English language, the USA is the world’s dominant nation.
ReplyDeleteHi Ayush! I like the topic of your blog since it’s definitely interesting to think about how English became a global language when there are more than 7,000 languages in the world. I think one of the reasons for this is “Manifest Destiny,” in which Americans believed that they had a god given right to expand American from the East to the West, but it clearly didn’t stop there. It’s interesting to see that a lot of the countries Britiain colonized, such as India, Australia, and some parts of Africa seem to have larger English speaking populations compared to countries that have never had a strong relationship with Britain. After colonization, English has definitely been a large part of Indian culture, and it still is today. Your blog also mentions how social media platforms such as X and Facebook are English dominated platforms, and because of the large amount of people using social media today, it makes sense that people prefer to communicate in English rather than split into different groups based on language. It is interesting to think about the influence American has had on the world but it is often over emphasized since although many countries today resonate with English more than their native languages, they stil resonate more with their own cultures and traditions. Language is the most prominent part of British culture that has seeped throughout the world today.
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