Because
of globalization, the English language has become part of our everyday lives
(we see it in labels, TV commercials, jobs, studies, internet, outdoors etc.). English
has no longer been defined by the number of people who speak it, but how
powerful and influential it is in the world. This is due, mostly, to the power
that the countries that speak it have, not only economically and academically,
but also in the entertainment business and culture. Now, some questions that we
may ask ourselves are: “Who does the English language belong to?” “Is there a right way to pronounce it?”,
“Does every country have their own English?”, “How does Brazil fall in the
world of English?”
Before
we go any further, it is important to know what process took place in order for
the language to become what it is today. Taking into consideration that a
language is a living thing, which is born, grows, evolves and may even die, we
should also understand that it influences a person’s personality, and a culture
may also influence its language.
The
English language came to be around the V century, developed by the Anglo
–Saxons. Along its history, it incorporated elements from other languages,
including Latin. Though it is a very influential language today, it wasn’t
always so. For a very long time, English was restricted only to the British
territory and French was the lingua
franca used for trade and diplomatic deals. However, with the expansion of
the British territory, English was imposed on people who lived in their
colonies (HOWATT,
2004).
Today,
English is considered a world language or a lingua
franca, which means that it is the language of common communication between
different nations. It is the language that is used on the Internet, in movies, in
music, on businesses, for diplomacy, for international politics, and it is the
key to a successful trade. It has become
that most taught language outside its country of origin.
Although
you may say that the English language belongs to the countries that have it as
their mother tongue, this statement is not entirely true. It can also be seen
as a successful resource for speakers of other languages to communicate with
each other. So, the English language today belongs to the world. Gimenez (2006)
states that it is necessary to make a disconnection between English and
specific countries because speaking and being like a native is not something
necessary. There are a variety of Englishnes in the world.
The
influence that the language has in some countries is so great that a study
conducted by EF EPI in 2016 has shown that their people have ranked very highly
in fluency. However, they have added their own accent, which can be recognized easily.
Thus, it is important to remember that there is not a right accent of English.
Many are accepted and people should not be embarrassed or afraid of it.
We,
Brazilians, can also see the influence of the mother language in our intonation
when speaking English. It influences rhythmically, musically, and also in the jokes
and cultural aspects. It is something that we, Brazilians, should not worry
about and, instead, we should embrace it as our trademark and a positive
influence upon a language.
However,
a study conducted by EF EPI shows that Brazil still ranks way behind in the
fluency of English. Out of 72 countries, we rank number 40 in fluency, falling
behind Argentina, which ranks number 20 (the best in all Latin America). This
means that we are still not very influential and this also may restrict our
economic and business relations with the rest of the world.
This
low rank may be due to many factors, one of them being the precarious public school
system. A high level of functional illiteracy in the country may also limit the
learning of a new language. The study also showed that women in Brazil are
slightly ahead of men when it comes to dedication and fluency. On the other
hand, the same research showed that Brazil has started to make small and recent
changes to improve this situation.
Now,
here are some questions that we can reflect upon on the subject, “World
English”: What are some of the patterns that you have noticed in the spoken
English of the Brazilian speaker? Have you noticed the influence in any other
nation’s accents (that does not have English as their official language) in entertainment,
in culture or even in business? How important is it for a nation to be fluent
in the international language in order to grow economically?
References:
Howatt,
Anthony Philip Reid, and Henry George Widdowso (2004). A history of ELT. Oxford University Press.
Gimenes,
Telma (2006). English in a New World
Language Order. Londrina UEL
