Hi Grandpa! I heard something about Global Englishes. Can you explain it?

Of course honey.

Although a language is not the mother tongue of that country, if it is spoken in that country or even all over the world, that language is called a global language and English is a global language.

Hey Old Man! You seem like a traveler. How many languages did you hear with your ears?

Who Speaks English Today?

I heard many languages but wherever I went there was always someone speaking English.

Who Speaks English Today?

On one of my travels, I went to a cafe to relax and have a coffee. A group of people caught my attention and I went to their table. One was English, one was French, and one was African. There was only one feature that made these people sit at the same table. It was because they all spoke English.

In fact, the number of English-speaking people has increased so much that people need a classification.

What do you mean old man?

They divided people into classes according to how they learned English.

ENL: As a native language

ESL: As a second language

EFL: As a foreign language

ELF: As a Lingua franca

I don't still understand anything you said old man. Make it clear! I'm getting angry!

ENL: The variety of the English language spoken by people who acquired English as their first language or mother tongue.

ESL: Is learning English in a country where English is dominantly spoken or the official language. 

EFL: This refers to English being taught in a Non-English speaking country but may also refer to any situation where English is being taught to a speaker of another language.

ELF: refers to the teaching, learning, and use of English as a common means of communication (or contact language) for speakers of different native languages.

Strevens’s world map of English

The oldest model of the spread of English is that of Strevens. His world map of English, first published in 1980. This map showed how English language was spreaded on the world.

Strevens’s world map of English

Kachru's three circles of english

Kachru’s three concentric circles model provides a way of looking at the expansion and use of the English language as a second language (ESL) and as a foreign language (EFL). The model consists of three circles: the inner circle, the outer circle, and the expanding circle.

Kachru's three circles of english

Hey, Old man! We've met again.

How did you find me in France?

I've been searching for you to ask a question old man. You said lots of things about English. So, Why English is a global language? Can you explain it?

Because English has become a commerce, science and social language over time, both in terms of history and because of its power in the past. This has made English a global language.

I traveled to the Scandinavian islands and met a viking there. We didn't speak the same language and couldn't understand each other. He asked me what the global language is.

Old man! We can't talk same language. You seem like a wise man. Can you tell me is there a language that is spoken by everyone in everywhere.

Do you mean a global language?

A global language is a language that is geographically widespread and makes it possible for members of different language communities to communicate.

So Old man what makes a language global?

It's a complicated question sir but I guess I can explain it.

A global language is that a language has been grown worldwide.The local language becomes global when it assumes the position of the world's most widely spoken language. People are using the global language to simplify communication as the world is increasingly becoming a 'small village'. The popularity of language can be prioritised depending on the factors of culture’s productivities.

Thank you Old man. You are really a wise man.

I'm so thirsty I have to ask that man over there if he has any water.

Hey! Do you have any water to give me, sir? I'm dying of thirst.

Yes, but first you have to answer my question.

As you see, I'm roaming in desert. While I'm roaming something came up on my mind. Why do we need a global language old man?

Nice question sir. Immediately I'll answer.

We need a global language because it facilitates communication between different cultures. A global language allows for communication between different cultures. Language has always been the focal point of cultural identity. A global language dismantles communication barriers and offers individuals a gateway to understanding one another’s cultures. And also it facilitates international trades.  The reality is that in order to buy from or sell to a business partner from another country, you need to communicate effectively and accurately. Thankfully, a global language eliminates the communication barrier, promoting greater international trade and opportunities for economic growth.

Thanks old man, here is your water as I promised.

Ohh thank you too.

-Hey! How did you come here old man. 

+I've some capabilities:)

-Can I ask you a question? Maybe you can answer me. I read a book while I was flying and I saw a topic about global language. What are the dangers of a global language old man?

The first one is linguistic power. This danger says that native English speakers can have an advantage over those whose second language is English or English as a foreign language. This can create a large class divide.

The second one is Linguistic Complacency. There is a possibility that a global language may make people lazy about learning other languages, or reduce their opportunities to do so. This type of attitude has brought some disadvantages to them. Whereas a nonnative person can speak two languages, the natives can speak only one language. But nowadays their rigid attitude is changing. There are clear signs of growing awareness, within English-speaking communities, of the need to break away from the tradition of monolingual bias.

And the last one is Linguistic Death. The death of a language means the disappearance of a society's culture. This is one of the harms of the global language, because the learning of the global language by the groups living in the minority may cause the extinction of their own language.