Teach English in Longju Zhen - Lianyungang Shi

At different times throughout history a few languages have been associated with such power and prestige that their influence and reach spread to other cultures. For example, in the Eastern world, Chinese (Mandarin) has historically been the most dominant language in the region, having influenced the language and writing systems of several Asian nations such as Japan, Korea and Vietnam. Western culture, on the other hand, has seen various languages compete for the title of “most prestigious” throughout the centuries: Koine Greek, Latin, French, and Italian, were all considered to be the most important language in Europe at some point (Kahane 495). Although contemporary academic and sociolinguistic culture almost unanimously disregards the idea that there exists one language or dialect that supplants all the rest, there can be no denying that one particular language has seen its influence spread to all corners of the globe and that is English. From its roots as a West Germanic language first spoken in the British Isles around the 5th-century to its current status as a teachable global lingua franca (Simpson Davies and Patsko 2013), the rise and spread of the English language has been unlike that of any other language in history. Approximately 1.5 billion people today speak English worldwide, however, only about 360 million of these speak it as a first language, which makes English the world’s most studied foreign language (Lyons 2017). It holds official and/or national language status in 55 countries and 27 sovereign states, perhaps most notably in the USA and U.K. as well as in popular study destinations for international students, like Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. It is also an official language of several international organizations including the UN, EU and NAFTA. Due to the remarkable influence of English, there now exists a “need” for learning the language, which cannot be said for any other language in history. Indeed, the demand for English language education has caused English teaching to evolve into what is perhaps the most comprehensive language learning model available today. As researcher Julie Dearden, of the University of Oxford, states, English teaching is so widespread that it actually encompasses several methodologies depending on the purpose for which English is being studied. These include “normal” English classes available as part of a school/university curriculum in a country in which the majority speak English, as well as English as a Second Language (ESL), English as a Foreign Language (EFL), English for Academic Purposes (EAP), English for Specific Purposes (ESP), and English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI), all of which fall under the umbrella term of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) (Dearden 7). Not surprisingly, this growing need for English has made English teachers a very sought-after commodity. According to International TEFL Academy, approximately “250,000 native English speakers work as English teachers abroad in more than 40,000 schools and language institutes around the world” while “more than 100,000 positions for English teachers abroad open each year” (2020). This has also resulted in English language teaching becoming a business in of itself——literally hundreds of university and online courses are available for any prospective teacher wishing to become accredited in TEFL and teach English. While English will not overtake Mandarin as the world’s most spoken native language anytime soon, it has become the world’s most spoken language overall. Already the language of science, medicine, academia, business, aviation and more, one can only assume that the influence of English will continue to grow in the decades to come. What began as the language of a few Germanic tribes has effectively become the first global lingua franca. Works cited Dearden, Julie. “English as a medium of instruction—a growing global phenomenon.” 2014. International TEFL Academy. “How Large is the Job Market for English Teachers Abroad?” Accessed February 10, 2020. https://www.internationalteflacademy.com/blog/how-large-is-the-job-market-for-english-teachers-abroad Kahane, Henry. “A Typology of the Prestige Language.” Language, vol. 62, no. 3, 1986, pp. 495–508. Lyons, Dylan. “How Many People Speak English and Where is it Spoken?” Babbel.com. 2017. https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/how-many-people-speak-english-and-where-is-it-spoken Simpson Davies, Katy, and Laura Patsko. “How to teach English as a lingua franca (EFL)” britishcouncil.org. 2013. https://www.britishcouncil.org/voices-magazine/how-teach-english-lingua-franca-elf