As a part of globalisation English has become the most widely spoken language around the world. While there are many benefits to using English as a global language, it also has some negative effects.
There are a number of reasons why English is the most widespread language in the world, and the most conspicuous one stems from the political, cultural and economic pre-eminence of the United States. To be more specific, the expansion of English has happened alongside the increasing popularity of American culture. The American film, music and fashion industries are as dominant as global American companies and products, such as Microsoft or the iPod. As a result, the use of English is still growing as the world interconnected.
One the one hand, there are certain benefits of using the same language across the world. First off, using a single language worldwide promotes understanding and economic cooperation amongst nations. At the same time, it becomes easier to discuss terms of trade and trade negotiations when a single language is used worldwide. On the other hand, languages spoken by small communities could become extinct as people learn English in order to find work. This would obviously have a negative effect on local cultures, customs and traditions because the new dominant language would bring its own culture with it.
Nevertheless, there remain some drawbacks, which can certainly overshadow the potential influence of growth in English language, and the most alarming one is rooted in the erosion of other languages and their associated cultures.
