English Essay

the world, English seems to be the “default” language – almost everyone knows it. In fact, according to linguist David Crystal, there are more non-native speakers of English than native. Has English become a “global language”? And if so, why is that? What parts of history congealed together so tightly that English, a confusing mish-mash of roots, grammar, and culture, came to be the one global, essential tongue? Finally, what does this mean for the future of both English and the many other languages spoken throughout the…

The English language has been a major component of communication since the early fifth century. The English language has evolved in three different ways as the eras of time changed, which would include Old English as the first milestone towards the evolution of English literature and language. In addition, Middle English contributed to the evolution of English as it contributed to Christianity and chivalry from literary works of morality. Finally, the English language has evolved into what is…

English is one of the most widely spoken languages, along with Chinese, Spanish, Arabic, Portuguese and French, respectively. There is no doubt that it has found its way into numerous countries. However, there is a difference between etymological mingling and lingual domination. I strongly disagree with the notion that everyone, in every country, should learn English. This suggestion seems almost barbaric and hateful. Globalizing English would demolish not only the history and culture of other…

The History of English and Etymology of Words Used in Famous Literary Works English, commonly referred to as the language of opportunity, is widely regarded to be a system of communication characterized by potential for unity. A language to ease the conversation of trade, to draft scripts of Hollywood movies, to write recipes in, and more or less, a language that belongs to the people. However, before English officially became accessible to anyone who wished to employ it, English “belong[ed] to…

Wh-questions formation in English 1. Interrogatives in English According to Fromkin, Robert, Neil, & Harry (2001), one of the linguistic universals is that all languages have a system of asking questions. In English, there are two main kinds of interrogative sentences, close-ended sentences and open-ended sentences. Closed class interrogative sentences have yes/no answer while opened class interrogative sentences having many possible answers. 1.1. Yes/No questions Yes/no question in English is…

I have never contemplated what my life would be like if my first language was not English. What if it were Spanish, German, Dutch , or even Swahili? Taking into consideration that I am African American, I reside in Alabama, and the school that I attend means that by now I would be bilingual. Something about African American people that are bilingual or speak a different language has always astonished me. Having English as my first and only language always seemed highly boring. Merely because…

Many forms of spoken English are not always acceptable in written English and the opposite is also true. The only time that spoken English would be acceptable in the written form is when the writer is writing dialog. For example, sentence fragments are used frequently in conversations and are perfectly acceptable to use when writing dialog, but not in formal writing (Clark). In written English, it is best to avoid slang such as awesome or common expressions such as really (Really?) that is…

Cruz, Mary Carmen. “Can English Language Learners Acquire Academic English?” English Journal. 93.4 (2004): 14-17. Web. 21 Nov. 2015. Cruz argues that in order for teachers to improve their instruction for all students and assist the English language learners in their classrooms, they must understand how language is acquired. She points out that both learning and language acquisition are both social processes. When students “interact to solve problems or learn by discovery in highly…

internationally. English is today the biggest global language with more non-native speakers than native speakers. Because of all these different countries speaking English there are many varieties, such as British, Australian, South African, American. The English Language is constantly changing. Around the 1600 century the English language as we know it today was created. Before that the Anglo-Saxon, Old Norse, French and Latin contributed to shape the English language. In the medieval times…

Middle English refers to the varieties of the English language spoken after the Norman Conquest (1066) and until the late 15th century. The Middle English period was marked by momentous changes in the English language, changes more extensive and fundamental than those that have taken place at any time before or since. Some of them were the result of the Norman Conquest and the condition that followed in the wake of that event. Others were the constitution of the tendencies that had begun to…