English Language in 2050 - Essay Example

English Language In 2050 Introduction English, one of today’s global languages, is rooted deep in history, having beentransferred from West Germany by Germanic invaders into Britain around the 8th and 9th centuries. Since then, the language has expanded in use around the world, having crossed the borders into other parts of the world during the Renaissance Period and during colonial times. Modern English, if it was to be compared to the Old English would appear overly different in that over the period that it has been in use the world over, multiple alterations have been done to it. For instance, two major forms of English dominate today; British and American English, in which case their biggest difference is in their accents (phonology) and structure (morphology). The spread of English happened so fast that it surpassed other dominant language such as Latin and French in an unexpectedly short time. This occurrence has led to the emergence of queries regarding the future of English, and especially due to globalisation. The biggest query is whether the ensuing language change caused by globalisation will affect its ranking in the future. The following study will seek to predict the future of English in 2050 by discussing the possible changes that may affect its lexical, syntactic, morphological, and phonological aspects. In it, the study will support the prediction that while English will have undergone changes, it will still dominate as a global language. Language change is socially motivated, meaning that for a prediction to be made, it is important to consider the expected changes that will be experienced by 2050. They include international communication, new technologies, and demographic trends. These factors will definitely affect English in that as globalisation sets in, it will spread further, thus, be exposed to the factors of language change such as splitting into more languages, contact with different languages, and finally borrowing words from other languages. Again, these factors possess the ability to either support or deter English from retaining its rank as a global language thus the need for their evaluation. The big question in these expected changes is that, will they support or topple English as a global language by 2050? Lexical changes The internet has given birth to social networking and media, which mainly uses English as its central language (Perez-Sabater, 2012). This is evident in that social sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Gmail were initially created in English and are today translated according to the region. A dominantcapability held by social networking is that it possesses the power to inflict lexical change of English words by altering acronyms, blending, compounds, and abbreviations into a fashion that is acceptable by the online community. An example is during the Anglo-Saxon period when secular (pagan) words had their meanings altered by Christian missionaries. They include Easter, God, hell, and heaven (Crystal, 2000).Prior to this, these words had no religious significance. Similarly, social networks will continue to change the meaning of words as we progress towards 2050. This, however, will not reduce the popularity of English in that the words will remain English, only varying in meaning. Therefore, English stands more chance of having sunk deeper as a global language in 2050, thanks to social networks. The second type of lexical transformation that English is expected to undergo is the scenario where upon spreading in some parts of the world, loanwords, or borrowed words, will be incorporated into English and become part of it. Concisely, terms from the local settings will be [subconsciously] used together with English that they come to be accepted as new words. This is because borrowing is one of the ways through which language changes when it spreads. As Crystal (2000) explains, “Diplomatic indabas only rarely produce neatly wrapped solutions to problems. Indaba, from the Nguni group of languages, was originally a tribal conference, but has now been extended to mean any conference between political groups.” What is being elaborated in this excerpt is that as the natives of South Africa used English, they came to incorporate the term indaba in their sentences when referring to the political conferences. In this, we learn that maybe they realized that there was no single word in English to define the political conferences. As such, to bring the closest meaning, they incorporated the word into the sentence, and today, English has borrowed the word and used it to refer to political conferences. Therefore, as English extends further, it will keep borrowing words from local languages, and will keep expanding. As such, it will have borrowed many more words by the time 2050 arrives, and will have therefore become a more universal language. Morphological changes According to Barber (1964), as time progresses, some English forms are being replaced with others as English speakers seek to “simplify” their language. For instance, the forms “most and more” are already replacing “-est” and “er”. This phenomenon can be attributed to the spread of English to non-natives who find it easier to use or learn a simpler form of English. Therefore, as 2050 nears, globalisation spreads further, and so does English. When it gets into non-natives, they are likely to substitute some words with other forms of English which they feel is simpler for them. This will not deter the popularity of English. Rather, English will become simpler to learn or speak, and will therefore continue to be embraced by both native and non-native speakers. In evaluation, it is evident that this morphological variation might dilute English, but it will not make it more superior than make it less popular. As such, by 2050, English will have grown bigger in terms of being a global language. Syntactic Changes International communication as fostered by globalisation and the internet has been creating new words which are being accepted as English words. In short, as time goes by, new English terms are being born. One of the most recent and interesting additions to the English dictionary is the word “twerk”. The word surfaced out of American pop star Miley Cyrus’ songs which she demonstrates a provocative dance style. There is a syntactic connection in the way the word “twerk” came into being. The most popular theory is that the ‘t’ was derived from words such as twitch or twist, and the ‘werk’ was condensed from the phrase “work it” which is used to encourage dancers during practice (Associated Press, 2013). In combining the two, the word “twerk” came into being, and is now a recognized English word. Other words such as “selfie”are also headed down the same path.In this revelation, it is clear that as time progresses, new English words are being born rather than the existing ones dying. As such, it is likelier that English will still retain its title as a global language in 2050 [and even beyond] since thousands of new English words will have emerged. Collectively, the syntactic and lexical aspects of English contribute to the upholding of English as a global language. This is evident in that if modern English was compared to Old English, it is obvious that the modern English would have extra words in it. However, authentic English words from the [original] Anglo-Saxon English still remain in the language (Brackmann, 2012). Additionally, Anglo-Saxon English has not rejected modern English because it has coined or borrowed new words. Based on the fact that thousands of years have passed and the connection still exists, then it means English will continue borrowing or creating new words until 2050 and beyond, and these will not make it anything less than English. Therefore, the English language will continue to grow, and come 2050, it will be bigger and better, thus firmly planted as a global language. Phonological Changes Sound change, as a phonological process, acts both as a supporting and limiting factor in predicting the future of English. This is because depending on the style of sound change applied, phrases or words may be restricted or accepted in some scenarios. However, whether restriction or acceptance occurs, it does not mean that word or phrase will never be incorporated into English. Any form of language change is a socially-motivated process, and if the people decide that a certain form is acceptable, then their wish is granted (Labov, 1990). Better put, words such as “gonna” and “wanna” replace the phrases “going to”, and “want to” respectively. In as much as they are acceptable (mostly in speech), they are only allowed in casual settings and restricted in formal settings. The limitation aspect means that language change may occur at some point, and if such trends were to go viral, English would be stagnant and might potentially die off. In this case, it would lose its ranking as a global language. However, if the use of such contractions comes to be accepted by all English users, then the ascending popularity of English as 2050 nears will not be deterred. Therefore, depending on its style, sound change may further or deter the popularity of English with time. Conclusion In conclusion, this prediction study shows that English language will retain its title as a global language into 2050 and probably beyond. This observation has been condensed from the evaluations based on the four key variations of dialect which are the lexical, morphological, phonological, and syntactic aspects. These changes, as revealed, assure English of its survival into the future in that rather than fade, globalisation will provide grounds for growth rather than limit it. Social networks contribute to coining of new words, international communication allows borrowing of words, society accepts change of sounds, and new word structures are being invented as time progresses. In addition, the history of the path that Anglo-Saxon English followed into modern English is being repeated; further assuring English of its survival into the future of 2050 and beyond. More importantly, the chances of English playing second fiddle to any other language are slim and are outweighed by its promises of retaining its dominance as a global language. Bibliography Associated Press.(2013). “‘Twerk’ ‘Selfie’ Added to Oxford Dictionary.” Fox News. Retrieved on20 March, 2015 from http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/08/28/twerk-selfie-added-to-oxford-dictionary/ Barber, L. (1994).Watching English culture: An Introduction to the Study of Linguistic change in Standard Englishes in the Twenthieth Century. New York: Longman Publishing. Brackmann, R.(2012).The Elizabethan Invention of Anglo-Saxon England: Laurence Nowell, William Lambarde, and the Study of Old English. Crystal, D.(2000).“The Future of English as a World Language.”World Language.1-7. Labov, W. (1990).“The Intersection of Sex and Social Class in the course of Linguistic Change.”Language Variation and Change 2 (2): 205-254. Perez-Sabater, C. (2012). “The Linguistics of Social Networking: A Study of Writing conventions on Facebook.” Linguistik Online 56 (1).Retrieved on 20 March, 2015 fromhttp://www.linguistik-online.org/56_12/perez-sabater.html [20 March, 2015]. Read More