ENGLISH AS AN INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE

English is the native language for more than 300 million people on our earth. But nowadays it is widely used not only in those countries where it is a first language. A lot of countries (such as China, Russia, Thailand and many others) have recognized the importance of this language recently as an international means of communication. English is taught in all schools and colleges there. In Russia itself English is gathering pace as a popular second language.

There are also some countries (such as India, Singapore, Pakistan, the Philippines and some African countries) where English is an official second language and it is often used in mass media, courts, parliaments and universities.

Today English is used almost everywhere. It is the language of banking and industry, computers and trade, technology and science. English as an international language helps people of different nationalities from around the world discuss politics or arrange business meetings. For example, German and Italian businessmen can choose English as their mutual language of communication.

More and more people from non-English speaking countries start learning the language and using it in their daily life, business and travelling. Tourism development has contributed much to English becoming the universal means of communication. However some linguists hold the opinion that the globalization of English as an international language can be quite harmful for the language itself because foreign speakers greatly influence its grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary.