Masaryk University English As a Lingua Franca Used at International
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Masaryk University Faculty of Education Department of English Language and Literature English as a Lingua Franca Used at International Meetings Bachelor Thesis Brno 2015 Supervisor: Written by: Mgr. Jana Zerzová, M.A., Ph.D. Jana Baran čicová Prohlášení Prohlašuji, že jsem bakalá řskou práci vypracovala samostatn ě, s využitím pouze citovaných literárních pramen ů, dalších informací a zdroj ů v souladu s Disciplinárním řádem pro studenty Pedagogické fakulty Masarykovy univerzity a se zákonem č. 121/2000 Sb., o právu autorském, o právech souvisejících s právem autorským a o zm ěně n ěkterých zákon ů (autorský zákon), ve zn ění pozd ějších p ředpis ů. V Brn ě dne 5. b řezna 2015 Jana Baran čicová Acknowledgements I would like to thank Mgr. Jana Zerzová, M.A., Ph.D. for her kind supervision and valuable advice she provided to me during my work on this bachelor thesis and to my foreign colleagues without whose help it would not have been possible to write the practical part. Table of Contents Introduction .........................................................................................................1 Theoretical Part...................................................................................................2 1. Position of English...........................................................................................2 1.1 Historical Overview ......................................................................................................... 2 1.1.1 How it Began............................................................................................................. 2 1.1.2 Base for the Future Global Language ....................................................................... 4 1.1.3 Next Step on the Way to Global Language............................................................... 5 1.2 Reasons for a Global Language ....................................................................................... 5 1.2.1 English in International Organisations...................................................................... 6 1.2.2 English in International Trade................................................................................... 6 1.2.3 English in Scientific World....................................................................................... 7 1.2.4 English in the Media ................................................................................................. 7 1.2.5 English in the Tourists’ World.................................................................................. 8 1.2.6 English in the Air and on the Seas and Oceans......................................................... 9 1.2.7 English in the Computer World ................................................................................ 9 1.2.8 English and Education............................................................................................. 10 2. English as a Lingua Franca..........................................................................10 2.1 Defining the Terms......................................................................................................... 10 2.2 English as a Global Language........................................................................................ 11 2.3 English as an International Language ............................................................................ 12 2.4 English as a Lingua Franca ............................................................................................ 12 2.4.1 A Lingua Franca in General.................................................................................... 12 2.4.2 Defining English as a Lingua Franca ...................................................................... 13 2.4.3 English as a Lingua Franca versus English as a Foreign Language........................ 15 3. Describing ELF..............................................................................................17 3.1 General Description........................................................................................................ 17 3.2 Linguistic Description.................................................................................................... 18 3.2.1 Phonology................................................................................................................ 18 3.2.2 Lexicogrammar ....................................................................................................... 20 3.2.3 Pragmatics ............................................................................................................... 23 3.2.4 Written Language.................................................................................................... 23 3.3 Summary ........................................................................................................................ 24 4. Future of English...........................................................................................25 Practical Part .....................................................................................................27 5. English Used at International Meetings......................................................27 6. Description of the Survey .............................................................................29 7. Non-Native Speakers.....................................................................................30 7.1 General questions ........................................................................................................... 30 7.1.1 Mother Tongue and Foreign Languages ................................................................. 30 7.1.2 Requirement to Prove One’s Knowledge................................................................ 31 7.1.3 Real Knowledge of English..................................................................................... 33 7.1.4 Differences in English among Nations.................................................................... 35 7.2 Questions Related to International Meetings ................................................................. 37 8. Native Speakers .............................................................................................40 8.1 Do Mistakes Matter? ...................................................................................................... 40 8.2 Should Native Speakers Adapt?..................................................................................... 42 8.2.1 Adapting in General ................................................................................................ 42 8.2.2 Being “Too English”? ............................................................................................. 45 8.2.3 Is Training Necessary? ............................................................................................ 47 8.3 Attitude towards Lingua Franca..................................................................................... 49 Conclusion..........................................................................................................50 List of References ..............................................................................................51 Appendix 1 Questionnaire for non-native speakers..........................................i Appendix 2 Questionnaire for native speakers ................................................v Introduction The thesis deals with the use of English as a lingua franca. The aim of the theoretical part is to define the term English as a lingua franca. The thesis describes the process how English has become globally used and gives examples of areas where English is used as a common communication tool. It defines linguistic features of English used as a lingua franca in the areas of phonology, lexicogrammar and pragmatics and it also specifies how English as a lingua franca applies in written language. It explains the differences between English as a lingua franca and English as a foreign language. It also clarifies the terms “global” and “international” language. The practical part concentrates on the environment of international meetings where English is used as a lingua franca. The aim of the practical research done through a survey among members of a NATO working group is to find out how native and non-native speakers feel about English used as a lingua franca during international meetings and how these two groups of speakers see each other in multinational interaction. The chapters dealing with non-native speakers concentrate on the level of knowledge of English (both given by certificates and real knowledge) and on how native speakers cope with the English used during the meetings (whether they have problems with understanding or they sometimes get lost in a discussion or whether they sometimes decide not join it for language reasons). The chapters dealing with the views of English native speakers should establish what approach they have towards mistakes made by non-native speakers, whether native speakers should adjust the way they speak at international meetings and how they generally view the fact that their mother tongue is used all around the world. 1 Theoretical Part 1. Position of English English has a unique position in the world today. It has become a global language, a lingua franca. No other language has been in such a position as English is today, this can be represented by the number of speakers of this language. Graddol, for example, presents the following figures differentiating types of speakers