english has become a second language in countries like india

Far fewer K-12 students in the U.S. participate in foreign language education than in Europe. Throughout all 50 states and the District of Columbia, 20% of K-12 students are enrolled in foreign language classes, according to a 2017 report from the nonprofit American Councils for International Education.. Many European countries mandate that students study more than one foreign language, so In some countries, nearly everybody is bilingual or multilingual. In parts of India, for example, a small child usually knows several languages. In many European countries, children are encouraged to learn a second language - typically English. The second is a categorization of the Official Recognition given to a language within the country. The EGIDS consists of 13 levels with each higher number on the scale representing a greater level of disruption to the intergenerational transmission of the language. Table 1 provides summary definitions of the 13 levels of the EGIDS. Table 1. India is part of the continent of Asia. Most of India forms a peninsula, which means it is surrounded by water on three sides. The world's highest mountain range, the Himalaya, rises in the north. The southeast is bordered by the Bay of Bengal, and the southwest is bordered by the Arabian Sea. India's terrain varies widely, from the Thar Desert Pidgin is a version of the language that arises when users of two different languages create an in-between language that eases communication. Words and grammatical forms of either language are adopted into use and a pidgin is formed. This is usually a second language and is used only when speakers who know the pidgin version needed to communicate. Teaching English and Language Arts. In elementary school, language arts classes focus on basic reading, writing and linguistic / communication skills. Periods of silent sustained reading, cursive writing, syntax, thematic writing and vocabulary are all major focal points of elementary lessons. Through these exercises, children are expected to Ever since the US colonized Puerto Rico after winning the Spanish-American war (note the absence of Puerto Rico, or Cuba, in the name of the war), the official languages on the island became Spanish and, of course, English. Today, English is the third most spoken language in the world and tops the list of second languages. The benefits of having more culturally aware students are numerous, and the effects are immeasurable. Learning a second language allows cross-cultural communication, and opens the door to an entire network of people that a person might not have had contact with before. It allows for an exchange for cultural norms and practices, furthering one freeftendegarb1987. Multilingual And English As A Second Language Education In Formerly Colonized Nations In the United States, many people struggle with the idea of learning more than one language. Multilingual education is not a focus in the US, and is not seen as the necessity that it is in many other nations. Meanwhile, in former British colonies such as India, South Africa, and Nigeria; multilingual education allows people to keep a bond to their cultures while also serving as a uniting voice. Each of these regions has their own way of handling this education, and their own reasons why they approach multilingualism in the way they do. The unifying fact is that multilingualism is an important part of their education, cultural preservation, and economic progress. Why Is Multilingual Education Important? All of these nations have a shared history of being British colonies. As such, English many times became a language of both economic survival and necessity. English was declared to be the official languages of these countries, or would be declared bi-lingual with the dominant national language co-existing with English. In order to do business or participate in civic actions, you would have to be able to speak both languages in some capacity. Education systems were designed to teach a bi-lingual population, however in many cases this was limited only to the upper and upper middle classes. The lower classes were in many cases denied these opportunities as a matter of station, education was out of reach and so they only knew their local language with any fluency. This, of course, only served to stratify the class divide and benefited the wealthy and colonizers more than anyone. As time went on, each of these nations gained independence or had a transfer of power of some kind, and as such they faced the question of the future of their multilingual education. They each took different yet similar approaches that we will be taking a look at in this article. We will also be looking at the history of multilingualism in these regions and why it can be a cultural necessity as Encore!!! app is a tool that is developed to facilitate multilingual education, as such, we are very interested in taking a look at the different approaches and lessons that can be learned worldwide. We also want to see what lessons can be learned from these countries’ experiences. Multilingualism In India We are starting off by looking at the largest of these countries by population India. In India today the official languages are Hindi and English, and over 26% of the population is bilingual. Languages in India are complex, with 122 major languages and 1369 “rationalized mother tongues”. The Constitution of India recognizes 22 official regional languages as of 2011. The individual states of India are divided based on languages and social lines in most cases, and they can legislate their own official languages. This has some interesting effects where some regions have chosen minority languages as their official languages. The History Of English As A Second Language In India The history of the colonization of India is much too long of a story to address fully here. A shortened version of the story will say that many European nations made their way across the region looking to control trade, and after a long struggle with the Dutch, Britain ultimately laid claim to the nation. In 1858 India came under direct control of the British crown. English came as a language earlier with the East India Company, and as the era of British Crown rule began, schools across the country had been established that taught English as a main language. When India gained independence in 1947, the only common language across India was English. In the attempts to shake off the effects of colonization, attempts were made to make Hindi the sole national language. However, many of the states did not speak Hindi and it was decided that English would be temporarily retained as a second language. That temporary retention has moved to a more permanent status as English has had a change in its perception from colonizing language to a means for economic progress. Multilingual Education In India India has had an educational policy of trilingual learning since 1968. This policy means that in schools students are taught in their regional state language and have to study Hindi or English for their full education, as well as either a modern Indian language or a foriegn language for three to five years. This however does not always work in practice, and many English language schools teach a more English only education. Unfortunately, education is still restricted in many ways to the more elite in India. While compulsory education is provided to children from ages 6-14, many public schools are severely underfunded and private schools dominate the landscape in some areas. Meanwhile, in rural communities, educational completion rates are lower as well as the literacy rates. Currently, educational policy planning is looking towards focusing on teaching children in their mother tongue. As schools that teach in English only have trouble with most parents not being able to speak English. The divide between what a student speaks at home versus school causes problems with comprehension. The new focus on multilingual education can serve to help more students learn in a nation that has retained a resistance to a single common language. Focusing on teaching in the mother tongue of the student while they establish cognitive abilities, will help them to learn English and other languages better in later years. Multilingualism In Nigeria Nigeria’s official language is English and it is spoken as a second language by 60 million of the nation’s 200 million people. Along with English there are over 525 native spoken languages in Nigeria. English is a more popular language in the urban centers of the country, as it is a major force in global business and trade. Meanwhile, rural areas tend to use their ethnic / regional languages as a dominant language. Multilingualism has a more mixed perception in Nigeria than in some other countries. There are divides in perception with some feeling that the growing dominance of English is bad for the local languages and cultures, with another side of the discussion seeing multilingualism as fueling regional conflicts due to a lingual divide and arguing for a further assimilation into a national language such as Nigerian English. The History Of English As A Second Language In Nigeria Nigeria was formally colonized by the British Crown in 1900, though that was after 200 years of increasing British influence on the region. In 1960, Nigeria gained its independence from the crown and English was established as the official language of the country. Nigerian English has become a nativized form of English and it has some unique elements that separates it from the British English from which it originated. Nigerian English has its own sets of grammatical, pronunciation, and spelling rules. It also has its own variations and levels of usage based on region and education. Multilingual Education In Nigeria The educational system in Nigeria has many of the same issues as India. Economic and social divides mean that poor students and those in rural areas do not have the same educational prospects as those from wealthier urbanized families. English is the official language and is used in business, entertainment, and is the dominant language in education; especially in higher education. However, a renewed look at how students learn is resulting in a discussion about students learning better when being taught in their native languages. This is resulting in policy discussions similar to India, where local languages are being seen as a link to better understanding and education. Multilingualism In South Africa South Africa has 35 indigenous languages of which 10 are considered official languages. English is the 11th and primary official language when it comes to governmental participation. English is only the 4th most common language in the country, spoken by just under 10% of the population; however it is the dominant language in government and media. Zulu, Xhosa, and Afrikaans are the three most spoken languages. The History Of English As A Second Language In South Africa The original colonizers of South Africa were Dutch, and eventually their language became Afrikaans. However in the 1800’s, the British took control of the area and proclaimed English as a national language. The history of the languages of South Africa is the story of colonization, slavery, apartheid, oppression, and the struggles of its people. South African English is a variety of English spoken in the area, and it has closer ties to British English than a nativized counterpart like Nigerian English. This variety has its own sub varieties that, much like the history of the nation itself, is divided along class and racial lines. Multilingual Education In South Africa In South African schools, English is the preferred and primary language. This has been influenced heavily by parents and public perception that an English focused education is superior. Much like in the discussions for the previous countries, there is an abundance of policymakers looking at the research and understanding that education that starts in a student’s home language provides greater understanding and results. This could also help counter the growing concerns of speakers of languages such as Bantu, who are concerned about the loss of their language to English. Multilingual education is also increasing in popularity in higher education as well. Knowing that students need to be able to move into the world and communicate with people who do not speak English in their communities, as well as using the same research about students connecting with material in their home language, universities are encouraging this continued cultural connection. Encore!!! And Multilingual Education The Encore!!! app operates in much the same way as the educational plans that these countries are looking towards. When you are learning and relating via your home L1 language, you can much easier learn a second L2 language. As our world becomes more connected, the ability to be multilingual will become more and more important. While English is currently a dominant language in trade and international politics, other languages are starting to increase in power as well. Learning to communicate in more languages will help everyone participate in the global economy. At the same time, Encore can also help people to learn regional languages and communicate with people who do not speak English as fluently or even just allow people to connect with their own cultures better. Conclusion Multilingual education is increasing around the world. In many countries that were once English colonies, this means developing a better relationship with native languages as well as increasing education in English. Research shows that the connection between the two is strong, and focusing on a monolingual education in a place with diverse languages has more negative effects than positive. Many of these lessons are also applicable in the United States and Canada too. Pressures for immigrants to shed their native languages, and ESL classes that focus on only teaching English do not properly connect with students. Connecting with our cultures and home languages can help keep indigeonous languages alive, while also helping us to communicate with more people. English as a second language is it really useful? Is it hard to learn? Lingoda breaks it down for you! Why English? There are many good reasons to learn English as second language. There are more than 6,000 different languages spoken all over the world, but English is and will continue to be a common means of communication for speakers of all languages. According to the most recent statistics, English is the mother tongue of more than 375 million people. English is the official language in 54 countries that cover Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Australasia, and which include countries as diverse as New Zealand, South Africa, Belize, India, Malta, and Singapore. This means that English is a truly universal language that makes communication across the globe easy and convenient. In addition, English is the world’s most popular second language choice. The British Council estimates that more than 1 billion people are learning English as a second language at any given time. English is taught at school as a second language in hundreds of countries all over the world, from France to Thailand, Israel to Malaysia, in Sweden, China, and in many other countries. Because English is taught all over the world, you will never feel alone during your learning process, and it will be very easy to find other English learners who can share their experiences with you during your wonderful journey through the world of ESL. Difficulties for English Learners So you have decided to learn English as second language. Are you afraid of making mistakes? If you are, don’t let your fears become an obstacle and stop you from achieving your goals. You’re not alone Language learners often make mistakes because they are influenced by their native language. The best strategy is to become familiar with the most common difficulties that you face when learning English as second language. This will help you avoid them and develop successful learning patterns. Pronunciation problemsDo you feel frustrated every time you try to communicate in English and people fail to understand you? It’s possible that you are pronouncing certain sounds incorrectly. For example, English vowel sounds are notoriously difficult to master for speakers of languages like Spanish or Italian. Why? There are only 5 vowel sounds in Spanish, but there can be up to 20 vowel sounds in English. Chinese speakers may have problems pronouncing the different “r” sounds in English, and Arabic speakers find it difficult to pronounce the “p” sound, as it doesn’t exist in their mother tongue. Syntax and grammarMany learners transfer the grammatical patterns of their first language into English. For example, many Asian languages do not use articles a, an, the, which results in incorrect sentences like “My mother is doctor”. Spanish speakers might translate directly from Spanish into English and say things like “I have 20 years old”. French speakers may have problems with word order and construct incorrect sentences like “I play sometimes football” or “he is your brother?”. Problems with vocabularyThe incorrect use of vocabulary is another common challenge. English has dozens of “false friends’ Words that are similar in your mother tongue and in English but which mean different things. For example, “piles” means batteries in French and the word also exists in English, but it doesn’t mean batteries at all it actually means hemorrhoids. Spanish speakers might misuse the word “sympathetic” which means compassionate in English, thinking that it means the same as the Spanish word “simpatico” friendly. At Lingoda we believe that difficulties are opportunities to learn and we can help you improve your English language skills with our interactive learning methods and experienced native teachers. Benefits of Learning English as a Second Language Learning English as a second language could be one of the best decisions that you ever make. Being fluent in English can help you in many ways, whether you are planning to travel, study in an English-speaking country, emigrate, or improve your career prospects. Think about the following English is the most popular language on the Internet. In 2010, the world wide web had more than 536 million English-speaking users. Nearly billion websites are available in English. Approximately 66 per cent of the world’s scientists and researchers use English as a second language. Twenty-five per cent of the world’s population speak English at basic-intermediate level. You simply can’t get into some professions unless you are competent in English. Some of these professions include air traffic controller, the diplomatic sector, and some jobs in the computing or information technology industry. If you want to live and work in an English-speaking country, immigration authorities will ask that you have a certificate that proves your English language skills. To sum up, we live in a globalised world where only competent English speakers have the best opportunities to progress and get ahead in their personal and professional lives. Ready to start learning with Lingoda? Other Resources to help you learn English Have a look at these contents deep dive in the English culture and discover all the English Speaking Countries; have a look at these charts about the English greetings; here you can find a breakdown of all the required skills for you to achieve A1 level in English. Have a look at our Blog, you’ll find lots of posts about the benefits of mastering the English language! Are you a Native Spanish Speaker? Or are looking specifically for American English courses? Check them now! Map of English speaking countries. Sulez raz / Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike International Updated on August 12, 2019 The English language developed in Europe in the middle ages. It was named after a Germanic tribe, the Angles, that migrated to England. The language has been developing for over a thousand years. While its roots are Germanic, the language has adopted many words that originated in other languages. With words from many different languages making their way into the modern English lexicon as well. French and Latin are two languages that had a large impact on modern English. Countries Where English Is an Official Language Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Australia Bahamas Barbados Belize Bermuda Botswana The British Virgin Islands Cameroon Canada except Quebec Cayman Islands Dominica England Fiji Gambia Ghana Gibraltar Grenada Guyana Ireland, Northern Ireland, Republic of Jamaica Kenya Lesotho Liberia Malawi Malta Mauritius Montserrat Namibia New Zeland Nigeria Papua New Guinea St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent and the Grenadines Scotland Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Solomon Islands South Africa Swaziland Tanzania Tonga Trinidad and Tobago The Turks and Caicos Islands Uganda United Kingdom Vanuatu Wales Zambia Zimbabwe Why English Is Not the Official Language of the United States Even when the United States was made up of various colonies, multiple languages were commonly spoken. While most colonies were under British rule, immigrants from all over Europe chose to make "the New World" their home. For this reason, during the first Continental Congress, it was decided that no official language would be chosen. Today many think declaring an official National language could violate the first amendment, but this has been untested in the courts. Thirty-one states have chosen to make it the official state language. English may not be the official language of the United States, but it is the most widely spoken language in the country, with Spanish as the second most common language. How English Became a Global Language A global language is one that is spoken by millions of people around the globe. English is one of these languages. But as an ESL student will tell you, English is one of the hardest languages to master. The sheer size of the language and its many linguistic oddities, like irregular verbs, can be challenging for students. So how did English become one of the most commonly spoken languages in the world? After World War II, technological and medical advances in English speaking nations made the language a popular second choice for many students. As international trade grew larger each year, the need for a common language also grew. The ability to communicate with clients all over the world is a valuable asset in a global economy. Parents, hoping to give their children a leg up in the business world, also pushed their children to learn the language. This helped propel English towards being a global language. The Language of Travelers When traveling the globe, it's worth noting that there are few places in the world where a little English won't help you out. While it's always nice to learn some of the language of the country you're visiting, having a shared common language to fall back on is great. It allows speakers to feel like they are a part of the global community.