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Analyzing and Synthesizing Ideas

When one hears the word ‘evolution,’ they probably think of a monkey becoming man.

We could even get images of our favorite Pokémon in mind, but evolution applies to languages

also. If we traveled in time about a hundred years ago, the results would surprise us even after

the vast technological and online content we can learn from. We would realize that the language

we speak today is very different from that of our ancestors. This brief assignment will focus on

the analysis and synthesis of two different but somewhat similar approaches to understand how

language is being evolved over time and what impact it has generated to the population who use

a particular language, in this case, the language of William Shakespeare which is English

(Aijmer).

The first perspective of the evolving language is of John McWhorter in ‘Texting is killing

language. JK!!!’ who spoke at Ted talks a platform where intellectual ideas are shared with an

equally intellectual audience. John highlights that the current generation uses cell phones and

writes messages that are different from written English. The difference is that these youngsters

write texts as they would have spoken with each other but through their cell phones and not face

to face. The concept of this type of communication is realized after we received the technology

to do so. Otherwise, written English would still be based on the traditional written style which
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has been in practice for decades and centuries. The perspective of John is to clarify that language

is not restricted to writing styles but it more focuses on oral exchange and the purpose of the

language is to communicate which will further evolve with time (McWhorter).

The second perspective regarding the evolution of the English language is taken from

Jamila Lyiscott in ‘3 ways to speak English’. Jamila also spoke at a Ted event, and she focuses

that today being trilingual is a norm for her. However, she emphasizes that her native language

was forced and changed so that she could speak English to be socially acceptable. Whereas she

could have used her native language instead, this perspective sheds light on social and

psychological needs of an individual to conform with their needs to receive recognition and a

sense of individuality which was being forced to her being an African American and not

European or British English speaker. Jamila highlights that the language she wants use may not

be appropriate for some audiences, but then again the people that use other languages may not be

comfortable for her either. This way the language barrier in social context becomes vague as

Jamila is able to speak in three different ways which include her family, her classroom and her

friends (Lyiscott).

Today the modern English language has been evolved to a new type of universal

language that can be used in the technological front as well as social or personalized manner with

a global audience.

Before being called ‘English,’ the language was known as the Anglo-Saxon language.

This is the oldest known form. The vocabulary was much smaller, and there were not so many

words from other languages. Similarly, it was much easier to pronounce as it was pronounced as

it was read. For example, the word for a knife would be with K not being a silent knife.
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Currently, this word is pronounced without the letter ‘k.’ The Anglo-Saxons did pronounce it.

The language has changed so much that if we listen to this version, it would be impossible to

understand for our ancestors. Over time, English was adapting words from other languages.

French has contributed many words to this language. Words like fiancée for a fiancée or résumé

for a resume. In this stage, the works of William Shakespeare were created, which also invented

new words like champion or gossip without him there would not be Gossip Girl.

In this stage, new territories were discovered, and the language grew. This evolution was

thanks to the new words that were adapted from these new places where it arrived. What is

spoken today is known as modern English, but do not get too attached to the term. The English

we learn already includes words like facebook or texting. Using these words fifty years ago

would be incomprehensible. It has adopted much vocabulary from around the world, and it is

expected that this trend will only continue. Maybe the English that our children speak will be a

language with even creative words. The languages will never stop changing. They will continue

to respond to the needs of the people who use it. They are constantly evolving, and they do not

have until when to stop. However, this does not mean that if you learn them now, then you will

not be able to use them in the future.

'Ebonics' is, the dialect used by a large part of the black population of the United States

and that, literally, no one understands it. It is a dialect that has its origins in the era of slavery.

The captives were bought in Africa from the wholesalers who were also Africans and shipped

them to America. Thus, people of different ethnic groups were forced to live on ships and

plantations. At the same time, it was forbidden to teach the slaves to read or write. The result was

that this community developed its own dialect. Moreover, that is where the Ebonics was born.

The arrival of the civil rights movement in the sixties in some cases turned the Ebonics into a
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source of pride. A synonym of marginalization and delinquency and, in some cases, of self-

marginalization and racism towards other communities, such as whites, Jews, immigrant

Africans, Asians and Caribbean which is equivalent to saying against the rest of the US

population (Olding).

However, when the civil rights were recognized the mixed culture had to use a mutually

understandable language which happened to be English. In this context, the expertise or being

articulate in the language was not possible or likable for all. Since the British settlers were native

English speakers and the Europeans were close to their racial and ethnic background they

became better at it. While the other races were not that comfortable with English being their

primary language. So the result was the incoherent or broken English language by other races

which became a tool for racial inequality and was used against the people who could not speak

good or articulated English language. This concept became a phenomenon when the African

American settlers were forced to conform to social pressure and were almost forced to learn the

language rather than using their own native language.

England turned into the pioneer ace of the known universe or planet Earth when the

spread of English truly started to build the pace. Toward the start of the twentieth century,

Britain had built up a supreme power over in excess of a fourth of the world from Asia to Africa

and in excess of four hundred million new British subjects. Notwithstanding spreading the

English language all over the place, this prompted the improvement of many nearby forms and

tongues of the English language and carried with it all the more new words. The word grill, for

instance, originates from the Caribbean, while zombie was received from Africa. The quick

spread of the language was an issue: how might we guarantee that the language stays coherent

crosswise over fringes? The authoritative manual for the language, known as the Oxford English
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Dictionary, was first distributed in 1884, with an institutionalized spelling that guaranteed that

English speakers from everywhere throughout the world could see one another (or if nothing else

attempt) (Ammon).

The twentieth century was characterized by a radical change in technologies in addition

to the world wars that marked historical traces dragged to the present as immigration, the

definition of new world powers and the language we learn as a second language. After the

Second World War, Europe had been devastated and inserted in the process of reconstruction

that implied economic hardships and weakening of its influence in the world. The United States

rose as a world leader expanding commercially to take care of the businesses and supplies that

Europe could not offer. American businesses expanded the world forcing international

companies to learn their language to generate opportunities in a market that promised growth.

His immense musical, television and film production at this time, spread throughout the world as

an optimistic message after a black period (Ning).

The English invaded the cinemas, the theaters, the discotheques and the homes that

incorporated the American culture as their own. The blinding Hollywood brightness coupled

with punk and hippie movements is other causes that positioned the English on his throne. Many

wonders if the French will avenge their past and return to be the world language if the Chinese

will displace the English by the number of people who speak it and its growing trade or even if

Spanish will dominate when Latin America sees the sun. Although the eternal permanence of

English as a second language cannot be guaranteed, it is possible that decades will pass until

changes in this aspect are approached, if that happens. For the moment, English will continue to

dominate all human spheres because the technological production of the United States - which

moves the world - is unattainable for most of the countries that can compete with it (Lecocq).
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The most emblematic example is the birth of the Internet that is invading every corner of

our daily lives, and the advances are given in this language, so that programmers must manage it

to keep abreast, transferring to the user in some points. The potential to find or improve

employment, expand knowledge and generally talk to more people around the world improve

when you are able to speak English. Most software, operating systems, websites, and programs

are written in English. With technology playing an increasingly important role in our lives,

speaking English will be increasingly important. At this moment, English is an almost essential

language nowadays. With the impact that the English language as of now has everywhere

throughout the world, it is anything but difficult to see English turning into the worldwide

language (Basheer Nomads).

As of late individuals are starting to understand the effect that English is having on the

world and on our lives. It is being figured out how to discuss better with the vast majority of the

world — as of now not learning English can be an obstruction to work, travel, and training. In a

company with international projection will always have more opportunity that reaches a higher

level of English, because they will send you to close businesses in different countries as

corporate representation and will be in charge of projects that link countries? Even if we travel to

another country for tourism, we try to communicate in English because we assume that some of

the people around us in that unknown place will be able to interpret the sound. Internet searches,

whether scientific or leisure, also yield better results when we use words in English because the

best quality information is translated into this language to internationalize it (Basheer Nomads).

English has made its impact on the world in both a positive way and a negative way as

well, comfortable communication among people and businesses. However, the psychological

trauma for the people who cannot speak English is also evident in the racist behaviors around the
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world and not only restricted in the West. Nevertheless, the best institution of higher education in

the world are found in countries that speak English and are highly coveted to study in them.

English is often used to cater to wealthy tourists who bring large amounts of money to a

country's economy or to improve relations between countries. The significance of the English

language is undeniable, but it must be kept in mind that English itself has become a mixture or

global languages as many words which were alien before are now part of the English vocabulary.

So it will not be wrong to say that English no longer belongs to geographic region.
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Work Cited

Aijmer, Karin. "The Evolution Of Pragmatic Markers In English: Pathways Of Change By

Laurel J. Brinton". Language, vol 94, no. 4, 2018, pp. 976-978. Project Muse,

doi:10.1353/lan.2018.0058.

Ammon, Ulrich. "English Next. Why Global English May Mean The End Of 'English As A

Foreign Language.'". Language Problems & Language Planning, vol 32, no. 2, 2008, pp.

203-207. John Benjamins Publishing Company, doi:10.1075/lplp.32.1.08amm.

Basheer Nomass, Bassma. "The Impact Of Using Technology In Teaching English As A Second

Language". English Language And Literature Studies, vol 3, no. 1, 2013. Canadian

Center Of Science And Education, doi:10.5539/ells.v3n1p111.

Lecocq, Claire. "Technology And English Language Learners: Can Digital Technology Enhance

The English Language Learning Experience?". Mount Royal Undergraduate Education

Review, vol 1, no. 3, 2015. University Of Alberta Libraries, doi:10.29173/mruer310.

Lyiscott, Jamila. "3 Ways To Speak English". Ted.Com, 2019,

https://www.ted.com/talks/jamila_lyiscott_3_ways_to_speak_english?language=en#t-

253194.

McWhorter, John. "Transcript Of "Txtng Is Killing Language. JK!!!"". Ted.Com, 2019,

https://www.ted.com/talks/john_mcwhorter_txtng_is_killing_language_jk/transcript?lang

uage=en#t-810376.

Ning, Huiping. "The Impact Of Cooperative Learning On English As A Foreign Language

Tertiary Learners' Social Skills". Social Behavior And Personality: An International

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Journal, vol 41, no. 4, 2013, pp. 557-567. Scientific Journal Publishers Ltd,

doi:10.2224/sbp.2013.41.4.557.

Olding, Lisa. "Racism And English Language Learning: Employing An Anti-Racist Approach

To English As An Additional Language Education". SFU Educational Review, vol 9,

2017. Simon Fraser University Library, doi:10.21810/sfuer.v9i.310.