ENGLISH AS A GLOBAL LANGUAGE
David Crystal
O inglês é a língua mais difundida no mundo contemporâneo, o que motivou que lhe fosse dada a qualificação de Língua Global. Para abordar as razões históricas – sobretudo político-econômicos e não linguísticas, como poderíamos esperar – pelas quais o inglês foi alçado essa condição, apresentamos o seguinte excerto do livro “English as a Global Language”, de David Crystal:
What makes a global language? Why a language becomes a global language has little to do with the number of people who speak it. It is much more to do with who those speakers are. [..]
It is often suggested, for example, that there must be something inherently beautiful or logical about the structure of English, in order to explain why it is now so widely used. ‘It has less grammar than other languages’, some have suggested. ‘English doesn’t have a lot of endings on its words, nor do we have to remember the difference between masculine, feminine, and neuter gender, so it must be easier to learn’.
A language does not become a global language because of its intrinsic structural properties, or because of the size of its vocabulary, or because it has been a vehicle of a great literature in the past, or because it was once associated with a great culture or religion. [...] A language has traditionally become an international language for one chief reason: the power of its people – especially their political and military power. The explanation is the same throughout history.
Why did Greek become a language of international communication in the Middle East over 2,000 years ago? Not because of the intellects of Plato and Aristotle: the answer lies in the swords and spears wielded by the armies of Alexander the Great. Why did Latin become known throughout Europe? [...] Why did Spanish, Portuguese, and French find their way into the Americas, Africa and the Far East? [...]
The history of a global language can be traced through the successful expeditions of its soldier and sailors. And English has been no exception.
No vídeo a seguir, você pode conferir o próprio David Crystal falando sobre a questão: