Conclusion

To conclude the paper, I would like to say that the English provides a vehicular language for international communication; it simultaneously finds itself acting as a language of identity for larger numbers of people around the world. L1 speakers of English will soon form a minority group but the EFL speakers will increase in numbers 100 millions to 400 millions by the year 2050. Local communication on the Internet is expected to grow significantly, this, and the increasing use of email for social and family communication, will encourage the use of a wider variety of English language. The indications are that English will enjoy a special position in the multilingual society of the 21 century: it will be the only language to appear in the language mix in every part of the world. Satellite technology has been regarded as a major driver of global English. National networks such as Star TV, MTV, CNN, in English speaking countries will continue to establish operations in other parts of the world, but their programming policies will may emphasise local programme. Such language technologies, widely available, may significantly reduce the need for learning English for the casual user, although the English language will provide a reliable means of communication between speakers of different languages. Yesterday it was the world’s poor who were multilingual; tomorrow it will also be the global elite. So we must not be hypnotised by the fact that this elite will speak English: the more significant fact may be that, unlike the majority of present-day native English speakers, they will also speak at least one other language – probably more fluently and with greater cultural loyalty. I would like to conclude this paper with the lines of the David Crystal who suggested that:

“It may well be the case…that the English language has already grown to be independent of any form of social control. There may be a critical number or critical distribution of speakers (analogous to the notion of critical mass in nuclear physics) beyond which it proves impossible for any single group or alliance to stop its growth, or even influence its future. If there were to be a major social change in Britain, which affected the use of English there, would this have any real effect on the world trend? It is unlikely.”