4/5 English as a Work Language

Preaction

How would your life be different if you did not know any English? Discuss in groups.

outnumbered utkonkurrert / konkurrert ut expanding her: voksende/veksande adapt tilpasse Why is English everywhere? Why not Chinese, Russian, German or even Norwegian? To understand the role of English as a global work language, we have to step back in time and study the timeline below. This illustrates how the language spread to almost every single corner of the world and thus became the most widely spoken language, the lingua franca of the world.

All kinds of Englishes The language circle illustrates how English comes in many forms. The native speakers in the inner circle are now outnumbered by non-native speakers. In the outer circle English is an official language in 98 countries and states alongside one or more other languages. In the expanding circle it has no historical or official role, but is used as a foreign language or lingua franca, like in Norway. Thus, it is natural that English will come in many different varieties.

There is not just one correct way to speak English. Most people do not speak standard British or American English; within these countries there are great differences in how people speak. As English spreads, people adapt it to make it their own.

EXPANDING CIRCLE OUTER CIRCLE N o h i storical or official role, but widely used as foreign language or lingua franca Multiling ua l coun t r i e s wi th E n gl i sh as official language and second language for many becaus e o f h i st ori cal easons INNER CIRCLE Native speakers IMPORTANT TERMS ● mother tongue / first language / native language ● second language ● foreign language ● official language ● lingua franca ● bilingual ● multilingual

r Vurderingseksemplar

15th–16th Century: Political and Military Power

British Empire brought English worldwide made English international

16th–17th Century: The Power of Science

Industrial Revolution → English as the language of twothirds of inventions → New manufacturing processes

19th Century: Economic Power

USA and UK financial markets of the world → English as the language of the two → greatest economic centers of the world

Therefore, it is important to be exposed to many different variants of English to be able to understand this multicultural world. Take your own English, for example: Do you speak “perfect British/American”? Or do you speak with an accent? Furthermore, what is more important: to understand and be understood or to sound “perfect”? When understanding is most important, perfection is not the top priority.

International English As a lingua franca, International English has developed into its own dialect of sorts – a neutral, global version. It is used by the UN and international organisations for air traffic control and in seafaring. Furthermore, it is used in international media, including the press and the entertainment, film and music industry; business and trade; and science, technology and academics.

Considering the wide variety of English that exists, is it still possible to claim that English is just one language?

English is everywhere Even if you plan to live and work in Norway, English will probably still be important to you. Four out of five industrial companies in Norway use English to some degree in their communication, and two out of ten use it as an official workplace language. According to a report by the Norwegian Language Council, the larger the company, the more likely it is to use English in some way.

So, how does this affect you? If you are unable to communicate in the language used at work, this means you are also unable to participate in the work of the company. Communication is vital to cooperation and the efficient performance of tasks, and without

"A language becomes a global language because of the power of the people who speak it."

David Crystal (2009)

ACTION

1 Discuss what do you think Crystal exposed to utsatt for / utsett for academics det akademiske miljøet claim påstå mutual gjensidig means by the quote above? 2 Watch “Global English with David Crystal” on YouTube. Discuss your answer to question 1 again and add information from the video if helpful. 3 In your own words, describe how the spread of English has led to its role as a world language today. Use the timeline for historic reference. 4 Will English still be the lingua franca of the future? Discuss and give reasons for your answer. Draw up the 2070 English language circle.Vurderingseksemplar interactions samhandling

20th Century: Cultural Power

USA as superpower → helped keep English as world language → English as the language of modern inventions, such as the entertainment industry, the World Wide Web,

Apple and Facebook

21st Century: Communicative Global Power

English as the world language → Technology has connected the world into a global system with the need for a mutual global language → English as the global lingua franca and main language of global trade, business and cultural interactions

Find a recording of Jens Stoltenberg speaking English. Discuss his accent and vocabulary. What do you notice most about his English?

ACTION

a way to communicate, you will simply be left out. If you take a look at current job ads, you will notice that a majority of them require English skills. Mastering English will increase your chances of getting the job you want and of succeeding in it once you have it. There is, however, a point to be made for workers having both Norwegian and English skills. Foreign workers coming to Norway are, to some degree, expected to communicate and function in Norwegian. Surveys have shown that having one common language increases morale and productivity at work, and it is natural to assume that this language should be Norwegian. However, since English is the most widespread global language, it is naïve to think that we can avoid it altogether. The conclusion, then, might be something of a compromise: Make sure you are able to use English when you need it, and those skills will pay off. WRITING KEY WORDS 5 Write the three paragraph headings of the text. Note as many key words as you can remember for each title. SPEAKING 6 In pairs, take turns explaining the important terms on page 74 by giving reasons and examples to prove your explanation. 7 Go online and research the terms and compare what you find to your explanations in task 6. 8 International English has been referred to as “decaffeinated”, “as dull as dishwater” and a “culture-free tool”.Vurderingseksemplar a Discuss what you think this means. SOURCES b Discuss what these references say Crystal, D. 2009. Global English with David Crystal. Macmillan about the relationship between Education ELT. YouTube. language and identity. Norwegian Language Council. 2016. Bruk av engelsk i industri og 9 How would you describe your English? bygge- og anleggsvirksomhet. TNS.

Give reasons for your answer. WRITING

10 Write a brief comment to the local newspaper on the importance of

English in vocational studies.

assume anta / gå ut frå widespread utbredte/utbreidde pay off lønne seg / løne seg