Why Is English the Language of Work?

In fields like education, sport, business, science and technology, English holds an unrivalled position today as a global lingua franca . This means that it is a common language for people who do not speak one another’s native language. An international fashion week, a meeting between Japanese and German businesspeople, a coffee break at a Norwegian building site, a furious argument between a player and the referee at an international football match: these are just some of the many situations in which English is likely to be called into service.

As for English in working life, Norwegian companies often operate on the international market, where goods, services and workers cross borders more than ever before. A few years ago, Oslo University Hospital reported that their employees came from 100 different countries, and that their patients came from even more countries than that. There is no reason to believe that these numbers have decreased, since people continue to move across borders.

This movement of people, goods and services is part of a phenomenon called “globalisation”. Globalisation means the way the world is becoming increasingly interconnected through new forms of communication, transportation, technology and trade. To interact, people from different parts of the world frequently use English as their lingua franca. Just think of how people of your generation have been able to connect with each other on social media across national borders.

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Two health workers in a Norwegian nursing home communicating in English because the woman on the left has just moved to Norway from England and does not speak any Norwegian yet.

a What is a lingua franca? Why is English an important lingua franca today?

b What is globalisation?

c How could globalisation impact you as a worker within Healthcare, Childhood and Youth Development?

“We use English as the corporate language because we collaborate with customers and partners in other countries. English is key for sharing documentation and for us to take part in international technological innovation.” -

trond vinje, hr director of evry

You have chosen a professional field – Healthcare, Childhood and Youth Development – that offers a fantastic range of job opportunities. Whether you plan to work with children or young people, old people, disabled people, sick or healthy people, in a doctor’s office, in a pharmacy or in a kindergarten – there should be great job prospects ahead. A good command of English may help you get just the kind of job you want, as care workers have opportunities to work all over the world.

What is more, you might find yourself working in places in Norway where speaking English is necessary, since there is a fair chance you will have English-speaking service users, patients or colleagues. And let us not forget all the information that is out there: magazines, articles, manuals, instructions, tutorials and other videos on YouTube, etc. Only a small amount of all this is translated into Norwegian.

So, you might even say that English is a tool of your trade.

One of your classmates has overslept and has not had time to read the text. You agree to fill her in and send her a message with the three most important points in the text.

a Write the message you would send to your friend.

b Compare your message to that of a partner. Discuss whether you have included the same important information from the text. If not, write a new and improved list together.

a Read the text again and find at least three words for each of these categories:

Word list A: I know what these words mean

Example: language = språk

Word list B: I think I know what these words mean

Word list C: I don’t know what these words mean

Example: disabled Example: building site b Find the meanings of the words you included in list B and list C by checking a dictionary or asking someone (a student or your teacher). For each of these words, write a sentence where you use it. Examples: Everybody in the audience worked with disabled people. My uncle has worked on building sites all over the country.

a Look at the pictures on the left. What do you see? Choose one of the pictures and describe it to another student. Use three sentences and let the other student guess which picture you described. Useful phrases: “The picture I am describing has a person/thing that …” “It is on the left/right side of …” “Next to the person/thing there is a …” b Which occupations within Healthcare, Childhood and Youth Development are the pictures supposed to represent? (See p. 295 for a list of occupations in English.) What in the pictures makes you think so?

a Choose an average day and create a log where you list all the various situations in which you encounter English. You could, for example, start like this:

– 07.50: Listening to music (note down artists and titles of songs) on the bus to school

11.30: Watching a video by an American YouTuber (note down the name) at lunch b Read your log from task 4a aloud to another student. Then listen to them reading their log. c Answer these questions after listening to your partner’s log:

– How many times did your partner use or encounter English in a day?

– Which things in your logs were similar and which were different?

a Below are possible occupations you can choose as a student of Healthcare, Childhood and Youth Development. Match the Norwegian title with the correct English translation.

A. aktivitør 1. chiropodist

B. ambulansearbeider2. health worker

C. apotektekniker3. skin care worker

D. barne- og ungdomsarbeider4. medical orderly

E. fotterapeut5. ambulance worker

F. ortopeditekniker6. dental health secretary

G. helsefagarbeider7. pharmacy technician

H. helsesekretær8. orthopaedic technician

I. hudpleier9. assistant occupational therapist

J. portør10. childcare and youth worker

K. tannhelsesekretær11. medical secretary b Here are short descriptions of some of the jobs in task 5a. Find out which job matches each description: c Write a caption (bildetekst) for each of the photos on the next page where you describe what is happening in the photo, and who is doing it. Write the captions using the present progressive, also known as the ing-form.

1) Does clerical work in a doctor’s office or hospital. Can also administer various tests on patients (blood tests, ECG, breath tests, etc.) and help assess the medical condition of patients.

2) Treats and prevents foot problems, as well as providing advice about shoes and soles.

3) Performs lifesaving first aid in addition to transporting patients to and between different institutions within the healthcare system.

4) Collects and delivers patients, equipment, food and medicines between hospital departments and between health institutions.

5) Provides guidance and sells medicines and other products at a pharmacy.

Use the name of the occupation you think is correct for each photo and combine each with one of the following verbs: feed – play – apply – manufacture – help

The present progressive

– The student is working with a task on the Citizens website.

This verb form is called the present progressive. We use the present tense of to be + the ing-form of the main verb to form the present progressive. We use the present progressive to state that something is happening right now, and that it is not finished:

– A health worker is assisting a young patient.

See the GRAMMAR section at citizens.cdu.no to learn more about the ing-form and work with tasks.