31 used & new from $4.69

Have one to sell? Sell yours here

Search inside another edition of this book

Tell the Publisher! I�d like to read this book on Kindle Don�t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.

English as a Global Language (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "A headline of this kind must have appeared in a thousand newspapers and magazines in recent years..." (more)
Key Phrases: global language, sociolinguistic situation, endangered languages, New Zealand, American English, South Africa (more...)

4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.

6 new from $36.90 25 used from $4.69

Also Available in:	List Price:	Our Price:	Other Offers:
Hardcover (2) Hardcover (2) $65.00 In Stock. Published July 21, 2003	$65.00	$65.00	29 used & new from $5.42
Paperback (2) Paperback (2) $17.94 In Stock. Published July 28, 2003	$21.99	$17.94	57 used & new from $8.82
Unbound (Import) Unbound (Import) Published November 2000			Order it used!

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Other Tongue: ENGLISH ACROSS CULTURES (English in the Global Context)

by Braj B. Kachru

5.0 out of 5 stars (2) $19.92

Linguistic Imperialism (Oxford Applied Linguistics)

by Robert Phillipson

3.5 out of 5 stars (2) $24.25

The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language

by David Crystal

4.8 out of 5 stars (17) $26.95

World Englishes: Implications for International Communication and English Language Teaching (Cambridge Language Teaching Library)

by Andy Kirkpatrick

4.5 out of 5 stars (2) $30.80

Principles of Language Learning and Teaching (5th Edition)

by H. Douglas Brown

3.7 out of 5 stars (11) $37.27

› Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

Review

'The perfect introduction by an acknowledged linguistic expert.' Robert McCrum, The Observer

'Immensely authoritative . . . sets a new standard in the popularisation of linguistics.' Sir John Hanson, Times Higher Education Supplement

'Crystal is a master of academic documentary ... He presents enough facts and figures to make readers feel that they are getting good value for money. This book is a good mix of outline facts and good sense about language.' Times Educational Supplement

Product Description

David Crystal, world authority on the English language, has written a timely and informative account of the phenomenon of English as a global language. It includes a historical summary of the global development of English; an analysis, well supported by facts and figures, of the current spread and status of English as a first and second language internationally; and an informed assessment - by one of the leading scholars of and general writers about language matters - of the future of English. The book asks three basic questions: what makes a world language? why is English the leading candidate? and will it continue to hold that position? It steers even-handedly through the minefield of political debate about the cultural hegemony of English, and will appeal to anyone with an interest in language issues, whatever their political views on the subject.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

Hardcover: 160 pages
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (September 13, 1997)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 052159247X
ISBN-13: 978-0521592475
Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.7 x 0.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces

Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,769,391 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

› Visit Amazon's David Crystal Page

Inside This Book (learn more)
Browse and search another edition of this book.

First Sentence:
A headline of this kind must have appeared in a thousand newspapers and magazines in recent years. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
global language, sociolinguistic situation, endangered languages

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New Zealand, American English, South Africa, United States, British English, New York, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Latin America, West African, British Council, British Empire, New England, North America, United Nations, British Isles, East Africa, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Middle East, Nova Scotia, Puerto Rico, South Asian English, Soviet Union, Construction Illustration Sample, Crown Colony

New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats

Citations (learn more)

This book cites 22 books:

A Dictionary of Jamaican English by Frederic Gomes Cassidy on page 161, and Back Matter
Language and the Internet by David Crystal in Front Matter
London Gazette: 52027 24th January by Great Britain on page 90
The Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage by Richard Allsopp on page 191
Singapore and Malaysia (Varietes in English around the world) by John Platt in Back Matter

See all 22 books this book cites

100 books cite this book:

Languages in a Globalising World by Jacques Maurais on 6 pages
The Politics of English as a World Language: New Horizons in Postcolonial Cultural Studies (Cross/Cultures 65) by Christian Mair on 5 pages
The Dominance of English as a Language of Science: Effects on Other Languages and Language Communities (Contributions to the Sociology of Language, Vol. ... to the Sociology of Language, 84) by Ulrich Ammon on 5 pages
Introducing Language in Use by Aileen Bloomer on 4 pages
Teaching English as an International Language: Rethinking Goals and Approaches (Oxford Handbooks for Language Teachers) by Sandra Lee McKay in Front Matter, page 25, and Back Matter

See all 100 books citing this book

Books on Related Topics (learn more)

The Handbook of World Englishes by Braj Kachru

Discusses:

A History of English by Barbara Fennell

Discusses:

Languages in a Globalising World by Jacques Maurais

Discusses:

A Handbook of Varieties of English by Bernd Kortmann

Discusses:

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	86% buy the item featured on this page: English as a Global Language 4.1 out of 5 stars (8)
	4% buy The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language 4.8 out of 5 stars (17) $26.95
	3% buy The Fight for English: How Language Pundits Ate, Shot, and Left 4.3 out of 5 stars (6) $10.39
	3% buy Linguistic Imperialism (Oxford Applied Linguistics) 3.5 out of 5 stars (2) $24.25

Explore similar items

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

(What's this?)

Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product).

linguistics(13)

english(7)

language(6)

tesol(3)

words(2)

dialects(2)

esl(2)

english language history(1)

british history(1)

grammer(1)

word lover(1)

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

Customer Reviews

8 Reviews

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.1 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars There are other sides to this issue, October 27, 2005

By	F.R. Norris - See all my reviews

This review is from: English as a Global Language (Paperback)

As I read this book, I had the impression that the author has never tried to use international versions of English for complex tasks like working with foreign business and technical partners. I work for a multinational corporation myself. We are discouraged from taking time to learn foreign languages because we are told that English is the official language of our company. Then we arrive at our overseas branches and discover that our counterparts can say hello, goodbye, and thank you to us, but little more. I think Crystal is overly optimistic about how much English people are really learning overseas.

He also dismisses the cultural chauvinism wrapped up in the belief that English is the perfect global language. Actually, Spanish grammar is much easier to learn, and is much easier for non-native speakers to pronounce.

English *is* an international language, but it is only an effective one in the most basic communication situations. A few years ago author Barbara Wallraff wrote an excellent article in the Atlantic Monthly entitled "What Global Language?" (Nov, 2001) which made the point that while international English may be useful for very simple purposes, more complex communication tasks will require something other than English.

Author Edward Trimnell (Why You Need a Foreign Language and How to Learn One ISBN: 0974833010) rips the international English argument to shreds by pointing out that a.) cooperation between peoples who don't speak English as a native language is increasing; and in these situations, it makes sense to use a language other than English, and b.) the hubbub about international English has made native English-speakers very complacent in recent years--- such that we are now entirely dependent on the language skills of others.

Crystal's book is not without its merits, but it comes across as a sales pitch for international English. There is another side to this argument, and I would recommend reading Wallraff and Trimnell before making up your mind.

Comment Comment (1) | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

37 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars too blue-eyed, July 13, 2000

By	"daniel_sp" (Vienna, Vienna Austria (E.U.)) - See all my reviews

Crystal's book is the exact counterpart to Phillipson's "Linguistic Imperialism". While the former has been called an "alarmist" (because of his view that English has been used for imperialistic purposes) the latter apparently sees no problem what so ever (and has thus been called "triumphalist"). Crystal seems to suggest that all linguistic cross-cultural problems could be solved if everyone would learn English from an early age onwards. He apparently sees nothing wrong if Asian farmers cannot read the instructions on fertilizer bags because they are in English.

Rather suspiciously, Crystal disregards Phillipson completely in this book. While there are some good arguments against Phillipson, Crystal refuses to enter the debate. More generally, it seems to me that he refuses to deal with the more unpleasant facts of the global spread of English. Better to continue writing about the happy family of English speakers!

The book is thus rather naive in its evaluation of the role, status and attitudes connected with the English language.

For those who would like to read a really damning review I can recommend Phillipson's "Voice in Global English: unheard Chords in Crystal loud and clear." which appeared in Applied Linguistics 20/2: 265-276.

Comment Comment (1) | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Speakers of the World, Unite!, May 30, 2007

By	David Ludden - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: English as a Global Language (Paperback)

In Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, space travelers can communicate with beings from other planets by inserting a Babel fish in their ear. The Babel fish takes in what is spoken and modifies the brain activity of the user to effect a translation. Universal translators are standard equipment in science fiction involving space travel, since it is reasonable to assume that extraterrestrials will not speak English or any other earthly language. Indeed, given that there are over six thousand mutually unintelligible languages here on Earth, it seems that the technology is badly needed now. However, by the time the technology is available, there may no longer be any need for it. According to David Crystal in his book, English as a Global Language, everyone on Earth will soon speak English.

Currently English has the status of a lingua franca, a language that is used for international exchanges. Through history, different languages have served as linguae francae on a regional basis. In Europe, Latin served this role across the Roman Empire, and continued in this function for centuries after the fall of Rome because it was the language of the Catholic Church. In China, where dozens of mutually unintelligible dialects are spoken, Mandarin serves as the common language of government and intellectual exchange. And starting in the seventeenth century, French served as the international language of diplomacy until its fairly recent replacement by English.

The status of English as a lingua franca, however, is quickly transforming into that of a global language, one that nearly everyone in the world can speak. This is an unprecedented event, although there has been a trend over history toward linguistic consolidation as a result of political consolidation. The globalization of English was driven by a historical accident, namely that both world powers during the last two centuries spoke English. The language was first spread around the globe in the nineteenth century by the growing British Empire. As British political power waned at the turn of the last century, American influence and prestige was on the ascendancy, further spreading the use of English.

The globalization of English is further driven by the growing global economy. More and more people around the world are getting involved in the global marketplace of goods, jobs and ideas. But to participate in this marketplace, you need to speak English. And if it is not your native language, you need to learn it, or you will be left behind. Although there are more native speakers of Mandarin Chinese than there are of English, there are more people who speak English as a second language than any other language in the world. In fact, there are more people who speak English as a second language than as a first language. Combining first and second language users, we find that English is the world's most widely spoken language. Still, only one in four people know English, clearly indicating that English is not yet a true global language.

Crystal contemplates two possible futures for global English. In his utopia, he sees all people in the world speaking some sort of World Standard Spoken English when communicating internationally and their native language locally and at home. Crystal points out that even native English speakers would in a sense be bilingual because WSSE would be different from their native dialect. This view of universal bilingualism may seem odd to the monolingual Anglophone, but Crystal points out that the majority of the world's population is already at least bilingual. Thus, the multitude of languages in the world would remain vibrant while WSSE would serve as an auxiliary for international communication.

In Crystal's dystopia, on the other hand, he sees all people of the world as Anglophone monolinguals. In his companion book Language Death (2002, Cambridge University Press), he examines how and why languages die and deplores the increasing rate of language extinction. In the current book, he touches on this subject again. Crystal views the loss of linguistic diversity as analogous to the loss of biological diversity, with similar catastrophic consequences for the welfare of humanity. However, Crystal's reasoning is flawed and tainted with gushing romanticism for the polyglot throng.

Crystal's frustration with English's global linguistic dominance would be justified if the language were being pushed upon the world's population by some imperialistic force. But it is not. The globalization of English is a grass-roots movement. People want better lives for themselves and for their children, and they see the way to the good life is through participation in the global marketplace. Thus, they learn English and teach it to their children, often not caring whether the younger generation even learns the language of their ancestors. And they do this in spite of governmental attempts to preserve or resurrect heritage languages.

It is often suggested that a common world language would lead to world peace by reducing misunderstandings and miscommunications, but Crystal rightly points out the fallacy in that way of thinking. Throughout history, bloody wars have been fought by those who speak the same language, as for example the American Civil War, the breakup of Yugoslavia or the unrest in Northern Ireland today. However, there is a sense in which a common world language would increase the chances of world peace, and that is through the global marketplace. As the world becomes more interconnected and interdependent, warfare becomes a less profitable means of resolving political problems.

Crystal hopes for a future in which nation-states conduct their commerce in a common language while maintaining their national languages at home. But there is a bolder, brighter vision of the future--one in which the globe is unified economically, politically and linguistically. As members of a single community, there would be free movement of people, goods and ideas around the globe, facilitated by a single global language. That language would likely be a descendant of English, but with continued admixtures from many other languages.

There is no particular reason why English is better suited than others to serve as a global language, in spite of frequent claims of English linguistic superiority. The language mavens (to use Pinker's term) will often declare English syntax simpler or more logical and its vocabulary richer and more expressive than those of other languages, but neither is true. English is just an ordinary language with no advantage other than that it is the language of the current economic and political superpower in the world.

As the global economy develops, the number of English speakers will continue to increase. The development of some sort of World Standard Spoken English is virtually inevitable. It is also quite likely that the vast majority of the world's languages will die out because their speakers will no longer be interested in using them. Instead, they will be learning the global language so that they can claim their rightful place as citizens of the world.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 8 customer reviews...

Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars International English vs. English
While this should not be the place to make such arguments, I think that the Norris review below is interesting, but misses the point. Read more

Published on January 2, 2006 by oribiasi

5.0 out of 5 stars Crystal Does It Again
David Crystal's updated version of his 1997 book provides additional content and resources. I relied heavily upon his research and discourse to help me complete my master's... Read more

Published on August 19, 2005 by Keith A. Wynne

5.0 out of 5 stars The Spread of Global English
In this book, David Crystal presents the future of the English language. According to Crystal, non-native speakers of English outnumber native speakers of English, so it could be... Read more

Published on July 3, 2005 by T. Hooper

5.0 out of 5 stars A BLEAT PLAINTIVE
English as a Global Language. Yes who can dispute it? NO body. David Crystal is 100% right. The spread of this great language around the globe and the growing influence of this... Read more

Published on November 24, 2004 by Narendra Sajja

5.0 out of 5 stars Concise and well written
This book explores the question of how English came to be the premier international language of our time. Read more

Published on September 13, 2004 by Erika Mitchell

› See all 8 customer reviews...

.jsOffDisplayBlock { display: block; } .jsOffDisplayInline { display: inline; } .jsOffVisibility { visibility: visible; } .jsOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jsOnDisplayNoneBlock { display: block; } .jsOnDisplayNoneInline { display: inline; } .jsOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jsOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; } .jqOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jqOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jqOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; } .jqOnDisplayNoneBlock { display: block; } .jqOnDisplayNoneInline { display: inline; }