Learning English Is Becoming Essential For A Time Of Worldwide Communication

Is it really necessary to have English as the official language? U.S has been trying to find the answer for this question for a long time. And they still didn’t come up with an answer. Presently, there are 23 states that actually wanted to have English as the official language. And it’s still not enough. I agree that there are some benefits for having an official language but we should also consider the disadvantages that are more than advantages.

English as we know it is indeed the dominant language, but does that mean everyone should learn it? Should English be the global language? Should you have to know English to communicate if you are someone that lives in a place where the native language is something different? The answer is no. However, first you must consider the statement “It is a fact that English is the dominant language in the world today. Everyone, in every country, in order to participate in the modern world, should learn English. After all, a language is just a random collection of words, so how hard can it be”. Personally, I believe it is tremendously difficult to learn a new language as an adult, but in order to make the world go round, we all should know more than one language; no one language should rule. Barbara Wallraff, David Crystal, and John Tagliabue share a few words that connect to the statement to show their personal mindset behind English being a global language. In this essay, I will extract statements from each of the authors that explain their views on a global language to support my overall perception.

Since, the second language is an additional language after we acquire the first language, the L2 learning process can be influenced by the L1 learning process This essay will demonstrate the similarities and differences in L1 and L2 acquisition by discussing various theories. Then, draw a conclusion based on the evidence provided and my own experience.

The first language helps in the initial stages of second language acquisition as it can serve as a referent and a tool to which students can turn when needed. It is useful, for example, to turn to the first language during the acquisition of new vocabulary or to compare the structures of both the first and the second language for understanding in a better way some concepts like verb tenses.

The language, produced by foreign language learners almost inevitably contains errors of various types. This is the process of learning

Vocabulary plays a significant role in English as second language learning process. For the majority of English as Second Language(ESL) learners, the ultimate goal of learning the language is to understand (read and listen) and communicate (write and speak) with little difficulty and the lack of sufficient vocabulary may be the constraint of such goal (Folse, 2004). As the bedrock of English and as well as language, vocabulary also facilitates the development of other language skills: lexical richness leads to the progress in the use of language, namely listening, speaking, reading and writing skills (Nation, 1994). Reversely, The improvement in such skills may enhance learners vocabulary size as the exposure to more learning materials improves the capacity to acquire new vocabulary. (The importance of learning vocabulary/ why vocabulary?)

This essay looks at what ultimate attainment is possible in a second language or if it is possible at all. Exploring how language acquisition takes place in a child’s life to how similar it is to second language acquisition in an adult’s life. By looking at the critical period in ones life, pieces will start to form together making it quite possible to believe that the theory of ultimate attainment actually does exist and that it may or may not be possible in a second language depending on the circumstances and the human capacity. It is unlikely that researchers and experts will never come up with a definite answer as to whether L2A is possible or not but one thing is for sure there is more evidence and studies to be found.

Because of unlimited dimensions a language embodies, James shows that when someone is contrasting a pair of language, one should not focus on both form and structure only, but rather the way they function (their use as means of communication). A contrastive analysis considers the cultures of the society that uses the language under study. It is regarded as a linguistic approach which believes that the mother tongue is the sole source learners’ errors. Lado (1975:2) argues: interference of mother tongue causes error and difficulties in foreign language learning… individuals tend transfer their native language and culture to the foreign language. Contrastive analysis is quite useful in predicting difficulties of the second language

This paper aims to show the impact of culture on English language learning in Arabic World. Language and culture are inseparable and can be simply described as two sides of the same coin. Understanding of culture is very important for understanding any language. Mitchell and Myles (2004) argue that “language and culture are not separate but acquired together, with each providing support for the development of the other” (p. 235). Differences of culture may cause many mistakes. This paper aims at answering the bewildering questions: 1. what is the effect of Arabic culture on learning English language. 2. What are the difficulties that Arab students face in learning English language due to the differences in culture? Language not only changes people’s values and habits, but also affects people’s identity and behaviors. While English language learning involves a number of different skills, including grammar, writing, listening and speaking so this paper will show the impact of Arabic culture on learning these four language skills. Also, we cannot ignore the impact of language on the culture of the people. Language and culture are extricabley connected.

This paper gives a comprehensive comparison of how acquiring a first language differs from acquiring a new or a second language. It provides the similarities and differences of the two analogies and gives a critical appraisal of the strengths and weaknesses of these two issues. Finally, the paper provides personal suggestions and insights for future research on the same topics. Moreover, the paper will detail the differences between first language acquisition in the pre-school period of learning and second language acquisition at an advanced or higher classroom level.

A plethora of scholars (e.g., Carter & McCarthy, 1988; McCarthy, 1990; Nation, 2010; Nation & Laufer 2012; Schmitt, 2010) in vocabulary learning, however, argue that vocabulary acquisition is the basic foundation of language learning because words are the building blocks of communication and without them, learners will not be able to express themselves and communicate by using a target language. Lexical errors are the most common among second language learners. In fact, vocabulary errors seem to be not only the most serious ones for students, but also the most disruptive ones for native speakers in terms of interpretation. As Gass (1988) observes, grammatical errors still result in understandable structures (e.g., she a girl), whereas vocabulary errors may interfere with communication (e.g., He tried to hold the

Many people believe that children have the ability to become with a native-like proficiency in a second language almost within a night because during childhood knowledge is absorbed like a sponge by children’s brain (Genesee, Paradis and B. Crago, 2004, p.133). In contrast, only few adults can achieve a desirable result in their attempt to acquire a second language (European Science Foundation, 1993, p.8). In addition the learning environment is separated into two the formal and the informal both of them are efficient, but the last one seems to be more accepted than the other as a better way of language learning because of its faculty to develop knowledge and skills to people without any predestinate rules. (Bahrani, 2011, p.372). However the process of acquiring a second language is not only affected by the age, but by the learner’s stimuli during this process as well.

This paper will be discussing how one can go to Serbia and teach English as a second language. This paper will include important information such as basic education system, visa, demographic and more things about Serbia.

Error Analysis is one of the major topics in the field of second language acquisition research. Errors are an integral part of language learning. The learner of English as a second language is unaware of the existence of the particular system or rule in English language. The learner 's errors have long been interested for second and foreign language researchers. The basic task of error analysis is to describe how learning occurs by examining the learner 's output and this includes his/her correct and incorrect utterances. There are two major approaches to the study of learner 's errors, namely contrastive analysis and error analysis. Error analysis cannot be studied properly without touching upon the notion of contrastive analysis. Contrastive analysis and error analysis have been commonly recognized as branches of Applied Linguistic Science.

Error analysis is a very important area of applied linguistics and of the second and foreign language learning. Applied linguistics, as a field, tries to deal with the problems and issues related to language, as well as to its learning and teaching; it also attempts to give solutions for these problems and issues. Error analysis provides a deep insight for understanding of the process of language learning. Attempts for better understanding the process of language acquisition and learning have been made for a long time (Richards, 1971, 1974; James, 1989,