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Introduction

English as language has become World English as it is widely spoken, understood and accepted throughout the world. The majority of extraneous and international communications have been conducted in English in recent years. It has become a vital aspect of human as well as other relations. It is playing its part in bringing people together. Social, political, educational, economic, strategic, and even religious fields are requiring the knowledge and expertise of English language. It has emerged as an international business language. It has been recognised as official language of several countries around the whole world for the sake of its leniency of adaptation and feasibility. Effective English communication strengthens relationships between countries all over the world. Local or regional languages are distinct from one another. When we travel around the world, we use the English language to communicate with everyone.

Language is one of the significant parts of effective communication. English language has been recognised for its significant function of a language which enables effective modes of communication either verbal or written. As a result, the English language has become a highly effective tool as well as means of communication. To communicate effectively, one must use a language that the majority of people use in the community with proper understanding. English has long been the most widely understood and appreciated language on this earth. To put it in another way, English language has become a useful tool for communicating with people all over the world.

In the field of education English language has proved its vitality and suitability. It is being used as a preferred mode of instruction in educational institutions. As a result, its functionality has improved immensely. The vast majority of educational materials, resources, books, and online lectures are written and available in English language. All global and well-known educational systems, institutions and universities require proficiency in English language. English is used as a medium of communication and learning by students studying in most of the developed and developing countries. In some countries if it is not primary, it is accepted as a secondary language. In today's world, anyone who does not have good knowledge of English language lags behind in higher education.

English language has established itself as a recognised language of the function and modes of Internet. Its value has been increasing due to the rapid advancement in the field of information technology and computer sciences. No one can be operational or influential in the internet world without the efficiency of English language, which has also become the official language of internet. Everyone, even across countries, has access to the features and availability of information on the internet. The Internet has created new career opportunities for everyone on the planet, regardless of nationality, caste, region, creed, race and gender. The internet has played a significant role in promoting and spreading information throughout the world. In this regard the role of language is very essential which is finely played by English language. People are becoming more and more familiar and aware of the English language and it has thus become a very popular internet language. There are so many professionals who are earning a lot of money with the help of internet by creating online contents in English language.

The idea that English is an international language has become more common and cliché in recent years. Most of the intellectuals and academicians of the world are of the opinion that English should be taught throughout the world. Many people have talked about how important English is as a global language and how important it is to use. The majority of people in the English language teaching do not find any single monochromatic standard appealing in other languages. Linguists and language experts define any language in terms of “international”, “global”, or “universal” language, they are not attempting to rank human languages as “better” or “worse” rather they focus on people’s exposure to these languages in a variety of contexts, ranging from the language they use at home to the language they hear at school and on the news to the language they see and hear in popular culture.

The pertinent observation of Kachru in the matter of the control over English as a language is worth noting i.e. “the native speakers of English seem to have lost the exclusive prerogative of controlling its (English language) standardization.” It is a very interesting because English as language has got the global ranking because of its adoptability and assimilating features. This feature of English language has broken the concept of standard English language as people keep on changing as per their need. It is a matter of great concern for the professionals related to English Language Teaching in the whole world. Many ELT professionals have reverberated Kachru’s call for a paradigm shift in linguistic and educational research to better reflect on the changing landscape and scenario. Furthermore, the notion that English originally belongs to anyone who choose to speak it is gaining popularity and traction. As long as the notion of “English as a global language” exists, it is becoming difficult in determining who owns it in original form, if not obsolete. Actually, any language is meant for communication in effective manner so as per the needs the followers make necessary changes. English as a language needs to be grasped fully in all its aspects to have better communication without hurdles.

According to Widdowson, English speakers should be proud and happy that their language is spoken all over the world. English is widely spoken throughout the world, and it is frequently perceived when people from numerous countries meet at places, they speak English. According to many estimates, it is spoken by approximately 363 million native speakers, and an estimated half a billion people (nearly 21% of the world’s population) speak it as a second language. As with any other language, there will be speakers born into monolingual English-speaking families who will be considered native English speakers under the same rules that have previously been used. There are already many people who speak English, and their numbers are growing rapidly. According to some other estimates and studies, more than half of the people in at least 45 countries can speak English at some level. There are currently at least 25 distinct varieties of pidgin English. English has been recognised as a language of adaptation and assimilation. It has a long history of borrowing words and expressions from other languages, its popularity has grown due to its ability to absorb new terms from the various cultures in which it is spoken. After encountering a new culture, English speakers began using words like “parlour”, “saloon”, and “boutique” to describe concepts they had never encountered before. Flexibility of English enables it to adapt to new global or localised trends, which can be mirrored in real time via its language. Languages that want to adopt the distinctiveness and idiosyncratic linguistic articles of English can get benefited in their popularity and acceptability. “Furaido potato fries” and “aisukurmu ice cream” are both Japanese terms for “French fries” in the country. “Birth control pills” are known as “antibabypillen” in Germany.

Need to Differentiate between World English from Other Varieties of Language

Children born into monolingual English-speaking families who will be regarded as native English speakers according to the same standards that have been applied in the past. People from various nations converse in the same language at public places. It is how we have historically viewed language. It is predicated on the idea that a group of native speakers speak any natural language most of the time, while a group of non-native speakers speak it only occasionally or very infrequently. No matter what kind of environment they are working in, those who share our ideas about us need to start over when it comes to learning any foreign language. Now, it is not truthful fact to say that everyone in the English learning or speaking community has the adaptation of English language mentality. For instance, Phillipson has been harshly critical of it, claiming that those who support it are unaware of the current level of power that its users wield. According to Phillipson, English is not a universal language because it is controlled by large media organisations like CNN and the BBC, which do not speak for everyone but rather speak on behalf of a select few wealthy individuals in the media. It is erroneous to believe that only a select number of media outlets and the corporations that support them can speak for everyone or for marginalised groups. Phillipson is correct that there is a great deal of power that has not been distributed fairly among linguistic communities, but it is believed that it is incorrect for him to single out English or World English as having a colonial history and many scars from past and present inequalities. Ferguson’s comment in this regard is worth quoting;

Much of the world's verbal communication takes place by means of languages which are not the users' mother tongue, but their second, third or nth language, acquired one way or another and used when appropriate. This kind of language use merits the attention of linguists as much as do the more traditional objects of their research. (Ferguson 1983: vii.)

All languages demonstrate a great deal of power inequality and the unavoidable occurrence of power politics in the populations who speak them. Thinking about a speech community without power politics involves shifting the entire discussion from the real world to an ideal one. English language is a fascinating case because it challenges the status quo in any speech community. This makes it simpler to view. One can easily think there are quantitative rather than qualitative differences between English language and any other natural language in this regard. More people will be able to see the internal conflicts that exist within a language's community as more people speak it. To put it in another way, one can discover a lot about how all languages function, including those that appear to be similar, by looking at us more closely. Non-native speakers of English language have some inferiority complex; “We (non- native speakers) suffer from an inferiority complex caused by glaring defects in our knowledge of English. We are in constant distress as we realize how little we know about the language we are supposed to teach” (Medgyes 1994: 10).

In other words, referring to English language as a “world language” or “global English” is just another mode to emphasise the fact that it is a situation where competing ideologies and goals are continuously at play. In fact, it is believed that this is correct today than it has ever been in antiquity. In contrast to the countless people who speak English for the majority of their lives, a native English speaker—who is regarded as superior to non-natives because he or she was raised in a monolingual family environment—would be clearly at a disadvantage. Any advantage claimed by people will be valid only if they have a solid knack of the language. It is interesting to examine each of the four abilities— writing, speaking, listening and understanding, that are thought to constitute one’s command over a language separately to see if there are any differences between them and the current changes in the usage of native speaker. Even in their own “mother tongue”, native speakers are not always proficient in all four of the skills they speak. Expert linguists frequently point out that native speakers are not always proficient in all four aspects of the languages they speak. When a native speaker of a language was referred to as a master of the language, it was said in a very awkward manner. To put the emphasis on the grammatical ability to produce an infinite number of sentences repeatedly, the idea of speaking for a purpose or to accomplish something had been deliberately removed from the language. Even though listening to a native speaker is the best way to assess how well you speak, this has never been true when it comes to listening, at least not in the same way. In other words, the native speaker/listener is not always a native speaker-listener. Things become even more challenging when it comes to reading or writing, the other two skills. The distance between a native speaking animal and a person who can read and write well is great, but it is worth the trip.

Language comes in a wide variety of forms, including pure linguistic, communicational, and discursive. The cognitive and logical components are also a part of it. Success on this path was not assured by genetics or birth rights alone. To get that level one needs to have regular practice and training. We already saw that the only way English language differs is in terms of size. Native speakers who claim to be more fluent than non-native speakers may fear that admitting they speak in a dull manner will make them look bad. We do not know for sure if it will enable us to function in World English as a monolingual English speaker.

One difference is that the native speakers no longer use other language. They might not even be able to complete some easy tasks in World English because of their poor English skills. Being a monolingual in the World English might not be a smart idea because communication skills are frequently interlingual or even multilingual in nature. It might not be long until native English speakers are forced to acquire English language quickly because to the increasing competition on the global market. A native English speaker who is unfamiliar with World English is probably going to be left in the dark. It has been noticed that the instructions that come with software, gadgets, and other items employ a different style of English than you might anticipate. Nothing like World English has ever existed in the history of language. Although the majority of its long-term effects are still beyond our wildest expectations, if our early assumptions are accurate, they may be even more astounding than what we have so far discovered in our investigations.

English Language in India

India is a rapidly developing economic country that has different races, social structures, regions and languages. The development and consolidation of India’s position as a global power and supremacy has been a monumental challenge and recognised fact in the whole world. Most of the citizens of the country are trying to have good source of knowledge and income. English language is being preferred as a mode of communication to have valid access to resources of the world through this international language. Apart from various other Indian languages, it has still lucrative interest and craze for learning English language among the uplifted class. Exactly when the English began governing India, they looked for educated Indians who could assist them in doing so. The English made an effort to demonstrate so that people could assist them in their organisation. Additionally, the English established themselves in Indian schools using English models and English as a complement. These Indians also attended English-language schools for their tutoring. The first English-speaking Christian missionaries arrived in India in the early nineteenth century. They also established elementary schools for Indians, where they taught English and used local dialects for instruction. Following that, the ministers established optional schools with English serving as the primary language of instruction, attracting the Indians who had anticipated conducting a survey to obtain reliable data on the English language.

In India, the English rulers and officials began to build their schools, colleges and universities in the nineteenth century. English language has, since, become the main language used in Indian tutoring and education system. The high class or elite class generation in India also endorsed and promoted English language as the crucial tool for success. Indians who recognised and got the knowledge of exceptional English language were viewed as the new pinnacle of India. It was used as the language of instruction in many of the newly established schools and other institutions. It was the language of instruction at the school level, as evidenced by the English unofficial laws, and as a result, schools that focused on English were chosen by powerful and upper-class Indians. Of course, English remained India’s primary language even after the country gained its independence. Although it still reigns as India’s primary language, English was given the status of a second or subsidiary language and is supposed to be phased out after 15 years of independence. Even now, despite the trend towards Indianization, English-focused schools in India are still regarded as being of a higher calibre, and this is also true of what is happening at the school level. Many students consider English to be their most important language, and they find it easier to communicate, read, understand and write in English than in Indian vernaculars, including their primary dialects. In the 1970s and 1980s, English was the primary language taught in about 33% of Indian schools.

In fact, there have been a growing number of Indians who are becoming increasingly proficient in the English language and composition. They have also received numerous overall distinctions for their comprehension and proficiency in English language. English has been transformed into the language of the most recent business activities in the world, and Indian capacity in English has conveyed significance to various Indian businessmen. English language is used being as a tool not only for general business but also for inter-state communication and correspondence.

English as a language of the globe has a great role in improving the dimensions of Indian people in all fields of learning— medical, engineering, education, technology, aviation, designing, management, philosophy, teaching skills, and many more. People must have up-to- date knowledge of several scientific fields in order to accomplish better competence and efficacy. Such as without the expertise of accomplished mechanics no engineers or technicians can be made. In reality India is not behind in the field of medical and technology in comparison to China and Japan. The primary reason for this is that English has been prioritised as it has been given the status of second language in India. Furthermore, a country’s expansion and development necessitate the protection of its citizens from internal threats. In such circumstances, the ability of youths to choose a language to study in various scientific fields become very critical. As a result, researches and considerations into this topic is critical for a developing country like India.

English language has flexibility, adoptability, feasibility and suitability which keep on working as per the need of cultures and regions. It has adopted and assimilated various words such as— “bungalow”, “cheetah”, “bhelpuri”, “curry”, “chutney”, “dharma”, “jungle”, “khaki”, “dacoit”, “languor”, “lathi” “guru”, “mantra”, “karma”, nirvana”, “jute”, “veranda”, “palanquin” “sharvat”, “jameedari”, “pashmina”, “shawl”, “thug”, “yoga”, “path”, “avatar” and so many others from Indian languages and are popularly used as English words. The most important thing is that many words from English language are prevalent in colloquial languages of India.

Thus, it can be concluded that English language is regarded as a global or international language due to its nature of adaptiveness and flexibility. It started its journey from a dialect and by assimilating, adopting and refining its standard it became a global and commonly accepted language of education, business, politics and innovations. Most of its long-term consequences are still beyond our wildest dreams and estimates, but if our initial speculations are correct, they could be even more stunning than anything that has been thought so far in our investigations and analysis.

References:

Davies, A. The Native Speaker in Applied Linguistics. Edinburgh University Press. Heim, M. 1993.

Ferguson, C. “Language planning and language change.” In Cobarrubias, H. & Fishman, J. (Eds.). Progress in Language Planning: International Perspectives, Mouton, 1983.

Kachru, B.B. “Standards, codification and sociolinguistic realism: the English language in the outer circle.” In English in the World:Teaching and Learning the Language and Literatures. Ed. by R. Quirk and H.G. Widdowson. Cambridge University Press and the British Council, 1985.

Quirk, R. and H.G. Widdowson (eds). English in the World: Teaching and Learning the Language and Literatures. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1985.Medgyes, Peter. The Non-Native Teacher. Macmillan, 1994.

IR