Course Development as Lingua Franca & Challenges Posed by Mandarin Chinese

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English Language: Course of Development as Lingua Franca and Challenges Posed by Mandarin Chinese
Lingua franca is a linguist term for a language used to communicate across borders with nations and races having their vernacular languages. Ever since the advent of globalization, and even before that, it has been an irrefutable reality that English is the perfect medium of communication across the globe. The successful promotion of English during the reign of the British empire; additionally, American technological, financial, and economic dominance over global trade and finance are two crucial factors that necessitated the worldwide adoption of English. However, other aspects of English, including linguistic pliability and its ability to assimilate socio-cultural elements of the native language and societies, are also significant contributors to its global popularity. Moreover, the wide range of communication strategies adopted by speakers of English as a second language is also established as English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) (Lewandowska 30).
Nevertheless, there are some rivals for this position of English, and Mandarin Chinese is the topmost contender on account of China’s growing global economic and social influence and the increase in the number of learners of Mandarin Chinese. Nevertheless, it is a general agreement amongst linguists that despite China’s emergence as a global power, the establishment of Mandarin Chinese as lingua franca will be limited to China or East Asia, most on account of various linguistic, social, and cultural barriers (Plumb 48). Therefore, this paper aims to discuss the substantial causes of the global popularity of English and the prospects of Mandarin Chinese as a candidate for the next lingua franca of the world.
English colonialism was an offshoot of the Renaissance spirit of discovery and curiosity, and the unprecedented sea voyages that were undertaken during the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries led to the expansion of the British Empire in North America, West Indies, South Asia as far as Singapore and Malacca (Woodward 16). Consequently, Britain established a worldwide network of colonies and protectorates, and in these regions and territories, the growing influence of English authorities necessitated the native population to adopt the British linguistic elements for ease of communication. It is crucial to understand the gradual process through which English occupied a central place in the medium of communication as in the beginning, vernacular language and socio-cultural elements hesitated to adopt English linguistic elements.
Nevertheless, sensing the significance of the English language in global trade and quality education, the elites of the natives began to stress the more than frequent use of the English language not only in business and official dealings but also incorporated it as a medium of education (Buchanan). In the sub-continent and Africa, scholars and philosophers played a vital role in spreading English as a medium of instruction. Consequently, most of the former British colonies still use English as an official medium of communication. English is the official national language even in some colonies, including Ghana and South Africa (Corrad). Another strong factor that linguistically influenced countries across the continent is the emergence of America as a superpower as a follow-up of the two world wars and the end of the British Empire. Decades of American monopoly in global trade, finance, and education sectors forced the remnants of the resilience elements of the indigenous cultures to adopt English to ensure their financial and social survival (Buchanan).
Connected to this aspect of the spread of the American variant of the English language across the globe is the phenomenal spread and popularity of American movies and music that introduced American culture and modified local linguistic tendencies by incorporating elements of the American form of English. Moreover, the immense popularity of American culture influenced the attire, sports, and way of living of people across the globe; the extensive network of American fast-food chains is axiomatic proof of this influence. These factors collectively made local natives adopt the American form of English and American manifestations of culture and social standards (Buchanan). Indeed, the addition of a more pliant and more popular American variant of English in the last few decades significantly reinforced the status of English as a lingua franca.
At the end of the twentieth century, the advent of computer technology further spurred the spread of the American variant of the English language even in countries like China, which had been resilient in adopting English as a medium of instruction. Today, all the essential information regarding computers and the Internet is based in English. Components of computer hardware, programming languages, Internet protocols, networking software, and all such elements are based on English, and without a sound knowledge of this language, it is virtually impossible to gain mastery over computer science (Buchanan). All in all, the factor of the spread of computers and the Internet can safely be termed as a lasting reinforcement that the English language received in the last three decades to maintain its status as lingua franca. This revolution has diminished to a minuscule scale all the threats to the status of the English language posed by various emerging global languages and socio-cultural trends.
One of the characteristic features of English is its pliability which means various cultures can adopt it as it openly allows assimilation of native linguistic, cultural, and social norms and elements. Consequently, English in non-English speaking societies adopts this language in various dialects and creoles based on their specific socio-cultural norms and customs (Lewandowska 28). For instance, in the sub-continent, assimilation of local terminologies and names lent more credibility and a wide range of acceptance to English in the eyes of natives. Similarly, in Africa, native elements have become an inseparable part of local dialects and variants of English. The formation of such creoles in native society enhanced the significance of the English language and made it a more acceptable form of communication.
Regarding incorporating native elements in English to form a more usable medium of communication, several words of modern English have been derived from the native languages spoken in the sub-continents. For instance, the word “sentinel” is a modified version of the Hindi word “sentry”; likewise, the word shampo...