Due to shifts in global power, English has become a global "lingua franca", perhaps the first in human history. Nearly everybody in the Western world is taught English as their primary language, and Eastern countries teach English as a second language. Anybody who comes in to this world can quickly see how important English is to humans.
If one wants to see the prominence of English in society, they need only look at the industrial world. In textbooks of all sorts, English is the primary language used. No matter what country you go to, the industrial texts are bound to have some amount of English in them.
Despite English's widespread influence, it is not the number one native tongue learned by humans; Mandarin is. This is due to primarily to Chinas immense population, which outnumbers many English-speaking countries combined. However, English is still the second language learned most by those of Chinese origin.
English had a long evolution, starting with Old English in the fifth century. Old English was so distinct that it seems like a different language, but one can see subtle similarities to modern English in it. The most famous work written in Old English was the epic tale of Beowulf.
Old English originated in the fifth century from the Anglo-Saxons. In 1066, the Norman Conquest occurred, and Middle English began to develop. It was spoken until the end of the fifteenth century. The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer is the greatest remnant of Middle English.
The next stage in English, starting in the late 15th century, was Early Modern English. This was heavily influenced by William Shakespeare, although he was focused on Elizabethan English. His contributions, combined with other peoples, led to today's modern English.
As with all languages, English is continually evolving, with some words being stricken and new ones being added. In ones lifetime, it is difficult to see any drastic changes in a language, but over a long period of time, the vast changes are apparent.
Although English is the current primary language, a possibility exists of it being usurped by something else. Esperanto was a proposed universal language that still has some appeal but did not reach the status the creator intended. Until something else comes along, English is the best we have, and what a great language it is!
If one wants to see the prominence of English in society, they need only look at the industrial world. In textbooks of all sorts, English is the primary language used. No matter what country you go to, the industrial texts are bound to have some amount of English in them.
Despite English's widespread influence, it is not the number one native tongue learned by humans; Mandarin is. This is due to primarily to Chinas immense population, which outnumbers many English-speaking countries combined. However, English is still the second language learned most by those of Chinese origin.
English had a long evolution, starting with Old English in the fifth century. Old English was so distinct that it seems like a different language, but one can see subtle similarities to modern English in it. The most famous work written in Old English was the epic tale of Beowulf.
Old English originated in the fifth century from the Anglo-Saxons. In 1066, the Norman Conquest occurred, and Middle English began to develop. It was spoken until the end of the fifteenth century. The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer is the greatest remnant of Middle English.
The next stage in English, starting in the late 15th century, was Early Modern English. This was heavily influenced by William Shakespeare, although he was focused on Elizabethan English. His contributions, combined with other peoples, led to today's modern English.
As with all languages, English is continually evolving, with some words being stricken and new ones being added. In ones lifetime, it is difficult to see any drastic changes in a language, but over a long period of time, the vast changes are apparent.
Although English is the current primary language, a possibility exists of it being usurped by something else. Esperanto was a proposed universal language that still has some appeal but did not reach the status the creator intended. Until something else comes along, English is the best we have, and what a great language it is!
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