English Language is a Link Language in Social System (Research Paper Sample)

English Language is a Link Language in Social System:
Research Proposal
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Class XXXX, Section XXXX, Spring 2014
English Language is a Link Language in Social System:
Research Proposal
Introduction
While the world is moving towards total globalization, it has already chosen the method of communication. Throughout time, English served as an international means of communication linking different countries, cultures, and minds of people who are extremely different from each other in every aspect. Nevertheless, English language tends to serve even the bigger purpose nowadays helping not only to link different cultures, but to overcome the conflicts trying to iron the edges in the conversation. While analyzing English, the first association coming to mind is extreme flexibility, while the shortage of obscene lexics points to the noble descent of the language and its tendency to diplomasy. While language still remains the system of arbitrary vocal symbols, it is possible to claim that the herritage English is possessing designates its role in the global context. English language absorbed history, culture, and traditions of people who contributed in creating it filling with new meanings and notions and those who spread it all across the world.
English, like any other language, is the element of social system. However, unlike any other language, it is one of the most wide-spread communicational tools in the world. In the era of globalization and technological revolution English has unique conditions to become the only language that is able to survive in this circumstances. English in the social system has exceptional status within the field of education, communication, and technology. Occupying the most crucial spheres of social system, it becomes a mandatory language in all spheres of life. At the same time, the modern world is encountering with the phenomenon of dissonance between the old ways of commmunication and modern methods refering to virtual space and communication on the distance. While the borders between cultures, countries, societies, and any other borders are blurring, an individual is showing the tendency to isolation and alienation failing to connect with the other people. Nevertheless, it is believed that English as the universal way of communication has the ability to pave the road for each member of the society and become a link language in social system.
Literature Review
When starting to analyze the topic of English as a link language, it is important to admit that there are some bodies of research suggesting that some scholars tend to see this topic negatively. There is an opposition consisting of scientists and researchers claiming that globalization will destroy the modern diversity of the world eliminating pecularities, cultures, and even the whole nations. For some of them penetration of Western culture within the social system of the other nations is a threat. "Developing countries like China, which have over recent decades been increasingly subject to the economic, political and cultural influence of the developed capitalist nations, ways of living and producing have altered profoundly, and with this has come a changed consciousness of the world" (Knight, 2006, p. 3). English in this context is viewed as the danger as well due to its ability to serve as the means of globalization in general. According to several scholars, diversity is impossible if the borders of globalizations becomes wider absorbing the whole countries with their history, customs, tradtitions, and language and leaving instead common values present withing the Western society.
Mar-Molinero (2000) warns the future generations of English language as the treat trying to conquer the other languages and bring total gegemony of a single language within the inernational society. "On many occasions we have referred to the role, or even the threat, of English in future global linguistic politics" (Mar-Molinero, 2000, p. 203). Such position triggers fear and certain tension existing between different nations and cultures. Mair (2003) notices the same facts insisting that English is the language of colonialism that was imposed forcibly in such countries as Kenya displacing the native language and ruining traditions. "To put it bluntly, as English is a key dimension of globalization and europeanization" (Mair, 2003, p. 20). Stating that Western society together with English language will destroy the identity of different nations does not have a stable ground. On the contrary, a great number of the studies suggest that English in social system of any country plays a crucial roles assisting the country in economic, cultural, and technological development.
Neelam (2013) recognizes the meaning of English within Indian society claiming that the knowledge of the language help people to enhance its technological, economical, and cultural development. For such multi-cultural and diverse communities as Indian society English serves as the link language assisting in communication for people from different parts of the country. According to different scholars, India speaks more than 125 languages inside the country. While not all Indian citizens understand each other, English serves as the link language in this community. "English acts as the link-language, because it is easier to find people in every part of country, who know English" (Neelam, 2013, p. 32). The scholar suggest that people from the northern part of the country hve the ability to communicate with the help of English with the representative of southern part of the country.
There are a lot of studies suggesting that English nowadays does not possess any threat to the diversity and identity of other cultures. It is incredibly difficult nowadays to impose the other language for the society where English-speaking individuals have never been the majority in the society. However, it will be incorrect to deny that comparing to the old times some languages did dissapear due to the processes of collonialization and assimilation of the indigenous people. Flannery (2011) states that 6000 languages people are speaking nowadays will likely to extinct within the nearest several years, though it is rather a natural process than the impact of Western culture or English language (p. 244).
Methodology
The research has indicated the number of studies contradicting each other. Due to diminishing the possible limitations, it is crucial to utilize the methods that will take into account the differences in opinion of the scholars concerning the topic. The study will implement the means of both quantitative and qualitative design of the study. While implementing the quantitative design of the study, the research will gather the information where the English language is considered the official language, what were the circumstances of its spread, and the state of existance of the other languages along English language. Qualitative research will deal with the ethnographic research examining two particular countries where E...