It is recognized that the use of the English language has increased steadily over the past 50 years throughout the world. The English language is important for travel that includes package holidays, sporting occasions, business meetings, international conferences, military occupations, academic conferences, transportation and accommodation (Crystal 2003). Some believe that the economic power of the United States has influenced the spread of English in most institutions and other sectors, such as the United Nations, Hollywood, and television programs. On the other hand, other people argue that the English language has already been used by most of the countries that are colonies (Crystal 2003). This essay will first describe how the economic power of the United States affects the spread of English around the world. Secondly, the essay will highlight the opposing arguments that the British colony. This essay will argue and point out the truth of the situation that American English is the dominant world language nowadays. This economic power has influenced institutions and organization and another area. First of all, a significant number of institutions such as the UN (United Nations) and the IMF (International Monetary Fund), the World Bank (World Bank) use the American English language. Crystal (1997, p8) describes how “85% of international organizations now use English as their working language”. Therefore, 99% of European organizations have produced a recent yearbook of international associations in English (Graddol, 1997). Therefore, it is clear that American English is the dominant language in the world and influences the politics and economics of a significant number of countries. Furthermore, there is corroborating evidence that US English is predominant globally. In 1951, the Civil Aviation Organization agreed that English should be the international language for pilots and controllers (Crystal, 2003). This means that if more than one language is used, this may cause misunderstandings. Consequently, there would be a risk of accident. For example, in 1977, frightening cases of the crash of two Boeing 747s in Tenerife were recorded (Crystal, 2003). This figure indicates that American English exists as an international language closely in our lifetime. Furthermore, the Internet is believed to facilitate the extension of the American language. According to Crystal (2001) 64% of Internet hosts are located in the United States. Furthermore, Crystal (2001, p121) pointed out: To study molecular genetics, all you need is to enter the Harvard University Library, the Internet and the World Wide Web only really work as great unifiers if you speak English. This evidence also indicates that language dominance is US verbal communication.
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