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English language spread around the world with the colonization of the UK, and it became a world language for communication, together with Spanish, French, Chinese, Russian, Arabic.

Nowadays, many students in non-English speaking countries have to learn English, and they have to learn English for a better job. "English, as a global language, is conquering every corner of the world, and the outer space", as I have talked about with other friends who wants to learn English. It is true that English has been served as a tool to make the people around the world to understand each other better, and it is helping to reduce the culture gaps by more and more mutual understanding by communication in English, though it is hard to reduce them at all.

Also, since it became a worldwide language, it became a tool used to "conquer" people on this planet with the ideas and thoughts from UK and other English speaking countries. Is it improving the culture exchange, and making people understand each other better? Surely, it is.It has been proved by history that English is a two-edge sword. On the one hand, it is destroying the multi-culture of this globe, and on the other hand, it makes people understand each other better.

The influence of English is beyond its function as a language, because it expands to other fields as well, fashion, political views, buildings and so on, making the non-English speaking countries look rather stranger to their ancestors. In Japanese, there are much words borrowed from English, and in China, people like to say "bashi"(the sound of bus) for the vehicle to carry people as a transportation tool, and why not they say "gonggongqiche"? The same case in Africa, the Mideast, and the south pole and north pole. Buildings there are imitating the styles of English-speaking countries, also, their hair style, and dressing.

The world culture is losing its colorfulness with the spreading of English, in some sense. Therefore, the people from other countries where the English is not the native language are facing difficult choices - should English be made as an office language in these countries?

Actually, there are disputes going on about this issue, which is very important for a country, because it will greatly damage the traditional culture of these countries. Whatever the result is, just let it be...

Learn more about this author, Lisa Bells.
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