English – a Lingua Franca

“Lingua franca” – a term refers to the language that is recognized as a common language among people who do not share a native language. In addition, that is how English is called among linguists communities. But why so?

Well, there are some undeniable reasons for having this language to be a universal language: 

1. English is widely used and perceived as a second language around the globe with an estimation of more than 15% of the world’s population speaks the language while there is no more than 5% being native speakers. Moreover, it is nominated as the official language in 70 countries.

2. In international scientific organizations and communities for over the last few decades, the English language usage has increasingly become more extensive as nearly 98% of academic articles and magazines worldwide are published in English. Frankly speaking, it goes without saying that as long as you are working in academic field and have acquired a definite level of English, you can totally attend the international community.

3. Globalisation is a gradual trend and sharing the same language certainly makes business grow rapidly. Communication becomes vital as first-class corporations are setting up their presence in various countries. It encourages the information to flow smoothlier and provides people with a common background. This is when the language of English steps in. In fact, its comprehensive usage among international companies has resulted in the phrase “Business English” being invented.

In Vietnam particularly, college students have been gradually asked to complete personal projects and thesis by English. For this reason, this language could be perceived as the primary instrument for the learners to get access to academic journals and research all over the world. Stepping foot into a new learning environment from highschool is a unique experience since during university time, most subjects are taught in English and lecturers usually require the students to give presentations in this language solely. As a freshman and sophomore, they reluctantly carry out research using English and as a result, their academic record at this time could be terrible. 

English learning has never been a comfortable experience for most of the 24 million students in Vietnam. From my own perspective, from the third year, students should take English seriously since their major subjects are delivered in a way that promotes learners autonomy. If you are a graduate or postgraduate who has not thought of dealing with this language, you still have time to think again, after reading this sharing.