Have you ever felt afraid of what others would think of you when speaking English in public?
Or maybe, have you sometimes felt self-conscious about your accent?
Have you already spent hours browsing videos that would teach you how to "sound like a native"?
It's not uncommon that many English learners,
and maybe even you, compare themselves with other speakers,
and from doing that, get the idea that to be fluent, you must "sound like a native speaker".
However, for most learners what is actually behind this idea is the desire of speaking clearly,
having people's respect, and feeling like they belong, while communicating in a foreign language.
If that's also true for you, you should know that none of
those things has to do with how you "sound". So if you watch until the end, you will learn:
And, if you don't want to miss out on lessons just like this that will help you understand
fast-speaking English, be understood by anyone, and connect to the world,
just hit the subscribe button down below and join our learning community,
just like Camari who says that our channel helped him forget all his pains and freed him from stress
when learning English! So join our community and hit that subscribe button and the bell down below
so you don’t miss any of our new lessons! Before we go over what Global English is
and how it helps you gain the confidence you need to interact with other people in English,
let's play a quick game so you can find out how much you know about it.
If you answered A you are correct!
If you answered B you are correct!
The correct answer here is C. As you can see, even though nearly
20% of the world's population speak English, most of the language is spoken by non-native speakers.
If you struggle to understand fast speaking natives, then I highly recommend our RealLife
Native Immersion Course. This 41-week course will take you on a RealLife adventure of the
English language, in a way that is fun, natural and convenient! And the best part is you can
try it right now for free with our three-part Power Learning Series! All you have to do is
click up here or down in the description box below to learn more and sign up now.
For a language to achieve such global status, it must play a significant role
and earn a special place within the communities in a variety of countries around the world.
This is what happened with English that became one of the most spoken foreign
languages and the most commonly studied language in the world.
But, as we saw in the quiz, native speakers are the minority of English speakers. For that reason,
you're much more likely to use English to interact with other non-native speakers!
There's even a specific name for this. It's called English as Lingua Franca, which is the "contact
language" between a group of people who do not share a common native tongue nor a common culture.
So, when you, native or not, interact with someone whose mother tongue is not English,
you're using English as Lingua Franca. English as Lingua Franca focuses on the
ability of using the language to communicate and be understood by anyone and not so much on norms
of the language. The reason for that is that in the real world, rules become much more flexible.
The focus shifts to the communication of ideas. One of the most interesting aspects
of having people from different backgrounds using the language for communication is that
making grammar mistakes is not a big deal. This global use means that the English
language is alive and context-bound that nobody owns it anymore.
When speaking Global English, there isn't just one or two models to follow,
like British or American English. The reason for this is because even
among native speakers, there isn't only one model of English. An American, British,
Australian, Canandian, and others, speak different varieties of the same language.
This means that vocabulary, pronunciation and expressions change from one place to another.
Sometimes what one native says is incomprehensible even to another native,
and it can create really fun situations. If you're interested in learning the
contrast between American, British and Australian English check out this lesson we've made about it.
You can click up here or down in the description box below to watch it next!
This is why, You Shouldn't Worry About British or American English
It is true that for a very long time,
British and American were the main spoken models of English pronunciation.
One of the main reasons for this is that language is tightly connected to its users. This means that
when they thrive on the international stage, their language also succeeds.
So, due to the fact that Britain (and later on the USA) have great political and military power,
English has become the language of international relations,
and the reason why the two variants became the most prominent models of English learning.
One of the reasons why people who opt for learning, let's say, American or British
English is because they will live, work or study in one of those countries and want to
be more familiar with local lingo, for instance. However, people have become increasingly more
mobile, both physically and electronically, and ultimately learn English to communicate
and express their culture with other English speakers, whether they are natives or not.
As non-native English speakers now outnumber native English speakers,
there has been an increasing number of English as Lingua Franca users.
They are fully competent speakers of English and use the language in a
fluent and easily comprehensible way that does not privilege any "native" variety.
That's the great thing about Global English! It highlights that there isn't just one way of
speaking the language. The vocabulary you'll need is going to be defined in
every single conversation and interaction. It makes communication much easier because we
already know how to adapt the language we use to a specific situation in our mother tongue.
Think about it, the language you use at home with your grandma is not the same you use when
hanging out with friends, which is probably also very different from the one you use to
present a project at work or school. Becoming aware of that, it's a key
factor to start Living Your English and Speaking Confidently With Anyone.
Having a global approach to the language doesn't mean that you don't need to learn
the structure of the language, its rules and achieve a certain level of proficiency.
Having a strong foundation of the language will help you become a better communicator.
But, you shouldn't focus so much on speaking like natives. It becomes more about the clarity
and simplicity of communication, not using flowery words or faking an accent
that will only make you sound unnatural. I cannot stress enough how trying to sound
like a native is a trap. Although after extensive exposure and practice you may
get closer to sounding native-like, trying to pursue only that while
learning the language will lead to frustration. You can’t become a native speaker of an additional
language. English will always be your additional language, so your accent, the way you talk,
the words you choose are part of your identity. Even the one you have in your first language.
English is what is going to connect you with anyone in the world, and speaking it is about
celebrating your voice, learning about the world around you, and not about sounding like X or Y.
Now, let’s look at some tips to put Global English into practice.
The longer you have contact with different accents, the easier you'll understand them.
Instead of pursuing accent reduction, understand which aspects of your accent
compromise intelligibility. Work on making yourself intelligible.
Don't limit yourself to listening to just natives. Expose yourself to various types of English:
watch TV, listen to podcasts, from various regions and accents.
If you are a native English speaker (or
close friends with one), remember they should also accommodate their language
to the needs of the speakers in the room. Mutual understanding is a two-way street.
Help other people learn. Tutor a friend, teach your local community.
The more in touch with the language you are, the more familiar you become with its nuances.
Do not apologize for speaking an additional language. If you can communicate clearly and
be understood, there's no such thing as bad English. If that’s a way you refer
to your English and want to start speaking more confidently, then I highly recommend you check
out this lesson that Ethan made by clicking up here or down in the description to watch it next!
In this video we discussed the role of Global English, the use of English as Lingua Franca
and how it helps you communicate with others. Global English will enhance your listening skills,
broaden your view of the diverse world we live in, and empower you.
I truly hope it helped to boost your confidence to better communicate in this foreign language.
Now that you've watched it, take a moment to note down some interesting vocabulary
that popped up during this video and promise me that you will celebrate speaking YOUR English.