Skip to main content

The Global Impact of English and Science

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
  • 550 Accesses

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Education ((BRIEFSEDUCAT))

Abstract

Asian pop groups sing in it. Global investors make money in it. The aerospace industry relies on it—and flies in it. For better or for worse, English has become a modern lingua franca in our increasingly globalised world. From an obscure West Germanic dialect, English has developed and spread over the past 1500 years to become the language of international trade, communications, economic development and innovation. Since the end of World War II, the spread of English has accelerated and displaced French, Italian, German and Russian as the language of science and technology. This chapter provides a brief overview of the global impact of English and its implications for scientific knowledge.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   44.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   59.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 21st edn. (2018), http://www.ethnologue.com

  2. S.L. Montgomery, Does Science Need a Global Language? English and the Future of Research (University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2013)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Education First, EF English Proficiency Index (2016) (cited 2018), www.ef.com/epi

  4. C. Tardy, The role of English in scientific communication: lingua franca or Tyrannosaurus rex? J. Engl. Acad. Purp. 3(3), 247–269 (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  5. B. Seidlhofer, English as a lingua franca. ELT J. 59(4), 339–341 (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Education First, EF English Proficiency Index (2017) (cited 2018), www.ef.com/epi

  7. D. Crystal, English as a Global Language, 2nd edn. (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2003)

    Google Scholar 

  8. P.G. Altbach, J. Knight, The internationalization of higher education: motivations and realities. J. Stud. Int. Educ. 11(3/4), 290–305 (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  9. A. Kirkpatrick, English as a medium of instruction in Asian education (from primary to tertiary): implications for local languages and local scholarship, in Applied Linguistics Review, ed. by L. Wei (De Gruyter Mouton, Berlin, 2011), pp. 99–120

    Google Scholar 

  10. J. Dearden, English as a Medium of Instruction—A Growing Global Phenomenon [Web] (2014), https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/sites/teacheng/files/pub_E484%20EMI%20-%20Cover%20option_3%20FINAL_Web.pdf

  11. I. Walkinshaw, B. Fenton-Smith, P. Humphreys, EMI issues and challenges in Asia-Pacific higher education: an introduction, in English Medium Instruction in Higher Education in Asia-Pacific, ed. by B. Fenton-Smith, P. Humphreys, I. Walkinshaw (Springer, Cham, 2017), pp. 1–18

    Google Scholar 

  12. N. Mitchell, Universities Compete by Teaching in English. BBC Knowledge Economy Series (2016)

    Google Scholar 

  13. A. Kirkpatrick, English as a medium of instruction in East and Southeast Asian Universities, in Dynamic Ecologies, Multilingual Education, vol. 9, ed. by N. Murray, P. Humphreys, A. Scarino (Springer Science, Dordrecht, 2014), pp. 15–29

    Google Scholar 

  14. T. Eastwood, G. Watson, The increasing pull of China, in International Education Association of Australia (IEAA, 2015)

    Google Scholar 

  15. D.G. Drubin, D.R. Kellogg, English as the universal language of science: opportunities and challenges. Mol. Biol. Cell 23, 1399 (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  16. The great experiment—can China become a scientific superpower. The Economist, London, 12 Jan 2019

    Google Scholar 

  17. Red moon rising—how China could dominate science. The Economist, London, 12 Jan 2019

    Google Scholar 

  18. J. Chang, Globalization and English in Chinese higher education. World Englishes 25(3/4), 513–525 (2006)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Cathryn Roos .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Roos, C., Roos, G. (2019). The Global Impact of English and Science. In: Real Science in Clear English. SpringerBriefs in Education. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-7820-1_1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-7820-1_1

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-13-7819-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-13-7820-1

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics