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For example, in the Netherlands and some other countries of Europe, knowledge of English as a second language is nearly universal, with over 80 percent of the population able to use it, [91] and thus English is routinely used to communicate with foreigners and often in higher education. In these countries, although English is not used for ...
However, English is not the only language used in major international organizations, because many countries do not recognize English as a universal language. For instance, the United Nations use six languages — Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish.
For example, With overwhelmingly greater-than-chance frequency, languages with normal SOV order are postpositional. Strictly speaking, a tendency is not a kind of universal, but exceptions to most statements called universals can be found. For example, Latin is an SOV language with prepositions. Often it turns out that these exceptional ...
English as a lingua franca (ELF) is the use of the English language "as a global means of inter-community communication" [1] [2] and can be understood as "any use of English among speakers of different first languages for whom English is the communicative medium of choice and often the only option".
While programs offering English language skills have broadened access to English internationally, they have been criticized for promoting linguistic imperialism, a phenomenon that entails the transfer of a dominant language to minority language speakers as a result of hegemonic and economic power structures. [12]
Braj Kachru divides the use of English into three concentric circles. [8]The inner circle is the traditional base of English and includes countries such as the United Kingdom and Ireland and the anglophone populations of the former British colonies of the United States, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, and various islands of the Caribbean, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean.
Under the Charter, the official languages are Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish as well as Arabic which was added in 1973. Portuguese is the only unofficial language to have its day (May 5) proclaimed as "World Day". [5] See also: Official languages of the United Nations. Universal Postal Union (UPU) French (official) and English ...
However, a list of universal aspects underlying all languages has been hard to identify. Another view, held by scientists specializing in Language acquisition , such as Tomasello , argues that young children's early language is concrete and item-based which implies that their speech is based on the lexical items known to them from the ...