IT is challenging to escape the dominance of the English language in our world today. For centuries, English has become a Lingua franca or a bridging language that has grown alongside cross-border trade, diplomacy and culture.
It is not proper for anyone to use English as an excuse or reason for their failure to achieve anything in their life or failure to guide their country to better progress and development.
There is nothing wrong with English or other languages for that matter.
Instead of pointing fingers at the language, they should blame themselves when they are faced with a failure or setback.
Our failure to bring success to ourselves or the country is because of our inability to carry out necessary and constructive change, and our failure to adapt to the new modern world, not due to the use of any language, including English.
Besides Bahasa Malaysia, English is one of the many beautiful languages that exist and needs to be learned and mastered by all.
English is also an international language that is used by millions of people around the globe.
It is the main language of knowledge and science that is crucial for our progress and development.
Though English is indeed the language of our former British colonisers, we must not become too emotionally attached to this historical sentiment and simply deny the importance and use of English as an international language as it plays a significant part in our daily lives as well as contributing to the progress and development of our nation.
It is true that as Malaysians, we should be proud of our national language, Bahasa Malaysia. However at the same time, we shouldn’t deny the importance of English if we want to ensure quick progress and development for ourselves and the nation.
Historically, English is a language that began in Anglo-Saxon England.
It was originally from the Anglo-Frisian and Old Saxon dialects. English is now used as a global language.
Currently, there are about 375 million native English speakers (people who use it as their first language) worldwide.
English is the only official language or one of the official languages of nearly 60 countries.
It is also the main language of more countries in the world than any other. It is the primary language in the UK, Ireland, the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
It is also one of the official languages in Singapore, India, Hong Kong, and South Africa and is widely spoken in parts of the Caribbean, Africa and South Asia.
In 2005, it was estimated that there were over two billion English speakers. English is the first foreign language for most learners who have another main language.
It is the official language of the United Nations, the European Union and many other international organisations.
About 220 million people use it as their second language. As mentioned earlier, it is the most important language of science and technology.
It is often used in work and travel as well as in trade, and there are at least a billion people who are learning it presently.
That makes English the largest language by number of speakers.
Interesting also is the fact that due to the influence of Hollywood on global media, a plethora of movies, TV shows and popular songs are written in English.
If we can speak English, we wouldn’t need to rely on translations and subtitles anymore to enjoy our favourite books, songs, movies and TV shows.
English is also a particularly important language online with much of the internet content written in the language.
It is also important when travelling, going for a holiday and carrying out commerce and business activities.
Since English is spoken in so many different countries there are thousands of educational settings like schools, colleges and universities that offer their programmes in English.
It is also true that while we have other languages that are also equally important and have made a significant mark on the international stage in recent years, such as Mandarin and Arabic, the importance of English cannot be overlooked as it still has a strong influence and position on the international arena in our world today.
In many working sectors, many employers also prefer to employ individuals who have not only mastered their native language, but also have a strong command of English.
It is crucial for us to realise that our inability to master English is also one of the main reasons why many of our local graduates are unable to secure immediate employment.
Knowing English increases our chances of getting a good job in a multinational company within Malaysia or even finding work abroad.
Politicians should not make the use of English an issue just so they can gain political mileage and undermine its importance.
They need to be more responsible and realise its importance for the people and the nation to achieve progress and ensure a better future.
Instead of finding ways to deny the importance of English to the people, they need to find ways to strengthen their proficiency in the language.
Besides aggressively strengthening our national language, our leaders also need to find ways for our people to learn and master English at the same time. Such strengthening efforts should be carried out at early age.
Students in schools and universities should be encouraged to master the language.
The country’s leaders also need to set a good example to the young and society by using English when the need arises.
Our leaders should never shy away from using English in their daily lives and at work.
If our leaders find it difficult to use English, they should strive to further improve their use of the language instead of condemning and criticising it.
Muzaffar Syah Mallow is an associate professor at the Faculty of Syariah and Laws (FSU) in Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM). Comments: letters@thesundaily.com
