This document discusses the various functions and roles of the English language. It begins by defining language and its purpose of communicating ideas. It then outlines the main functions of a language as instrumental, regulatory, interactional, and personal. Additionally, English serves as an international language, a link language that facilitates mobility between countries, a library language for accessing knowledge, a window onto other cultures of the west and east, a language for employment, trade, and science/technology. The document emphasizes how English has become a global language due to its widespread use in these many domains.
2. LANGUAGE IS A PRIMARILY
HUMAN AND NON –
INSTINCTIVE METHOD OF
COMMUNICATING IDEAS ,
EMOTIONS AND DESIRES BY
MEANS OF A SYSTEM OF
VOLUNTARILY PRODUCED
SYMBOLS
SAPAIR ,1921
3. Functions of a Language
Instrumental : Facilitates expression of one’s
needs .eg – I want water
Regulatory : Facilitates giving directions
eg – don’t make noise
Interactional : To interact with others
eg – hello , I am anupa and you ?
Personal : Express one’s feelings , opinion etc
eg – I am so happy today
Representational : To convey information
eg –the exam has been postponed
4.
5. International Language
It is the lingua franca of the modern era
Used as a second language around the world
It absorbs and shares aspects of cultures
worldwide
It is the language of international politics
It is the medium of international trade and
commerce
It is the language most number of people
knows in the world
It is the language of international magazines ,
periodicals etc
6. LINK LANGUAGE
For interstate communication
Absorbs and shares aspects of cultures worldwide
Facilitates mobility of professionals from one
country to another
The language link is a greater link between us and
the English speaking people than political /
anything else :- Jawaharlal Nehru
Now it is less being considered as a second
language
Medium for discussion in UNO and Common
Wealth
7. LIBRARY LANGUAGE
A language which is widely and
fruitfully used to collect knowledge and
information from books
80 % of world ‘ s electronically stored
information is in English language
Key to store house of knowledge
While the goal is to adopt the regional
language as the media of education , we
would like to stress again that this
doesn’t involve elimination of English
:- Kothari commission
Regular use of English as a library
language develops our reading skill and
widens our horizon in regard to world
affairs
8. ψ For the east English is a window to the west and for the west , it
is a window to the east
ψ Chief agent of globalization
ψ Great Indian scholars and intellectual giants like Ram Mohan
Roy , Swami Vivekananda spread the values of Indian culture
and tradition in the west through their powerful English
ψ Eminent western scholars like James Mill ,Elphistone and
Vincent Smith wrote Indian history in English
ψ The richness of this multi -national , multi-religious , multi –
cultural literature is unique and it provides a golden key to the
culture of the global village of the future. This process is now
taken to further distance by the creation of the internet and the
websites :- M.G.S.Narayan
WINDOW ON THE WORLD
9.
10. LANGUAGE FOR EMPLOYMENT
Opens the doors of employment across the
length and breadth of the world
Widens the scope of professional experts
Facilitates careers of good remuneration
Helps employers recruit candidates of
competence
Facilitates mobility of professionals from one
country to another
A language of opportunities
11. LANGUAGE FOR TRADE
East Indian company came to India with
the aim of trade
Make free trade between countries possible
The rules and regulations of trade are
prepared in English
We are using products of other countries on
which the details will be invariably
inscribed in English language
12. LANGUAGE FOR SCIENCE
AND TECHNOLOGYTechnical words and registers of
concerned subject will be in borrowed
terms as they have no equivalent in
target language
To get ourselves updated with
technological advancements
Authentic books are available
only in English
Communication to any part of the
world is possible within seconds
through network in English
For transacting scientific and
technological help and knowledge
between nations English is the medium
13. Every advance in science , in
engineering , in trade , in politics , in
every branch of human thought ,is
discussed ,printed and determined
and made available in English
F . G . French
