The English language in Brazil and in the world
English is currently the most widely spread language in the world. It is the main language of the Internet, in the areas of politics and business. Of utmost importance, the English language is currently classified as a global language.
In some countries, it is used as a mother tongue and in others, it is learned as a second language. There is no doubt that English is the language of communication between people from different cultures. It is the language of computers that helps communication around the world. It is the language used in tourism and travel. English is the native language of twelve countries: Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, the United States, Grenada, Guyana, England, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, and Trinidad. In addition to these, 11 other countries have the language as their official language: Botswana, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Mauritius, Nigeria, Rhodesia, Sierra Leone, Uganda and Zambia, and another 14 countries as their second language: Cameroon, India, Lesotho, Malui, Malta, Namibia, Nauru, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, and Western Samoa. In addition to these, another 5 countries consider the English language as an official: Kenya, Malaysia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Sudan.
It is estimated that almost 400 million people around the world use English as their first language. The number of non-native speakers of the language already exceeds the number of native speakers in a ratio of 3 to 1, according to language expert David Crystal. He claims that there has never been in the history of languages a language spoken by more people as a second language than as a first. In Asia alone, the number of users of the language reached 350 million, almost equivalent to the populations of the United States, Great Britain, and Canada. There are currently over 100 million Chinese children studying English, a number that exceeds the number of British children. English has spread around the world mainly because of British colonialism, technological advances, the Industrial Revolution, and the economic, political, and technological ancestry of the United States.
The history of the global spread of the English language is full of important events: the creation of the Penal Code in Australia in 1788, the British colonization in Singapore in 1819, the beginning of British administration in Nigeria in 1861, the foundation of the BBC in 1922 and the United Nations in 1945; the launch by AT&T of the first communications satellite in 1962. In Brazil, with the arrival of the royal family in 1808, French and English were officially introduced into the school curriculum. After the Proclamation of the Republic, the English and German languages became optional. Only in the late 19th century did they become mandatory in some series. During the government of Getúlio Vargas, Latin, French, and English were subjects of the gymnasium. Only in 1996 did the LDB (Education Guidelines and Bases Act) make foreign language teaching mandatory from the 5th grade onwards. A recent study suggests that among students in the United Arab Emirates, Arabic is associated with tradition, religion, culture, arts, while English is a symbol of work, modernity, higher education, commerce, economics, and technology. In Arabic-speaking countries, science subjects are often taught in English, because the best books and other educational resources are available in that language.
Currently, there is an increasing search for learning the language. This language without borders is present in newspapers around the world and in more than 80% of scientific studies. Today, it is considered a high-value product to achieve professional and personal improvement.
