E -Stufe 13 - Übung Nr. 4 - GreenButterSolutions

Paul Rosta and John Evans in association with Tatiana Kichkaylo

The rise of English - from one island, to the whole world

It (be) very likely that some 400 years ago, in the time of Shakespeare and Queen Elizabeth I,

no one, absolutely no one, (can / imagine) that the language of a relatively small

island off the Atlantic coast of the European continent (become) the paramount world

language.

What (be) the causes of this extraordinary success story? History, geography, politics and economics

(can / provide) some of the answers.

History. A series of early invasions (greatly / simplify) the language. The conquerors

(can / bother / not) with the niceties of the local grammar; the conquered

(be) unable to resist the transformation and simplification of their language. The final result - an English

grammar, which, on an elementary level, (be) quite uncomplicated.

There (be) no grammatical gender. Conjugations and declensions

(largely / disappear). (I/we/you/they see - the word see (remain) unchanged. The house, to the house,

in the house - the word house (remain) unchanged.) The most frequently used words

(be) mainly short and simple, and often the same word (can / use) as a noun,

as an adjective or as a verb. The pronunciation of English (be) no more than averagely difficult.

Thus English, to begin with, (be) quite an easy language to learn.

The role of geography (be) just as important. Living on an island (mean)

that English people (attune) to the sea, and (develop) good

sea-faring skills. Moreover, defending an island (be) relatively easy - no other European country

(have) the sea as a protective shield. For almost a thousand years this country

(be) free from armed invaders. While most other countries on the continent

(ravage / continually)) by wars, England, and later on Britain (=England united with

Wales and Scotland), (can / concentrate) on overseas expansion and colonisation.

Finally, the role of politics and economics . England, although not Britain, (be) the oldest state

in Europe, unified centuries before France, Spain and Russia, not to mention Germany and Italy, which

(create) only some 130 years ago. A strong state and navy, and a united nobility and business class

(be) major factors in achieving the Industrial Revolution and in establishing the British empire.

The Industrial Revolution (mark) the peak of British power. Britain (be)

the first and only industrialised country until about the middle of the last century. No other country

(can / compete) with British economic, industrial and financial power. British capital, British

exports, British naval and military technology (be) irresistible. All over the world political and

economic elites (have) to accept the hegemony (=dominance) of Britain, and this, of course,

(lead) to the global expansion of English. We (can /

talk / realistically / quite) about a world-wide informal British empire which (last) for two or three

generations, roughly from 1780 to about 1860.

After the end of the American Civil War (1865) and the unification of Germany (1871) Britain

(acquire) strong competitors, both industrially and politically. Industrially, for example, Germany

(make) giant strides in the new electrical and chemical technologies. Politically, the United States

(start) to move into the Caribbean and the Pacific, on her way to becoming THE superpower of the late twentieth century.

For another hundred years or so Britain (have / still) a formal, political empire which

(cover) a quarter of the globe. This formal empire (consist) of colonies of settlement, for example

Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, and colonies of conquest, among them India and most of Africa. This era

(come / finally) to an end in 1997 with the relinquishment of the last major British colony, Hong

Kong.

What (be) left, now that both the informal and the formal British empires (go)?

Red pillar-boxes (collect / still) the mail in some countries; cricket and golf .

Football (be) universal, and so (be) the English language.

The empire of the English language (be) world-wide. And this (be) a triumph for

the whole of humanity, which (need / badly) a universal language in an increasingly globalised world.

English (be) one of the greatest collective creations of mankind. As Part II (show),

many generations, many languages (contribute) to its making. English (be)

a storehouse of world civilisation; it (not / be) only useful, but endlessly fascinating, educative and

enlightening.

from: http://oasis.secna.ru/english/projects/SuperEnglish/Parta.shtml#p2