Name:Nguyễn Trần Hoàng Kiệt DTA187105

Class:DH19TA1

INDIVIDIAL REPORT

Group 1: The historical,social,and political context

1.Consider your own country of origin and describe the role of English in it. Can your
country be classified according to the categories mentioned in the book? If yes, which category does
it belong to? If not, why not?
English only started to become popular in the 1980s when Vietnam carried out economic reforms.
In 1982, English became a compulsory subject at the high school level. Although it was a language
that came to Vietnam later, many Vietnamese people were aware of its importance and started to
learn this language.
As a Vietnamese, I think it is important to learn English because it helps Vietnamese understand the
world culture. A good knowledge of English also makes it easier for learners to find jobs and have
more life opportunities, especially in this age of global trade.In the current context of globalization,
the need for communication between countries is strongly promoted. This made English more
popular as an international language. But not all English learners can speak the language well.
In Vietnam, English as a Foreign Language (ELF). According to Longman Dictionary of Language
Teaching and Applied Linguistics (1992), "A foreign language is a language taught in schools as a
subject of instruction, but not used as a language of instruction in schools, nor as a language of
communication for Countries (e.g. in government, business or industry)”; although English is
widely used and recognized in Vietnam’s tourist areas, which formally taught in the national
education system and is also learned or used by many people in Vietnam for trade. But it is not used
As a means of communication in the daily life of Vietnamese people, it is not used in commodity
exchange or politics.
In conclusion, English is currently the foreign language of Vietnam, and while it can now be
considered a first foreign language, it is not yet a second language.
2.Crystal lists numerous territories where English is used as an official, i.e. institutionalized,
the second language. What do you think are the main domains of institutionalized language use in
these territories?
According to David Crystal (2006), English is the first language of about 400 million people
worldwide, the second language of about 400 million others, and spoken as a foreign language by
about 60-700 million people. In fact, the number of people speaking English today is growing much
faster than these numbers.
English is the official language of international political, economic, diplomatic, cultural,
educational and military organizations such as the United Nations, the World Trade Organization
(WTO), the World Health Organization, the World Economic Forum (WHO), and the Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation (APEC). ASEAN)...
English is the main language of scientific and technological publications, as well as the main
language of international trade, aviation, etc. This language is becoming more and more important
for everyone's development. Countries and individuals in the current era of globalization and
Industry 4.0. Therefore, in addition to countries where English is the native language, many other
countries have recognized English as a second language.
In my opinion, the main areas of institutionalized language use are politics and international
business.
Why English is an international language: The main answer lies in some political events in history.
The rise of the British Empire and their use of English in the country will spread the English
language there, and therefore a great deal of English usage all over the world. The rise of the United
States has been an important factor in bringing English to the forefront of the international
community in recent centuries. Well, America's economic and political power has a lot to do with
why English is still an extremely important language. This has led to English becoming the
international language of many different industries.
In international commerce and trade, the United States has a dominant economic position in the
world, and they can control many international economic societies, including international
organizations. If countries want to trade with economic powerhouses, they must speak this
language. This is further made possible by the fact that many countries already use English in their
home countries due to the former domination of the British.
3.As stated in the book, it has become increasingly common since the mid-1990s to find
alongside English as a foreign language (EFL) the use of English as a lingua franca (ELF). Try to
define the term 'English as a Lingua Franca in your own words. Can you think of situations from
your own experience where English is used as a lingua franca?
The term English as a Language(ELF)refers to the teaching, learning and use of the English
language as a common means of communication for speakers of different native languages.
First we have to find out what is "Lingua franca",which a language-independent functional
language, not an artificial language, defined as follows: While pidgin and creole are functionally
similar lingua franca, in many languages lingua franca is neither pidgin nor creole Errish. If the
native language is spoken by a certain group of people, the lingua franca is used to communicate
with other groups of people whose native language is different. For example, English is the native
language of the United States, but in the Philippines, English is considered the lingua franca.
Lingua franca (also called bridge/work/travel language) is a language, systematically, used for
communication between people who do not speak the same mother tongue. Especially if it is only a
third language if it is not the mother tongue of both people.
While going to Saigon to play with my family, I met a Thai friend who was looking for his way
back to the hotel because I don't speak Thai and she doesn't speak fluent Vietnamese, and I don't
know what to do.Fortunately, well he actually speaks English and then we communicate with each
other in English and I also guide he to where the hotel needs to go. You can see that in this case, we
all cannot communicate in our own language, but use English as a bridge of communication, which
is called English as a lingua franca.

Reference
Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching & Applied Linguistics (1992)
English as a global language, David Crystal (2006)