essay writing on global language

Essay on English as a Global Language

500 Words Essay On English as a Global Language

A global language is one that is spoken and understood at an international level by a wide variety of people. Moreover, no language in the world better fits this description than the English language. This essay on English as a global language will shed more light on this issue.

Essay on English as a Global Language

Why English is a Global Language

When it comes to languages, one can make a strong argument that a strong link exists between dominance and cultural power. Furthermore, the main factor that the languages become popular is due to a powerful power-base, whether economic or political or military.

The derivation of the English language took place from languages like French, Latin, German, and other European languages. This can be a reason why many Europeans don’t find English a difficult language to learn. Furthermore, linguists argue whether the simplicity of the English language is the main reason for it becoming a global language.

The Latin script of the English language appears less complicated for people to recognize and learn. Also, the pronunciation of the English language is not as complex as other languages like Korean or Turkish for example.

Generally, the difficulty level of a language varies from person to person and it also depends on the culture to which one may belong. For example, a Korean person would find less difficulty in mastering the Japanese language in comparison to a German person. This is because of the close proximity of the Korean and Japanese cultures.

Due to the massive British colonial conquests , no culture is in complete oblivion of the English language or words. As such, English is a language that should not appear as too alien or strange to any community. Consequently, learning English is not such big of a deal for most people as they can find a certain level of familiarity with the language.

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The Effectiveness of the English Language

English is a very effective language and this is evident due to the presence of various native and non-native speakers on a global scale. Furthermore, according to statistics, one-fourth of the world is either fluent in the English language or content with it. While it’s true that the number of native Mandarin speakers is the greatest in the world, Mandarin is not the global language due to its complex spellings, grammar , and letter system.

The English language, on the other hand, does not suffer from such complexity problems. Furthermore, the English language has a lot of words and synonyms to express something. As such, any word or its meaning can be expressed with a high level of accuracy.

Conclusion of the Essay on English as a Global Language

English is certainly the most widely spoken language in the world by far. On a global scale, English has the most number of speakers, who speak English either as a first or second language. Without a doubt, no other language in the world can come close to English in terms of its immense popularity.

FAQs For Essay on English as a Global Language

Question 1: Why English is referred to as the global language?

Answer 1: Many consider English as a global language because it is the one language that the majority of the population in almost every region of the world can speak and understand. Furthermore, the language enjoys worldwide acceptance and usage by every nation of the world. Therefore, it is an extremely essential global language.

Question 2: How English became the global language in the world?

Answer 2: By the late 18th century, the British Empire had made a lot of colonies. Moreover, they had established their geopolitical dominance all over the world. Consequently, the English language quickly spread in the British colonies.

There was also the contribution of technology, science, diplomacy, commerce, art, and formal education which led to English becoming a truly global language of the world.

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Essay On English As A Global Language

English as a Global Language Essay

500 words essay on english as a global language.

Globally, English is the most popular language, spoken in almost all countries. According to the statistics, nearly half of the world’s population is well-versed in this language. It is proved by many native and non-native speakers that English is an efficient language worldwide. Moreover, compared to other languages, English is easier to learn. For example, unlike Chinese, the English alphabet has only 26 letters that form words, and several English words are borrowed from other languages.

English is the language of technology, so knowing English is necessary to make the best use of the internet. It also makes tourism easy, as it helps better understand the people. Also, any international meeting will probably be done in English. This essay will discuss why English is considered a global language.

Why Is English a Global Language?

English is considered a global language because it is spoken and understood at an international level by a wide variety of people. Globally, English has the most speakers who speak it either as a first or second language.

We can see a strong link between dominance and cultural power in languages. English, as a language, became famous because of its power base, whether political, economic or military.

English language derivation occurred from German, Latin, and other European languages. Due to this, Europeans don’t consider English a complex language to learn. Also, according to linguists, English became a global language due to its simplicity.

English script in Latin appears less complicated to learn and recognise by people. Also, like other languages such as Turkish or Korean, English pronunciation is not so complex and is easy to understand.

Generally, if we observe closely, the difficulty level of a particular language varies from person to person. It also depends on the culture the individual belongs to. For example, A person from Korea will find the Japanese language less complicated than a Britisher because of the similarities between Korean and Japanese cultures.

The language, English, should not be alien or unknown to any community. Learning English was not a big deal during British rule, as most people from different cultures became familiar with the language.

Future of English as a Global Language

Nowadays, primary-level to higher-level education mostly uses English as the medium of instruction.

The English language is considered a global language. So, in most countries, education will be delivered in English. Students will read and write their field of interest in English. The English language will replace the arts, culture and science stream of education.

Globally, education is provided in the English language, due to which all variations of research-based education and projects are based on this language. Scientific, technical and medical research all depend on the English language. Nowadays, research-based learning is imperative in all education streams, and the medium should be English.

To Access Knowledge

In the modern era of technology, people approach the internet to get information about the smallest things possible. So, gradually, the English language has proved its strong presence globally, and people have started to access related content written in the English language.

Informative Sources

All kinds of information are available in the form of books, newspapers, specific topic-based print content, etc. There are various resources available online as well, and they can be accessed for free.

Conclusion of the Essay on English as a Global Language

English is the most helpful language globally, and its “universal language” status proves that fact. Learning anything new can be time-consuming. However, irrespective of where you come from, learning English will open an array of opportunities for you.

It’s always good to learn a new language. English is the business language, so learning English will make the road ahead more accessible for you if you want to start a business. We can safely say that learning English will add value to your life with all that in mind.

From our BYJU’S website, students can learn CBSE Essays related to different topics. It will help students to get good marks in their upcoming exams.

Frequently Asked Questions on English as a Global Language Essay

Why is english considered a global language.

The majority of the world’s population can speak and understand the English language. Also, this language is considered easy to learn when compared to other languages.

How many countries have recognised English as the official language?

English is recognised as the official language in 67 different countries, as well as in 27 non-sovereign entities.

Who is the Father of the English language?

Geoffrey Chaucer, born sometime between the year 1340-1344, is known to be the Father of the English language.

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English As A Global Language Essay

In today's interconnected world, English has become the dominant global language. It's the language of business, diplomacy, and international relations. It's also the language of science and technology. Here are some sample essays on English as a global language.

100 Words Essay On English As A Global Language

English has become the global language because it has the ability to connect people from all corners of the world. When it comes to language, the world is changing. English has quickly become the global language of business, travel, and communication, and its importance is only expected to grow in the years to come.

One of the most important benefits of speaking English nowadays is that it enables you to be part of a global conversation. When you can understand and communicate with people from different backgrounds, cultures and countries, you open new doors to business opportunities, personal connections and more. It is the language of opportunity.

200 Words Essay On English As A Global Language

English has also become an essential tool for success in job markets around the world. Having good language skills often gives you a competitive edge over other candidates, as it allows you to communicate with customers or colleagues better. Additionally, many prestigious universities have begun offering courses taught entirely in English in order to attract international students from all over the world.

Overview of the Growing Significance of English

There are a number of reasons for the overgrowing significance of English as a language. For starters, English is the most widely spoken language in the world. It's spoken by more than 1.5 billion people, making it the most common second language in the world. And as more and more countries become connected through trade and technology, the demand for English speakers continues to rise.

But it's not just about numbers. English is also a very versatile language. It's capable of expressing a wide range of emotions and ideas, making it perfect for both business and travel. And thanks to its history as a colonial language, English also has a number of dialects and variants that make it easy to learn and be used in different parts of the world.

500 Words Essay On English As A Global Language

It is important for students to learn English and for people to continue to study and learn the English language. English is the language of the future.

Historical Influence of English

English has played an important role in world history, and its influence can be seen in many different aspects of society. This can be seen particularly in the field of business, where English is often the language of choice for conducting international transactions.

But English's role as a global language is not limited to the business world. It is also widely used in education, science, technology and entertainment. This growing significance of English has led to a number of debates on its impact on other languages and cultures. Some people argue that English is a threat to linguistic diversity, while others claim that it has actually helped to promote international understanding.

Benefits of Learning English As A Language

There are plenty of reasons to learn English, but here are some of the most important:

English is the most common global language. That means that if you know English, you can communicate with more people than any other language.

English is the language of business. If you want to work in a global company or do business with people from other countries, you need to be able to speak English.

English is the language of diplomacy. If you want to work in international relations or become a diplomat, you need to be fluent in English.

English is the language of science and technology. If you want to work in a technical field or study science, you need to know English.

The Positive Impact of English on Today’s Society

English is being used by more people in everyday communication than ever before. It also serves as a unifying factor between different cultural backgrounds and can pave the way for greater social understanding. In short, English has become ingrained in most aspects of our lives, regardless of where we are from or what language we may speak at home.

Challenges Faced by Non-Native English Speakers

When it comes to the challenges that non-native English speakers face, there are several. One is that some words and phrases may still be challenging to understand, even after extensive studying. Additionally, being able to properly pronounce and intonate these words and phrases can be even more difficult.

Maintaining an appropriate level of grammar and syntax while also using proper sentence structure and coherence is often difficult as well. Even with proper guidance, working around cultural and language barriers can be a challenge; this is especially true when it comes to translating ideas accurately in a language other than one’s native tongue.

Non-native English speakers may also struggle to find their own style of writing in order to make their work stand out from others. Different countries have different styles of expression, so finding a style that truly reflects your own unique voice can be difficult no matter how well-versed someone may be in the English language.

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Budget Analyst

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Finance Executive

Product manager.

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Operations Manager

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Stock Analyst

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A Researcher is a professional who is responsible for collecting data and information by reviewing the literature and conducting experiments and surveys. He or she uses various methodological processes to provide accurate data and information that is utilised by academicians and other industry professionals. Here, we will discuss what is a researcher, the researcher's salary, types of researchers.

Welding Engineer

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Transportation Planner

A career as Transportation Planner requires technical application of science and technology in engineering, particularly the concepts, equipment and technologies involved in the production of products and services. In fields like land use, infrastructure review, ecological standards and street design, he or she considers issues of health, environment and performance. A Transportation Planner assigns resources for implementing and designing programmes. He or she is responsible for assessing needs, preparing plans and forecasts and compliance with regulations.

Environmental Engineer

Individuals who opt for a career as an environmental engineer are construction professionals who utilise the skills and knowledge of biology, soil science, chemistry and the concept of engineering to design and develop projects that serve as solutions to various environmental problems.

Safety Manager

A Safety Manager is a professional responsible for employee’s safety at work. He or she plans, implements and oversees the company’s employee safety. A Safety Manager ensures compliance and adherence to Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) guidelines.

Conservation Architect

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Structural Engineer

A Structural Engineer designs buildings, bridges, and other related structures. He or she analyzes the structures and makes sure the structures are strong enough to be used by the people. A career as a Structural Engineer requires working in the construction process. It comes under the civil engineering discipline. A Structure Engineer creates structural models with the help of computer-aided design software.

Highway Engineer

Highway Engineer Job Description: A Highway Engineer is a civil engineer who specialises in planning and building thousands of miles of roads that support connectivity and allow transportation across the country. He or she ensures that traffic management schemes are effectively planned concerning economic sustainability and successful implementation.

Field Surveyor

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Pathologist

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Veterinary Doctor

Speech therapist, gynaecologist.

Gynaecology can be defined as the study of the female body. The job outlook for gynaecology is excellent since there is evergreen demand for one because of their responsibility of dealing with not only women’s health but also fertility and pregnancy issues. Although most women prefer to have a women obstetrician gynaecologist as their doctor, men also explore a career as a gynaecologist and there are ample amounts of male doctors in the field who are gynaecologists and aid women during delivery and childbirth.

Audiologist

The audiologist career involves audiology professionals who are responsible to treat hearing loss and proactively preventing the relevant damage. Individuals who opt for a career as an audiologist use various testing strategies with the aim to determine if someone has a normal sensitivity to sounds or not. After the identification of hearing loss, a hearing doctor is required to determine which sections of the hearing are affected, to what extent they are affected, and where the wound causing the hearing loss is found. As soon as the hearing loss is identified, the patients are provided with recommendations for interventions and rehabilitation such as hearing aids, cochlear implants, and appropriate medical referrals. While audiology is a branch of science that studies and researches hearing, balance, and related disorders.

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IELTS Essay: English as a Global Language

by Leo Bonart

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English as a global language

The advantages provided by English as a global language will continue to outweigh the disadvantages.

To what extent do you agree with the statement?

The Essay Marked by the student

As the global communication expands throughout the world, so does the need for a global language. English has become the lingua franca in many parts of the world. This essay will discuss the merits and demerits caused by English as a global language.

English is a very effective language as it is proved by the native and non-native speakers all over the world. Statistics suggest that nearly half of the world population is familiar with this language. Moreover, English is easier to learn than any other language. For example, unlike Chinese, English has only 26 alphabets which put together to form words. Adding to that, a number of English words are borrowed from many other languages and many English words are adopted in other languages and are used as part of their own language. Furthermore, English is the language of technology. To make the best use of internet knowing English is necessary. Also, any international meeting will be probably done in English. It also makes tourism easy, as it helps in better understanding among the people.

However, many fear that English as a global language would result in the extinction of local cultures which are inter related with regional languages. Moreover, it is bounded to be divided into dialects. Another drawback is that the works of many authors and writers who are belonging to different territories become incomprehensible.

In conclusion, I believe that there are more advantages than disadvantages in globalizing English language. In future, the demand for English would rise as more number of people are learning this language and would decrease the nation barrier.

Essay Evaluation of the given article

Objective: Band 7.0

The author has showcased the advantages and disadvantages of adopting English as a global language.
The word count is 264 i.e. well within the prescribed limits of 250-270 words.
The essay has been divided into an introduction, two paragraphs on the advantages, disadvantages, and a final conclusion.

Coherence: Band 4.0

Two to three sentences are long and incoherent.

Incorrect: “As the global communication expands throughout the world, so does the need for a global language.”

Correct: “In the landscape of global communication, there comes the need for a global language.”

Incorrect: “English is a very effective language as it is proved by the native and non-native speakers all over the world”

Correct: “English is a very effective language as it is widely spoken by the native and non-native speakers all over the world”

Incorrect: “For example, unlike Chinese, English has only 26 alphabets which put together to form words.”

Correct: “For example, unlike Chinese, English has only 26 alphabets which put together can form a sea of words.”

Incorrect: “Furthermore, English is the language of technology.”

Correct: “Moreover, English is a technical language.”

Grammar: Band 6.0

Appropriate usage of models, punctuations.

Incorrect: “In future, the demand for English would rise as more number of people are learning this language and would decrease the nation barrier.”

Correct: “In future, the demand for English will rise as more people are learning this language and this is likely to erase the existing barriers.”

Incorrect: “To make the best use of internet knowing English is necessary.”

Correct: “To make the best use of the internet, knowing English is necessary.”

Vocabulary: 6.0

This essay presents a decent range of vocabulary but still better can be done.

Overall Band: 6

Sample essay submitted post Essay Evaluation

This essay will attempt to present the benefits and drawbacks while providing a conclusion.

English as a language has brought humanity closer. Further, the advent of English has bridged physical distances and lot of tourism flourishes primarily because of accessibility and removal of a language barrier.

H owever, the invasion of English is not bereft of drawbacks. This has impacted the local culture and tradition. So, since these are very closely linked to the regional languages. The local vernacular is dying a natural death since there are no takers for it. Even the priceless literature work by maestros in local languages is not getting due acknowledgment and credit. Since very little is left of the population who understand the language. For instance, several regional classics are getting lost since the youngsters are not interested in reading them due to regional language challenges.

Going by the above views, it will be good to continue with English as a global language. Also, the future generations will be able to enjoy the best of both the worlds.

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English as a Global Language

Global English, World English, and the Rise of English as a Lingua Franca

An Introduction to Punctuation
Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
B.A., English, State University of New York

In Shakespeare 's time, the number of English speakers in the world is thought to have been between five and seven million. According to linguist David Crystal, "Between the end of the reign of Elizabeth I (1603) and the beginning of the reign of Elizabeth II (1952), this figure increased almost fiftyfold, to around 250 million" ( The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language , 2003). It's a common language used in international business, which makes it a popular second language for many.

How Many Languages Are There?

There are roughly 6,500 languages spoken in the world today. About 2,000 of them have fewer than 1,000 speakers. While the British empire did help spread the language globally it's only the third most commonly spoken language in the world. Mandarin and Spanish are the two most commonly spoken languages on Earth.

From How Many Other Languages Has English Borrowed Words?

English is jokingly referred to as a language thief because of it has incorporated words from over 350 other languages into it. The majority of these "borrowed" words are latin or from one of the Romance languages.

How Many People in the World Today Speak English?

Roughly 500 million people in the world are native English speakers . Another 510 million people speak English as a second language , which means that there are more people who speak English along with their native language than there are native English speakers.

In How Many Countries Is English Taught as a Foreign Language?

English is taught as a foreign language in over 100 countries. It's considered the language of business which makes it a popular choice for a second language. English language teachers are often paid very well in countries like China and Dubai.

What Is the Most Widely Used English Word?

"The form OK or okay is probably the most intensively and widely used (and borrowed) word in the history of the language. Its many would-be etymologists have traced it variously to Cockney, French, Finnish, German, Greek, Norwegian, Scots, several African languages, and the Native American language Choctaw, as well as a number of personal names. All are imaginative feats without documentary support." (Tom McArthur, The Oxford Guide to World English . Oxford University Press, 2002)

How Many Countries in the World Have English as Their First Language?

"This is a complicated question, as the definition of 'first language' differs from place to place, according to each country’s history and local circumstances. The following facts illustrate the complexities:

"Australia, Botswana, the Commonwealth Caribbean nations, Gambia, Ghana, Guyana, Ireland, Namibia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States have English as either a de facto or statutory official language. In Cameroon and Canada, English shares this status with French; and in the Nigerian states, English and the main local language are official. In Fiji, English is the official language with Fijian; in Lesotho with Sesotho; in Pakistan with Urdu; in the Philippines with Filipino; and in Swaziland with Siswati. In India, English is an associate official language (after Hindi), and in Singapore English is one of four statutory official languages. In South Africa, English [is] the main national language—but just one of eleven official languages.

"In all, English has official or special status in at least 75 countries (with a combined population of two billion people). It is estimated that one out of four people worldwide speak English with some degree of competence." (Penny Silva, "Global English." AskOxford.com, 2009)

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Writing in Global Contexts: Composing Usable Texts for Audiences from Different Cultures

The international spread of online access means we live in an increasingly interconnected world. This situation means our students will likely write for audiences in different parts of the globe. Writing for such diverse audiences means addressing different contexts affecting how individuals perceive texts. Writing students can benefit from approaches that help them understand the reading expectations of other cultures. This chapter introduces the globalized rhetoric approach of identifying the reading expectations of other cultures and overviews how students can use this method to analyze audience expectations among different cultures when composing for them.

Introduction

The international spread of online access means we live in an increasingly interconnected global environment. These connections encompass al- most every aspect of life, from business and economic developments to social and political discussions to entertainment and leisure activities. This means you might one day find yourself writing for audiences located in different nations or from other parts of the globe. Your audience will comprise individuals who will likely come from different cultures or groups with different values, beliefs, and expectations from yours. These cultural factors can affect how these individuals perceive and respond to the ideas you share with them through writing. The better you understand these dynamics, the more effectively you can compose texts that convey information to individuals from other cultures.

Composing across Cultural Contexts

This international environment changes the composition context. While you might have written for different audiences before, chances are they came from the same culture as you. This means you could draw from a common set of cultural understandings—from historical examples to discussions of fundamental social concepts—to compose texts for these readers. Different cultures, however, can have different perspectives on everything from what constitutes a valid topic for a composition to how one should introduce and discuss certain subjects in a text. The better you understand such factors, the more effectively you can compose texts for audiences located in different parts of the globe.

Let’s be honest: composing for audiences from other cultures can feel daunting. It’s not an easy situation to address, and it takes time to develop the understanding needed to do it effectively. After all, cultures can have nuanced expectations of what constitutes an effective text. The globalized rhetoric approach can help you identify such factors and compose texts that better meet the expectations of audiences from other cultures.

Globalized rhetoric involves understanding:

The culture of the audience for which you are writing

The genre you are writing in when sharing information with that cultural audience

In this essay, you’ll learn how to use globalized rhetoric to understand the ways cultural factors affect the expectations groups associate with an effective text. This approach focuses on usability . Specifically, it helps you create texts a cultural audience can use to achieve a particular objective— the reason for which they are reading that text.

Re-Thinking the Writing Process for Global Contexts

Globalized rhetoric focuses on three things:

Rhetoric: How individuals organize information so an audience can use it
Audience: The people who use/read texts in order to perform a task
Genre: The formats into which documents are organized for effective use (St.Amant, “Globalizing” 50-51)

By addressing these factors, you can create texts a particular cultural audience can use in the context of their culture. The process involves asking certain questions in a particular order. The resulting answers can help you compose texts that meet the reading preferences and usability expectations of different cultural audiences.

Question 1: Who is your audience/for what culture are you writing?

All cultures have rhetorical expectations . The members of a culture generally expect messages to be structured in certain ways and contain particular information to be considered credible or worth using (Campbell 36-44; Driskill 26-33). These expectations are deep-seated and exist beyond the language a person speaks. Thus, they affect how members of a culture view a message (i.e. whether it is credible and usable), regardless of the language it is in (Ulijn 80-81). This is important, for you might be using a common language—your native tongue—to craft messages for other cultures. But, doing so can lead to the assumption that strategies you use to present information in your own culture can be used with other cultures. That would be incorrect.

Here’s the issue: cultures can have different perceptions of what constitutes a credible presentation of information (St.Amant, “Globalizing” 51- 52). Cultures often use different rhetorical approaches to craft and evaluate messages. If individuals know the culture for which they are writing, they can research the rhetorical expectations that culture associates with credible messages and usable texts. Writers can use this information to craft messages that meet the rhetorical expectations of the intended cultural audience (Woolever 48-49).

Answering this initial question is the first step in the globalized rhetoric process of writing another culture. Cultures can have different expectations of how to use texts—differences that can cause misuse and miscommunication if not addressed. Once you know the cultural audience, you can use the following questions to learn about its rhetorical/reading expectations.

Question 2: What genre will you use to share information with that cultural audience?

Audiences rarely read randomly. Rather, they often use certain kinds of texts to achieve a particular objective. When you write for an audience from another culture, you are trying to produce a particular kind of text for that audience to use to achieve an objective. This factor of usability—or how easily individuals can use an item to achieve an objective—is central to determining rhetorical expectations.

Genres are standard forms of writing or conveying information (Berkenkotter and Huckin 1-2). When you write in a particular format, you are likely trying to create a certain genre of text. Genres are not random. Rather, audiences usually associate a particular purpose with a given genre. They read—or use—that genre to access the information needed to achieve an objective (St.Amant, “Globalizing” 50-52). For example, individuals use the genre of an instruction manual to access information on how to perform a process, or they use the genre of a movie review to deter- mine the strengths and weaknesses of a film.

This genre-purpose relationship is key to usability, since differing cultural expectations of genres and the uses associated with them tend to create challenges. That is because cultures can associate different purposes with a genre (Campbell 36-44). Some cultures, for example, might associate instructional manuals with a product’s marketing materials and expect manuals to contain information about the product’s technical specifications in addition to instructions on how to use the product. Other cultures, however, could consider the purpose of an instruction manual only to present information on how to use a product. For these individuals, the addition of non-instructional technical information might seem unnecessary or distracting. So, writing for the genre needs of another culture involves understanding what those needs are because they are connected to how individuals plan to use the related text. To understand those needs, you must answer a series of related questions.

Question 3: Does the genre actually exist (and is it used) in the culture of my audience?

It is tempting to think because your culture uses a particular genre for sharing information that it exists in other cultures. This is not always the case (St.Amant, “Globalizing” 55-56). In fact, other cultures might not have or use the same genres that your culture does. Some, for example, prefer verbal interactions over written documentation to share information on different business activities (Woolever 56-57). As a result, the assumption you might need to use this genre to share information could be inaccurate depending on the culture of your audience.

Additionally, just because a genre exists in a culture does not mean members of that culture use the genre often—if at all. The genre of a Twitter post (a tweet) exists in German culture. Relatively few Germans, however, actually use Twitter (St.Amant, “Reconsidering” 16). As a result, such posts are not an effective mechanism for sharing information with certain German audiences.

These factors are important. If not known or considered, you could spend a great deal of time and effort creating texts in a genre your intended audience does not use. For this reason, writing for other cultures involves determining if the culture for which you are writing uses a particular genre. If not, you need to consider what other genres that culture might use to share certain information (e.g., using face-to-face discussions vs. written contracts to establish business agreements). Then, you can do a deeper review of genres to determine if you are using them effectively to share ideas. This situation leads to another key question.

Question 4: If the genre exists, what purpose does the related culture associate with it?

The same genre might exist in another culture. That factor, however, does not mean the other culture associates a similar purpose with that genre, uses it the same way to achieve the same objective, or expects to encounter the same sort of information in it.

Scholars like Charles Campbell and Peter Grundy have noted cultures can associate different purposes with the same genre (Campbell 36-44; Grundy 170-180). Anglo-Americans, for example, often use the genre of the business letter to convey information related to business processes. Other cultures, however, associate different purposes and uses with that genre. Certain cultures, for example, view the business letter as a mechanism used to display a knowledge of the recipient in order to establish a relationship with that person (Campbell 39-40). The idea is individuals from these cultures are more likely to do business with individuals who wish to form long-term connections vs. those who focus on short-term relationships. For this reason, they might review (i.e., use) letters to find some indication the writer has taken the time to learn something about the recipient’s background – a gesture indicating an interest in creating long- term relations (Campbell 39-40).

Writers who do not understand such differences in use might fail to address the rhetorical expectations of a given cultural audience. This can result in the author’s work being dismissed as non-credible, for it cannot be used as expected by the related audience. Writers, therefore, need to make sure they know what purpose and use a cultural audience associates with a genre. They can then take steps to meet such expectations and have their work seen as credible and usable by that audience.

Should you discover a cultural audience associates a different purpose and use with a genre, you need to ask certain follow-up questions (see questions 5-7 here).

Question 5: What kinds of information does a cultural audience expect to encounter in that genre?

The purpose for which individuals use a genre affects another factor: the kinds of information one needs to present to meet the audience’s expectations for that genre. If, for example, I associate the purpose of an instruction manual with providing information on how to complete a process, that manual needs to present information on that topic for me to use that genre as expected. If, however, I associate that genre with determining the quality of the related product, the manual needs to contain information demonstrating the product’s quality (e.g., specifications on the abilities of the properties of the product) so I can use it to achieve that objective.

Failure to address such expectations can affect perceived usability in two ways. First, readers might think a text is not credible or usable because it lacks information needed to achieve the process for which readers are using the text. Alternatively, a text could contain information the reader does not think is essential within the context of a genre, because it is not associated with the objective for which readers use that genre. This situation could undercut a writer’s credibility, since the writer could be seen as wasting the reader’s time by presenting unnecessary information that affects how individuals can use that text.

Determining what information to include or omit is not easy. Expectations can vary from culture to culture. Also, the topics your native culture associates with achieving a particular objective in a genre (e.g., forging long-term relationships via a business letter) are not necessarily the same topics other cultures associate with achieving that same purpose in that genre (Campbell 36-44). For this reason, you cannot assume you know what information to exclude or include in a genre when writing for another culture. (This essay’s next major section—“Researching Culture and Genre Expectations”—provides strategies for identifying these genre-related factors.)

Question 6: In what order do you need to present information in a genre?

Cultures can have different expectations of the order in which one needs to present information in a genre for the related text to be considered credible (Driskill 28-29). Such factors reflect how the audience plans to use that text to achieve an objective. This means knowing the topics a cultural audience expects to encounter in a genre is not enough. Writers also need to know the sequence in which to present that information to make it usable for that audience. Failure to do so can cause confusion as audiences might consider essential information missing, only to find it at a later point in a text. Alternately, audiences might find certain information appears earlier than expected in a text; as such, they might not know how to contextualize that information because it appears in a sequence they are unfamiliar with and don’t know how to use. In either case, such aspects affect the ability of the audience to use the text quickly and easily to achieve an objective.

These factors can include everything from the overall organization of a document and encompass what information to include in introductions and conclusions (Driskill 28-29). They can also occur at a more micro level and involve the order in which certain information appears within a paragraph. Such factors could even affect if writers are expected to note the connections between different items presented in text (like transitional sentences), or if information should be presented in seemingly disconnect- ed chunks that require readers to intuit the connection among ideas.

These organizational differences can affect other aspects associated with the usability of a text. For example, where in a text should a table of contents appear? Is it in the front of the text before the introduction/body text, or is it at the end of the text, after all of the body text in the entry? That factor can affect how individuals perceive a text (that is, something is missing or is out of order) or how they use it (they cannot find information because they cannot locate the table of contents). Outlining the organization of a text prior to writing it thus becomes a matter of organizing information in the format in which members of the intended cultural audience expect to encounter it. Doing so should include accounting for the specifics (how are transitions among topics done?) and the generalities (what should be included in the introduction section?) of overall documents and genres.

Question 7: What visual elements should be included and how?

Visual elements are often expected in certain texts so readers can use them as needed or expected. In some cases, they provide examples of what some- thing should look like (for example, the tools used to assemble an item). In others, they illustrate how to perform a process (such as drawings showing how to perform the actions described in a text). As with other genre aspects, the use of visuals in a text and the connections of visuals to usability can vary from culture to culture (Kostelnick, “Cultural” 182-184; Kostelnick, “Seeing” 31-33). Creating credible and usable texts for a cultural audience thus involves understanding and addressing expectations associated with the use and organization of visuals as well as with those of words.

Cultures can vary in terms of how much visual information they expect to encounter in a text. Some cultures might prefer more images in a space/ related to a block of text than others (Fukuoka et al. 175-176). As a result, what constitutes a usable number of images per page for one culture could be considered overwhelming for another. Cultures can also vary in terms of what constitutes a credible and acceptable visual to represent something. In this case, using an image the related culture considers unacceptable or offensive could cause that audience to reject a text. In all cases, the issue is the usability of the resulting text—whether an audience can or will use it to achieve a given objective easily and effectively.

The nuances in such situations can be complex. Failing to address them can undermine a text’s credibility, limit its usability, and lead cultural audiences to perceive documents in unintended ways. The more writers understand cultural-rhetorical factors, the better they can craft materials that address the expectations cultures associate with the usability of a genre. Gaining such insights involves researching the cultural audience who will use a given text. The next section of this essay overviews methods you can use to research the usability expectations a cultural audience has for a text.

Researching Culture and Genre Expectations

Understanding the rhetorical and the usability expectations of other cultures is not easy. Like any writing project, it requires you to do initial research on your intended audience. When doing so, you need to remember:

Collecting information directly from your audience is key; you need to interact with members of your intended cultural audience to get the answers to the questions noted here.
Cultures are not uniform; every culture contains different groups that have their own reading and communication preferences. You should never think, “I need to write a letter for individuals from culture X.” Rather, be as specific as possible when researching your audience—e.g., “I need to write for 18- to 21-year-old college students studying at public universities in culture X.”

Once you’ve identified the specific audience, you’ll need to interact with members of that group to identify their expectations of genres, usability, and writing. Sometimes, you can do this via face-to-face conversations with individuals from that cultural audience. In other cases, you might need to use online communication technologies like Skype or Google Hangouts to interact with these individuals.

Writing Research Questions

Regardless of how you interact with individuals, the overall research process is the same. It involves asking the following questions to members of the intended cultural audience:

Question 1: Do you use [kind of genre] in your culture? (Next, see table 1.)

Table 1. Questions to ask and answers to consider when writing research questions.

If “yes” If “no”
Question 2: What is the purpose of [kind of genre]—what kinds of information do you use it to convey, and what do individuals expect to use it for? How do you share information about [process you want individuals to perform]?
Question 3: What specific kinds of information do you expect to encounter in [type of genre] to achieve this objective/use it effectively? What specific kinds of information do you expect to encounter in [type of genre] to achieve this objective/use it effectively?
Question 4: How is information organized in [type of genre]; what information comes first, second, third, . . . last? [Use responses to previous question to determine how many pieces of information to organize.] How is information organized in [type of genre]—what information comes first, second, third, . . . last? [Use responses to previous question to determine how many pieces of information to organize.]
Question 5: Do you expect visuals to appear in [kind of genre]? If so, can you describe the visuals used, how many are used, and where on a page they appear? Do you expect visuals to appear in [kind of genre]? If so, can you describe the visuals used, how many are used, and where on a page they appear?
Question 6: Have you ever read American [or author’s native culture] versions of [genre]? If so, did you find anything odd or that you would suggest changing if Americans [author’s native culture] write for individuals from [respondent’s culture]? Have you ever read American [or author’s native culture] versions of [genre]? If so, did you find anything odd or that you would suggest changing if Americans [author’s native culture] write for individuals from [respondent’s culture]?
Question 7: Do you have any suggestions about writing a [genre] for members of your culture? Do you have any suggestions about writing a [genre] for members of your culture?

These questions allow you to collect information on cultural expectations of rhetoric, genre, and usability. You can then consult this information when composing texts for the related cultural audience.

Methods of Data Collection

Two relatively effective methods for collecting answers to these questions are interviews and focus groups, but you can also use a mixture of these two approaches.

Interviews involve meeting one-on-one with members of a culture, asking individuals the questions noted in the previous table, and collecting and comparing responses to identify commonalities in the answers received. But it can be tricky to determine how many individuals to interview. While more is better, realities of time, availability, and access to people from other cultures can create limitations. As a general practice, consider the “rule of threes”:

Responses from 1 person = personal opinion
Common responses from 2 people = could be a coincidence
Common responses from 3 or more people = likely indicates a trend

Based on this approach, if you can interview three or more individuals from the intended audience, you can begin to collect the information needed to identify cultural rhetorical expectations for a genre.

Focus Groups

Focus groups involve getting 3-5 people from your intended audience in one place and asking them to respond, as a group, to these questions. The idea is, group interaction can prompt participants to talk through and better reflect on and remember expectations for credible and usable communication in a genre. Unlike individual interviews, focus groups allow you to collect information from multiple individuals relatively quickly. Conversely, group interactions can lead to “groupthink,” where the members of the group shift toward a group norm vs. individual preferences when conveying information. Ideally, you would use two or more focus groups comprised of 3-5 different people each time and compare responses across groups to identify trends. Achieving this objective, however, is a matter of the access you have to members of the intended audience and the time individuals have to meet as a group.

Mixed Methods

You might also consider using both interviews and focus groups to collect information from the members of an audience. In this case, you could compare:

Interview responses from different people to look for trends
Focus group responses for each group and across groups to look for trends
Interview trends with focus group trends to see if there are commonalities across both

Drawing from both approaches allows you to compare responses collected in different contexts. Such comparisons can help determine if consistencies in rhetorical and usability expectations exist across individual responses and group replies.

Medium of Interactions

It’s best if you can meet with individuals in person to conduct interviews and focus groups. Yet this might not be possible. In that case, consider how you might use online media to interact with people in other nations. You could, for example, use Skype to do one-on-one interviews or a group Skype chat to conduct focus groups. Alternately, you could try to collaborate with someone in another country to organize an on-site focus group there and ask questions of the group via a technology like Google Hangouts.

On occasion, you might have on-site access to a very small number of individuals from a particular culture. In such cases, you might need to mix on-site and online interactions to gather multiple perspectives on cultural expectations. In the end, it is direct interaction with members of the other culture that is essential to gathering information on rhetorical and usability expectations. For this reason, technological options that allow for such contact can be an effective solution.

Final Thoughts

Writing in greater global contexts can be complex. It involves understanding the rhetorical expectations of other cultures—and of groups within those cultures—to craft messages they can use to achieve an objective. The globalized rhetoric approach can help you do this. They key is using certain methods to collect information on rhetorical and usability expectations directly from the members of a cultural audience.

By gaining direct answers to key questions, you can learn what other cultural groups consider credible, usable presentations in a genre. You can then use this information to craft messages that address these expectations. The more you know about your cultural audience, the better positioned you are to craft messages that audience will view as usable. In the end, it is a case of knowledge is power.

Works Cited

Berkenkotter, Carol, and Thomas N. Huckin. Genre Knowledge in Disciplinary Communication : Cognition/Culture/Power. Routledge, 1995.

Campbell, Charles P. “Rhetorical Ethos: A Bridge Between High-Context and Low-Context Cultures?” Niemeier , et al., pp. 31-47.

Driskill, Linda. “Collaborating Across National and Cultural Borders.” I nternational Dimensions of Technical Communication , edited by Deborah C. An- drews, Society for Technical Communication, 1996, pp. 23-44.

Fukuoka, Waka, Yukiko Kojima, and Jan H. Spyridakis. “Illustrations in User Manuals: Preference and Effectiveness with Japanese and American Readers.” T echnical Communication , vol. 46, no. 2, May 1999, pp. 167-176.

Grundy, Peter. “Parallel Texts and Divergent Cultures in Hong Kong: Implications for Intercultural Communication.” Niemeier , et al., pp.167-18.

Kostelnick, Charles. “Seeing Difference: Teaching Intercultural Communication Through Visual Rhetoric.” Teaching Intercultural Rhetoric and Technical Communication , edited by Barry Thatcher and Kirk St.Amant, Routledge, 2011, pp. 31-48.

—. “Cultural Adaptation and Information Design: Two Contrasting Views.” IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication , vol. 38, no. 4, Dec. 1995, pp. 182–196.

Niemeier, Susanne, et al., editors. The Cultural Context in Business Communication , John Benjamins Publishing Company, 1998.

St.Amant, Kirk. “Globalizing Rhetoric: Using Rhetorical Concepts to Identify and Analyze Cultural Expectations Related to Genres.” Hermes - Journal of Language and Communication Studies , vol. 37, 2006, pp. 47-66.

—. “Reconsidering Social Media for Global Contexts.” Intercom , April 2015, pp. 16-18.

Ulijn, Jan M. “Translating the Culture of Technical Documents: Some Experimental Evidence.” International Dimensions of Technical Communication , edited by Deborah C. Andrews, Society for Technical Communication, 1996, pp. 69-86.

Woolever, Kristin R. “Doing Global Business in The Information Age: Rhetorical Contrasts in the Business and Technical Professions.” Contrastive Rhetoric Revisited and Redefined , edited by Clayann Gilliam Panetta, Routledge, 2001, pp. 47-64.

Teacher Resources for Writing in Global Contexts: Composing Usable Texts for Audiences from Different Cultures by Kirk St.Amant

Overview and teaching strategies.

Aspects of culture and composition are often addressed at one of three points in a writing course:

When discussing global contexts of writing
When discussing writing for specific cultural audiences within the student’s own nation
When discussing online composition practices and the international access they allow
genre expectations are connected to the cultures using them vs. inherent to genres; and
cultures are not monolithic entities, but are comprised of di- verse groups.

To this end, students need to learn the core idea that one doesn’t write for culture X, but one writes for audience Y in culture X.

The globalized rhetoric framework described here provides students with an initial understanding of and a mechanism for examining the dynamics of these factors. Ideally, students will use the research questions and approaches noted in the entry to gain a better, broader understanding of such factors. The key is interacting with and collecting cultural-rhetorical information directly from the members of a specific cultural audience when composing for them. Instructors can use this chapter both to convey these ideas and have students test and apply related concepts in ways that enhance their understanding of such factors.

Discussion Questions

To help students explore the ideas discussed in these entries, consider having them address—as individuals, in small groups, or as an overall class— the following questions:

What genres do you use on an everyday basis and for what reason do you use them? What purpose do you seek to achieve when writing in or reading one of these genres?
What venues—on-site or online—do you currently use to interact with (or have the potential to interact with) individuals from other cultures? How might these venues be places where you might need to compose texts for those individuals? What kinds of texts would you compose and why?
The chapter provides a discussion of writing in terms of usability and how writing is used by readers to achieve an objective. Do you agree with this usability-focused approach to writing? Why or why not?
This essay discusses a particular approach to researching audiences from other cultures in order to create more effective texts for them. Do you think you could use this research approach when composing texts for readers from other cultures? Why or why not?
Could the approach—both the overarching questions and related research process—be applied to understand audiences within your own culture? If yes, how? If not, why not?

Examining these items can help students better reflect upon and con- sider how to apply the ideas presented in the essay within the context of their own writing processes.

This essay was written by Kirk St.Amant, and it was published as a chapter in Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing , Volume 3, a peer-reviewed open textbook series for the writing classroom. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) .

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The advantages and disadvantages of a global language

I was reflecting upon the topic for my blog post when an idea popped into my head. Last summer, I was going over old photo albums, records, passports and such with my family. And then I stumbled across something that really struck me. My mother showed me my maternal grandfather’s work card, which he obtained in Germany. After World War II , my grandfather, who was the eldest in his family, decided to leave his village in Calabria, in the south of Italy, and search for work elsewhere in Europe. This German work card surprised me because there was no English translation in sight! In fact, the text was translated into French. I had become so used to English being the global language, especially after feeling its omnipresence while travelling abroad, that I forgot that French once occupied that same global position. This got me thinking, “What are the advantages and disadvantages of a global or universal language?”

Advantage 1: Facilitates communication between different cultures

A global language allows for communication between different cultures. Language has always been the focal point of cultural identity. A global language dismantles communication barriers and offers individuals a gateway to understanding one another’s cultures.

Two years ago, my family and I travelled to Argentina, where we watched the Buenos Aires soccer team play a game. As a futbol fanatic, I remember talking in English with this Argentinian university student after the game. We had an amazing conversation about Argentinians’ passion for soccer compared with that of Canadians. Even though we were both from different countries, and English was not our native tongue, we were able to connect culturally through our ability to speak the current global language.

Advantage 2: Facilitates international trade

With the rise of globalization and neo-liberalism since the 1970s, an unprecedented amount of international trade and business between different countries has been carried out. The reality is that in order to buy from or sell to a business partner from another country, you need to communicate effectively and accurately. Thankfully, a global language eliminates the communication barrier, promoting greater international trade and opportunities for economic growth.

As I was doing research for this blog post, I came across a very interesting index called the “Language Barrier Index (LBI).” In short, the LBI “quantifies international language barriers by measuring the dissimilarity between the main languages of trading partners.” Footnote 1 Although it involves a very complicated mathematical equation, it speaks to the advantage of having one world language. Using the LBI , Lohmann found that “language barriers are a significant deterrent to bilateral trade. A 10% increase in the Language Barrier Index can cause a 7% to 10% decrease in trade flows between two countries.” Footnote 2

Disadvantage 1: Presents challenges for non-native speakers in the sciences

There are bigger disadvantages of having a global language than the one I’m going to discuss in this section. However, I wish to explore this one because it has a direct impact on the field I’m currently studying in. Since I’m in environmental studies, scientific literature is vital to any lab, research project or assignment in my classes.

Getting a scientific paper published is a long (about one year) and difficult task that requires many steps. Having a global language has allowed scientists to access a vast amount of literature from around the world, but it has also presented significant challenges for non-native speakers of English. You might be thinking, “They’re scientists. Why are adequate English language skills needed by scientists to get their papers published?” Well, scientists need to clearly communicate their findings, conclusions and methods, and for some non-native speakers, that can be strenuous. Scientists who want their work to be globally recognized need to attend English conferences or discussions and read English scientific papers. According to an article published in The Atlantic , 80% of scientific papers were in English. Footnote 3 Furthermore, the article notes that “a journal published in a language other than English must at the very least include English abstracts.” Footnote 4

Disadvantage 2: Poses a threat to minority languages

According to a BBC article, in this last century, some 400 languages have become extinct – about one language every three months – and in the next century, 50% of all remaining languages will become extinct. Footnote 5 Needless to say, this is worrying, because simply put, an extinct language means the loss of a unique culture. People who speak a global language have greater opportunities for employment, education and overall success. Therefore, some minority language speakers believe that learning to speak a global language will benefit them financially. Footnote 6 Furthermore, with globalization, our cultures are ever increasingly interconnected, catalyzing the takeover of minority languages by a global language.

In conclusion, a global language has its advantages and disadvantages. Its strong points include facilitating communication between different cultures and paving the way for greater international trade between countries. Its drawbacks are the challenges it creates for non-native speakers in the sciences (especially when it comes to publishing scientific literature) and its contribution to the extinction of minority languages. The question remains: Will English continue as the world’s global language in this century and beyond, or will another language take its place?

The opinions expressed in posts and comments published on the Our Languages blog are solely those of the authors and commenters and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Language Portal of Canada.

Get to know Alexandre Chemla

Alexandre Chemla

Alexandre Chemla is a student at the University of Ottawa. He is enrolled in the bilingual environmental studies program, with Italian as his minor. As a fluent French and Italian speaker in Canada, and an active member of both the French and Italian communities, he values the importance of a language in connecting to his family roots.

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Essay on Importance of English as a Global Language

Students are often asked to write an essay on Importance of English as a Global Language in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Importance of English as a Global Language

Introduction.

English is spoken by millions worldwide, making it a global language. It’s not just a language but a bridge connecting people from different cultures.

Communication Tool

English is the main language for international communication. It helps us understand and appreciate different cultures, promoting peace and unity.

Education and Research

Most books and research papers are written in English. Learning English can open doors to vast knowledge.

Employment Opportunities

English proficiency is a sought-after skill in many jobs, increasing employment opportunities.

English, as a global language, plays a crucial role in communication, education, and employment, bridging gaps between cultures.

250 Words Essay on Importance of English as a Global Language

The emergence of english as a global language.

English has ascended to the status of a global language, serving as an essential tool for communication in our increasingly interconnected world. Its rise can be attributed to the influence of the British Empire, followed by the global dominance of the United States in business, technology, and popular culture.

English in Academia and Research

In academia, English plays a crucial role. Most international conferences, research papers, and academic texts are published in English. This accessibility promotes the sharing of knowledge and ideas, fostering global intellectual progress.

English in Business and Technology

In the business world, English is often the default language for multinational corporations and startups alike. It facilitates cross-border business transactions and collaborations. Similarly, in technology, English is the main language for programming and online content, shaping the digital landscape.

English as a Bridge Between Cultures

English serves as a bridge between cultures, fostering mutual understanding and cooperation. It enables people from diverse backgrounds to share their perspectives and experiences, enriching the global community.

Challenges and Opportunities

Despite the benefits, the dominance of English also poses challenges. It can marginalize non-native speakers and overshadow local languages and cultures. Therefore, while promoting English, it’s crucial to also respect and preserve linguistic diversity.

In conclusion, the importance of English as a global language is undeniable. It promotes knowledge exchange, facilitates business, and fosters cultural understanding. However, it’s equally important to balance this with respect for linguistic diversity.

500 Words Essay on Importance of English as a Global Language

English, widely known as the lingua franca, plays a significant role in connecting people from different cultures and countries. Its importance as a global language is underlined by its influence on international communication, education, business, and entertainment.

Global Communication

In the era of globalization, English has emerged as a universal medium of communication. It is used in international forums, diplomatic relations, and aviation. Understanding and speaking English allows individuals to communicate effectively across borders, fostering cooperation and mutual understanding. It is the official language of many international organizations like the United Nations and the European Union, underlining its importance in global affairs.

English is the dominant language in academia. Most scientific research papers are published in English, and it is the primary language of instruction in many universities worldwide. Therefore, proficiency in English opens doors to a wealth of knowledge and academic opportunities. It allows students to study in prestigious institutions abroad, participate in international conferences, and contribute to global research.

Global Business

In the business world, English is the language of international commerce. It facilitates trade negotiations, contracts, and corporate communication. Multinational corporations often use English as their official language, making it essential for aspiring professionals. Proficiency in English can lead to career advancements, as it broadens one’s scope of opportunities in the global market.

Entertainment and Media

English is the dominant language in global entertainment and media, including movies, music, and the internet. The majority of online content is in English, making it crucial for accessing information and engaging in digital platforms. Understanding English allows people to enjoy a wider range of entertainment and stay informed about global events.

In conclusion, the importance of English as a global language is undeniable. It is the bridge that connects people, cultures, and nations. It is the key to a treasure trove of knowledge, opportunities, and entertainment. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, the role of English is set to become even more significant. Therefore, learning English is not just a skill, but a necessity in the modern world.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

Essay on Importance of English Teaching in India
Essay on Importance of English
Essay on Save Environment

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

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8 Suggestions For Writing An Essay On English As A Global Language

When undertaking to write a paper on the topic of English being a global language, there are several things for you to consider. For example, what is the definition of global language? Historically speaking, the definition would be that it is spoken by those who are in power. Or is it defined by the language used for most of the world’s trades and financial agreements? Or is it determined by the number of countries using it as their mother tongue?

Once you have settled on the definition and understand the direction you want to take in your paper, there are 8 suggestions for you to produce a successful English essay:

Narrow down your topic sufficiently so you can cover it effectively within the scope of your paper. For example, you may wish to narrow down your topic using one of the following trains of thought:
Why is a global language needed and how is English chosen as one of them?
Is having a global language a good thing? Why or why not?
Is English considered a global language? What evidence is this statement based on? What advantages or disadvantages does it produce?
Will English continue to be seen as one of the world’s global languages? In which area is this the most apparent: finances, politics, marketing, education etc.
Be familiar with the characteristics of a good essay. They include the following:
Stay focused. Your paper should be clear and concise. Don’t deviate away from your topic.
Stay organized by using an outline and following it.
Every statement should be followed by supporting facts and evidence.
It should be a hallmark of good grammar, punctuation and spelling.
Write something every day to keep your writing skills in good shape and to become comfortable with the writing process.
Identify the main points of your essay and make sure they are incorporated into the outline. Each main point is its own paragraph, with smaller, supporting points to back it up.
Double-check the requirements of the paper so you don’t miss anything. This includes style guides, margin sizes, word count, and so forth.
Do your writing by following your outline. This will save time and ensure you haven’t forgotten any essential information.
Create the introduction and conclusion after you’ve written the body of the paper.
Make sure you spend sufficient time editing and proofreading before you hand it in.

“ Every writer, no matter how good he is with his first attempt should proofread his paper. ” – Donna Brians

This resource changes all old-fashioned cliches and boring techniques into new and original ways of writing. Like to come here for fresh ideas!

Never thought writing can be so captivating! Thank you for helping me every time I need!

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A Global Language: Band 9 Sample Essay

Posted by David S. Wills | Apr 30, 2017 | IELTS Tips , Writing | 0

Here’s a recent IELTS Writing Task 2 question and a sample Band 9 answer:

Scientists say that in the future humanity will speak the same language. Do you think this is a positive or negative social development?

Sample Answer

One of the consequences of globalization is that even though there are more humans on the earth, the number of languages spoken is decreasing. As nomadic people and small tribes are assimilated into the wider population, and as powerful languages are increasingly taught in schools, it seems likely that in future all people will speak the same language. I don’t believe this is a terrible thing, but it not without its problems. On the surface, it may seem as though the loss of languages is inherently negative . Our language is a part of our cultural identity , and without it people may feel a sense of loss. For example, some populations whose traditional language is dying out will lose their ancient stories and traditions, and feel that they are now no different from other groups of people. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that dominant cultures, whose languages are spreading throughout the world, maintain their cultural traditions. However, although there are clearly some unfortunate side effects of this aspect of globalization, there are so many benefits that they outweigh the negatives. For one thing, the dominance of major languages like English ensures an increased level of literacy throughout populations where previously there were only oral languages or very limited written materials. While the loss of cultural artifacts is regrettable, the rise of literacy increases standards of living, and this is more important. In conclusion, there are some undeniably negative consequences of a global language; however, the increase in literacy levels is an example of a benefit to humanity that vastly outweighs any imaginable drawback.

Word count: 264

About The Author

David S. Wills

David S. Wills is the author of Scientologist! William S. Burroughs and the 'Weird Cult' and the founder/editor of Beatdom literary journal. He lives and works in rural Cambodia and loves to travel. He has worked as an IELTS tutor since 2010, has completed both TEFL and CELTA courses, and has a certificate from Cambridge for Teaching Writing. David has worked in many different countries, and for several years designed a writing course for the University of Worcester. In 2018, he wrote the popular IELTS handbook, Grammar for IELTS Writing and he has since written two other books about IELTS. His other IELTS website is called IELTS Teaching.

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Essays About Language: Top 5 Examples and 7 Prompts

Language is the key to expressive communication; let our essay examples and writing prompts inspire you if you are writing essays about language.

When we communicate with one another, we use a system called language. It mainly consists of words, which, when combined, form phrases and sentences we use to talk to one another. However, some forms of language do not require written or verbal communication, such as sign language.

Language can also refer to how we write or say things. For example, we can speak to friends using colloquial expressions and slang, while academic writing demands precise, formal language. Language is a complex concept with many meanings; discover the secrets of language in our informative guide.

5 Top Essay Examples

1. a global language: english language by dallas ryan , 2. language and its importance to society by shelly shah, 3. language: the essence of culture by kelsey holmes.

4. Foreign Language Speech by Sophie Carson
5. Attitudes to Language by Kurt Medina

1. My Native Language

2. the advantages of bilingualism, 3. language and technology, 4. why language matters, 5. slang and communication, 6. english is the official language of the u.s..

“Furthermore, using English, people can have more friends, widen peer relationships with foreigners and can not get lost. Overall, English becomes a global language; people may have more chances in communication. Another crucial advantage is improving business. If English was spoken widespread and everyone could use it, they would likely have more opportunities in business. Foreign investments from rich countries might be supported to the poorer countries.”

In this essay, Ryan enumerates both the advantages and disadvantages of using English; it seems that Ryan proposes uniting the world under the English language. English, a well-known and commonly-spoken language can help people to communicate better, which can foster better connections with one another. However, people would lose their native language and promote a specific culture rather than diversity. Ultimately, Ryan believes that English is a “global language,” and the advantages outweigh the disadvantages

“Language is a constituent element of civilization. It raised man from a savage state to the plane which he was capable of reaching. Man could not become man except by language. An essential point in which man differs from animals is that man alone is the sole possessor of language. No doubt animals also exhibit certain degree of power of communication but that is not only inferior in degree to human language, but also radically diverse in kind from it.”

Shah writes about the meaning of language, its role in society, and its place as an institution serving the purposes of the people using it. Most importantly, she writes about why it is necessary; the way we communicate through language separates us as humans from all other living things. It also carries individual culture and allows one to convey their thoughts. You might find our list of TOEFL writing topics helpful.

“Cultural identity is heavily dependent on a number of factors including ethnicity, gender, geographic location, religion, language, and so much more. Culture is defined as a “historically transmitted system of symbols, meanings, and norms.” Knowing a language automatically enables someone to identify with others who speak the same language. This connection is such an important part of cultural exchange”

In this short essay, Homes discusses how language reflects a person’s cultural identity and the importance of communication in a civilized society. Different communities and cultures use specific sounds and understand their meanings to communicate. From this, writing was developed. Knowing a language makes connecting with others of the same culture easier.

4. Foreign Language Speech by Sophie Carson

“Ultimately, learning a foreign language will improve a child’s overall thinking and learning skills in general, making them smarter in many different unrelated areas. Their creativity is highly improved as they are more trained to look at problems from different angles and think outside of the box. This flexible thinking makes them better problem solvers since they can see problems from different perspectives. The better thinking skills developed from learning a foreign language have also been seen through testing scores.”

Carson writes about some of the benefits of learning a foreign language, especially during childhood. During childhood, the brain is more flexible, and it is easier for one to learn a new language in their younger years. Among many other benefits, bilingualism has been shown to improve memory and open up more parts of a child’s brain, helping them hone their critical thinking skills. Teaching children a foreign language makes them more aware of the world around them and can open up opportunities in the future.

5. Attitudes to Language by Kurt Medina

“Increasingly, educators are becoming aware that a person’s native language is an integral part of who that person is and marginalizing the language can have severe damaging effects on that person’s psyche. Many linguists consistently make a case for teaching native languages alongside the target languages so that children can clearly differentiate among the codes”

As its title suggests, Medina’s essay revolves around different attitudes towards types of language, whether it be vernacular language or dialects. He discusses this in the context of Caribbean cultures, where different dialects and languages are widespread, and people switch between languages quickly. Medina mentions how we tend to modify the language we use in different situations, depending on how formal or informal we need to be.

6 Prompts for Essays About Language

Essays About Language: My native language

In your essay, you can write about your native language. For example, explain how it originated and some of its characteristics. Write about why you are proud of it or persuade others to try learning it. To add depth to your essay, include a section with common phrases or idioms from your native language and explain their meaning.

Bilingualism has been said to enhance a whole range of cognitive skills, from a longer attention span to better memory. Look into the different advantages of speaking two or more languages, and use these to promote bilingualism. Cite scientific research papers and reference their findings in your essay for a compelling piece of writing.

In the 21st century, the development of new technology has blurred the lines between communication and isolation; it has undoubtedly changed how we interact and use language. For example, many words have been replaced in day-to-day communication by texting lingo and slang. In addition, technology has made us communicate more virtually and non-verbally. Research and discuss how the 21st century has changed how we interact and “do language” worldwide, whether it has improved or worsened.

Essays About Language: Why language matters

We often change how we speak depending on the situation; we use different words and expressions. Why do we do this? Based on a combination of personal experience and research, reflect on why it is essential to use appropriate language in different scenarios.

Different cultures use different forms of slang. Slang is a type of language consisting of informal words and expressions. Some hold negative views towards slang, saying that it degrades the language system, while others believe it allows people to express their culture. Write about whether you believe slang should be acceptable or not: defend your position by giving evidence either that slang is detrimental to language or that it poses no threat.

English is the most spoken language in the United States and is used in government documents; it is all but the country’s official language. Do you believe the government should finally declare English the country’s official language? Research the viewpoints of both sides and form a conclusion; support your argument with sufficient details and research.

Check out our guide packed full of transition words for essays .If you’re stuck picking your next essay topic, check out our guide on how to write an essay about diversity .

Martin is an avid writer specializing in editing and proofreading. He also enjoys literary analysis and writing about food and travel.

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Perspective on English as the Global Language Essay

English as the Global Language: Good for Business, Bad for Literature is a thought-provoking article by Jacques Mélitz (n.d), which aims to reveal the consequences of having English as a global language. The author’s main purpose in writing the article is to inform the reader about the possible negative effects of making English a global language. While the author points out the positive effects the move might have on business, he also draws attention to the numerous negative impacts it poses on imaginative works of literature.

This text attempts to respond to a situation in which the dominance of the English language poses a real threat to world literature. If the English language took over world publishing, translations in other languages would reduce significantly because they would become commercially impracticable. This means that only the authors writing in English would have the prospect of attaining classic status. In addition, only English authors would manage to reach a world audience.

The author is an economics specialist at Centre de Recherche en Economie et Statistique. He also works as a researcher at the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR). CEPR comprises a group of over 450 Research Fellows based in different locations in Europe who work together to complete various research assignments. The organization assists its researchers to develop projects, secure financial support, manage them and publicize their results (Mélitz, n.d).

Research at the organization may cover various issues including business policies and open economy macroeconomics. Besides, the research may explore the economic changes affecting various parts of Europe, as well as regionalism affecting the global economy. This information helps to establish the author’s credibility because it shows his affiliation to a reputable organization.

Mélitz also establishes credibility by including numerous examples and facts to support his arguments. The strategies are valuable because they make the article interesting and compelling. For instance, the author has provided several facts indicating how English dominance with regard to translations has continued to increase over the years.

The facts play a critical role in the text because they help to validate the author’s arguments (Mélitz, n.d). It is evident that the author does not support the move to make English a global language, mainly because it is likely to have an adverse effect on the development of literature. As the author notes, authors who wish to reach the world audience are most likely to use English, a situation that is likely to make ‘world literature’ to become an ‘English literature’.

According to the author, making English a world language would negatively affect other languages because as the author points out, great authors mainly have the ability to write in only one language, with only a few having the ability to make contributions to literature multiple languages (Mélitz, n.d). Moreover, the author feels that English dominance is likely to contribute to the reduction in the number of talented writers in the world.

These reasons, as presented by the author, help to reveal that the author is not in support of the idea. The primary audiences for this article are the authors, while educators and the public are the secondary audiences. The various audiences are bound to appreciate this article because the author’s approach is clear, logical and appealing.

Mélitz’s major argument is that, while making English a global language might be helpful to other fields such as the sciences where there is a need to use a common language to facilitate efficiency, the move is likely to have numerous adverse effects in the field of literature. The author builds this argument by presenting the weakest point first and then progressing to other points that are more convincing to the reader.

He points out the main advantages of making English a global language and then proceeds to draw attention to the various negative effects that the move poses (Mélitz, n.d). For instance, the author indicates that making English a global would make literature less enjoyable because there would be less versatility and originality. To support his arguments, the author provides the reader with numerous illustrations, which are both relevant and convincing. This is critical because it helps to boost the credibility of the author’s arguments.

One of Mélitz’s support arguments is that there has been a significant increase in the dominance of English translations. In addition, he points out that, authors who wish to reach a world audience have to write in English, which shows that other languages would not have a fair chance for advancement.

The author also presents the reader with other arguments; he expresses concern that English dominance is likely to hamper the development of talent in other languages. In addition, he feels that literature might turn out to become a field in which the best work only happens to be in English (Mélitz, n.d).

These arguments are helpful to the reader because they not only help to make the arguments informative but also believable. This article falls in the genre of discussion papers, which aim to inform a target audience of the consequences of pursuing a particular move. In this genre, the author usually presents different sides of an argument, which helps the reader to acquire sufficient information to enable him/her to take a stand on the issue.

In this text, the author has managed to provide the reader with sufficient and relevant information to facilitate reaching an informed decision. The author has discussed the different sides of the issue in a comprehensive manner, thus providing a well-rounded argument on the issue. The author has also presented objective arguments on both sides before giving his personal views and conclusions. Most importantly, he has provided sufficient information to support his arguments.

Mélitz’s text is highly effective in communicating the main issue to the audience. The use of numerous points and illustrations helps to provide relevant and sufficient information, which is essential in helping the audience to understand the issue in a clear and concise manner (Mélitz, n.d). Therefore, the audience is able to make independent and informed decisions on the issue. Moreover, the author presents a conclusion that helps to reveal his feelings about the issue.

This is important because it enables the reader to understand the author’s viewpoint. The members of the community in which the author is affiliated have strong values about the production of highly researched and well-articulated articles, which help to boost the credibility of Mélitz’s work. Therefore, the assumptions made by the author are not only realistic but also consistent with the objective of producing high-quality work that aims to enlighten the reader.

Mélitz, J. (n.d). English as the global language: Good for business, bad for literature.

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IvyPanda. (2022, December 6). Perspective on English as the Global Language. https://ivypanda.com/essays/perspective-on-english-as-the-global-language/

"Perspective on English as the Global Language." IvyPanda , 6 Dec. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/perspective-on-english-as-the-global-language/.

IvyPanda . (2022) 'Perspective on English as the Global Language'. 6 December.

IvyPanda . 2022. "Perspective on English as the Global Language." December 6, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/perspective-on-english-as-the-global-language/.

1. IvyPanda . "Perspective on English as the Global Language." December 6, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/perspective-on-english-as-the-global-language/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Perspective on English as the Global Language." December 6, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/perspective-on-english-as-the-global-language/.

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The power of language: How words shape people, culture

Speaking, writing and reading are integral to everyday life, where language is the primary tool for expression and communication. Studying how people use language – what words and phrases they unconsciously choose and combine – can help us better understand ourselves and why we behave the way we do.

Linguistics scholars seek to determine what is unique and universal about the language we use, how it is acquired and the ways it changes over time. They consider language as a cultural, social and psychological phenomenon.

“Understanding why and how languages differ tells about the range of what is human,” said Dan Jurafsky , the Jackson Eli Reynolds Professor in Humanities and chair of the Department of Linguistics in the School of Humanities and Sciences at Stanford . “Discovering what’s universal about languages can help us understand the core of our humanity.”

The stories below represent some of the ways linguists have investigated many aspects of language, including its semantics and syntax, phonetics and phonology, and its social, psychological and computational aspects.

Understanding stereotypes

Stanford linguists and psychologists study how language is interpreted by people. Even the slightest differences in language use can correspond with biased beliefs of the speakers, according to research.

One study showed that a relatively harmless sentence, such as “girls are as good as boys at math,” can subtly perpetuate sexist stereotypes. Because of the statement’s grammatical structure, it implies that being good at math is more common or natural for boys than girls, the researchers said.

Language can play a big role in how we and others perceive the world, and linguists work to discover what words and phrases can influence us, unknowingly.

How well-meaning statements can spread stereotypes unintentionally

New Stanford research shows that sentences that frame one gender as the standard for the other can unintentionally perpetuate biases.

Algorithms reveal changes in stereotypes

New Stanford research shows that, over the past century, linguistic changes in gender and ethnic stereotypes correlated with major social movements and demographic changes in the U.S. Census data.

Exploring what an interruption is in conversation

Stanford doctoral candidate Katherine Hilton found that people perceive interruptions in conversation differently, and those perceptions differ depending on the listener’s own conversational style as well as gender.

Policeman with body-worn videocamera (body-cam)

Cops speak less respectfully to black community members

Professors Jennifer Eberhardt and Dan Jurafsky, along with other Stanford researchers, detected racial disparities in police officers’ speech after analyzing more than 100 hours of body camera footage from Oakland Police.

How other languages inform our own

People speak roughly 7,000 languages worldwide. Although there is a lot in common among languages, each one is unique, both in its structure and in the way it reflects the culture of the people who speak it.

Jurafsky said it’s important to study languages other than our own and how they develop over time because it can help scholars understand what lies at the foundation of humans’ unique way of communicating with one another.

“All this research can help us discover what it means to be human,” Jurafsky said.

Stanford PhD student documents indigenous language of Papua New Guinea

Fifth-year PhD student Kate Lindsey recently returned to the United States after a year of documenting an obscure language indigenous to the South Pacific nation.

dice marked with letters of the alphabet

Students explore Esperanto across Europe

In a research project spanning eight countries, two Stanford students search for Esperanto, a constructed language, against the backdrop of European populism.

Chris Manning: How computers are learning to understand language

A computer scientist discusses the evolution of computational linguistics and where it’s headed next.

Map showing frequency of the use of the Spanish pronoun 'vos' as opposed to 'tú' in Latin America

Stanford research explores novel perspectives on the evolution of Spanish

Using digital tools and literature to explore the evolution of the Spanish language, Stanford researcher Cuauhtémoc García-García reveals a new historical perspective on linguistic changes in Latin America and Spain.

Language as a lens into behavior

Linguists analyze how certain speech patterns correspond to particular behaviors, including how language can impact people’s buying decisions or influence their social media use.

For example, in one research paper, a group of Stanford researchers examined the differences in how Republicans and Democrats express themselves online to better understand how a polarization of beliefs can occur on social media.

“We live in a very polarized time,” Jurafsky said. “Understanding what different groups of people say and why is the first step in determining how we can help bring people together.”

Analyzing the tweets of Republicans and Democrats

New research by Dora Demszky and colleagues examined how Republicans and Democrats express themselves online in an attempt to understand how polarization of beliefs occurs on social media.

Examining bilingual behavior of children at Texas preschool

A Stanford senior studied a group of bilingual children at a Spanish immersion preschool in Texas to understand how they distinguished between their two languages.

Linguistics professor Dan Jurafsky in his office

Predicting sales of online products from advertising language

Stanford linguist Dan Jurafsky and colleagues have found that products in Japan sell better if their advertising includes polite language and words that invoke cultural traditions or authority.

Language can help the elderly cope with the challenges of aging, says Stanford professor

By examining conversations of elderly Japanese women, linguist Yoshiko Matsumoto uncovers language techniques that help people move past traumatic events and regain a sense of normalcy.

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Many Languages, One World® International Essay Contest Winners Unveil Action Plans for a Sustainable Future at the United Nations General Assembly

Nearly 60 students from around the world gathered at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on 29 July to present their action plans for building a sustainable future through the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The event was the culmination of the weeklong Many Languages, One World ® Global Youth Forum, held at Hofstra University in New York from 25 to 29 July.

The students were winners of the 3rd annual Many Languages, One World international essay contest and they came from 54 universities in 36 countries. Each year the contest is organized by United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) and ELS Educational Services, Inc., and challenges college and university students around the globe to write an essay examining global citizenship, cultural understanding and the role that multilingualism can play in fostering both. Entrants are required to write essays in one of the six official United Nations languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish), which can be neither their first language nor their primary language of instruction. More than 9,000 individuals from 165 countries took part in the initial phase of the contest this year.

Nearly two dozen UN staff members across four departments used their language skills, serving as judges for the contest. Jason Pierce was a reader for the English language essays and impressed by the quality of the students' writing: The essays have reaffirmed my belief that multilingualism can help to overcome cultural barriers, serve as a unifying force, and lead to global citizenship.

Students who participated in the contest are pursuing undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees. Their fields of study include language and linguistics, medicine, architecture, computer science and technology, business, and sustainable research management.

The Youth Forum is a transformative experience for many of the students, like Amani Naburi from Tanzania: Many Languages, One World is definitely one of the most influential platforms to create change and to inspire a better world. Imagine 60 young and vibrant minds from around the globe, who are aspirants of varied sectors, discussing global issues and coming up with collective solutions. Imagine these minds, trying to be curious about each other's cultures, challenges and opportunities, and craving to identify similar patterns between themselves.

Cristina Gallach, Under Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information at the United Nations, opened the event by underlining the importance of multilingualism in our lives: Communication and continuous dialogue are core tools for peaceful societies, and multilingualism is not only a means we use to share information about the work of the UN, it also reflects our respect for diversity and inclusion that lie at the heart of our work.

The President of the General Assembly, Mogens Lykketoft, echoed these sentiments: Multilingualism and diversity can provide us with different ways to view the world. They can help us to be humble and more tolerant of others. And they can expand the reservoir of ideas and innovation that we need to implement the Sustainable Development Goals.

Ahmed Alhendawi, the Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth, who addressed the students on behalf of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, pointed out the students' important role in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: To realize this bold vision, we need the power, energy and ideas of today's young people, who are part of the largest generation of youth in history.

Mark Harris, President Emeritus of ELS, noted that the number of contest entrants tripled this year, reaching forty more nations than 2015, a sign of the growing importance of multilingualism in a globalized world. Susan Adams, Senior Advisor to the International Association of University Presidents (IAUP), highlighted the collaboration between UNAI, ELS and IAUP in their efforts to promote Global Citizenship education as a means of improving the world.

Learn more about Many Languages, One World and sign up for updates here . If your college or university is interested in becoming a member of United Nations Academic Impact you can enrol here.

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Essay on Global Warming

Updated on
Nov 23, 2023

Being able to write an essay is an integral part of mastering any language. Essays form an integral part of many academic and scholastic exams like the SAT , and UPSC amongst many others. It is a crucial evaluative part of English proficiency tests as well like IELTS , TOEFL , etc. Major essays are meant to emphasize public issues of concern that can have significant consequences on the world. To understand the concept of Global Warming and its causes and effects, we must first examine the many factors that influence the planet’s temperature and what this implies for the world’s future. Here’s an unbiased look at the essay on Global Warming and other essential related topics.

This Blog Includes:

Short essay on global warming and climate change, what are the causes of global warming, solutions for global warming, effects of global warming, essay on global warming paragraph in 100 – 150 words, essay on global warming in 250 words, essay on global warming in 500 words, essay on global warming upsc, climate change and global warming essay, tips to write an essay.

What is Global Warming?

Global warming is the unusually rapid increase in Earth’s average surface temperature over the past century, primarily due to the greenhouse gases released by people burning fossil fuels . The greenhouse gases consist of methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, carbon dioxide, water vapour, and chlorofluorocarbons. The weather prediction has been becoming more complex with every passing year, with seasons more indistinguishable, and the general temperatures hotter. The number of hurricanes, cyclones, droughts, floods, etc., has risen steadily since the onset of the 21st century. The supervillain behind all these changes is Global Warming. The name is quite self-explanatory; it means the rise in the temperature of the Earth.

Sample Essays on Global Warming

Here are some sample essays on Global Warming:

Global Warming is caused by the increase of carbon dioxide levels in the earth’s atmosphere and is a result of human activities that have been causing harm to our environment for the past few centuries now. Global Warming is something that can’t be ignored and steps have to be taken to tackle the situation globally. The average temperature is constantly rising by 1.5 degrees Celsius over the last few years. The best method to prevent future damage to the earth, cutting down more forests should be banned and Afforestation should be encouraged. Start by planting trees near your homes and offices, participate in events, and teach the importance of planting trees. It is impossible to undo the damage but it is possible to stop further harm.

Digvijay Singh

Having 2+ years of experience in educational content writing, withholding a Bachelor's in Physical Education and Sports Science and a strong interest in writing educational content for students enrolled in domestic and foreign study abroad programmes. I believe in offering a distinct viewpoint to the table, to help students deal with the complexities of both domestic and foreign educational systems. Through engaging storytelling and insightful analysis, I aim to inspire my readers to embark on their educational journeys, whether abroad or at home, and to make the most of every learning opportunity that comes their way.

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Home — Blog — AI Hacks and Tips — 20 Best AI Tools for Students (FREE)

20 Best AI Tools for Students (FREE)

What are the Best AI Tools For Students

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools for students are software applications and platforms that utilize AI technologies to enhance learning experiences. These tools range from personalized learning assistants to complex problem-solving programs, each designed to facilitate different aspects of a student's educational journey. They leverage machine learning, natural language processing, and other AI methodologies to provide tailored educational support, improve accessibility, and optimize study processes. Also, AI websites for students serve as accessible gateways to these tools, offering user-friendly interfaces where students can easily access and interact with AI-driven resources. These websites often feature tutorials, interactive sessions, and community forums that help students navigate and maximize the benefits of AI in their studies. This online presence not only democratizes access to advanced educational tools but also fosters a more connected and tech-savvy student community.

Benefits of AI Tools for Students

AI tools offer numerous advantages for students, including personalized learning experiences that adapt to individual learning paces and styles. They can also provide instant feedback on assignments, help with revision, and streamline complex data analysis tasks. Additionally, AI study tools often feature interactive elements that make learning more engaging, and they can assist in overcoming language barriers through translation features. These tools are particularly beneficial in promoting inclusivity by providing students with disabilities customized support to access learning materials.

The best AI for school purposes often comes in the form of free AI tools for students, making advanced educational technology accessible to all. These free tools not only support academic development through customized learning and assessment capabilities but also ensure that no student is left behind due to financial constraints. By leveraging such AI solutions, schools can provide a more equitable, efficient, and interactive learning environment that caters to the diverse needs of their student population.

📍You may also be interested: Free Plagiarism Checker

5 Best Free AI Tools for Students at a Glance (2024)

We present a curated list of the top five best AI tools for students that stand out in 2024 for their exceptional utility and accessibility to students. We've gathered these elite resources to ensure you have the best support available at no cost, enhancing your educational journey with the latest advancements in AI technology.

✍️ Best AI for Writing - Essay Writing

Essay Writer is specifically designed to be an invaluable tool for students engaged in the writing of academic essays. Here's why it stands out as the best resource for this purpose:

Comprehensive Support Across the Essay Writing Process: Topic Selection; Essay Outlining; Research Assistance.
Professional Writing Samples and Guidance: The tool provides well-researched and structured essay samples, which can serve as excellent references for students. Additionally, there’s an emphasis on connecting students with professional help from PapersOwl experts, tailored to the essay's theme, to deepen the research and understanding of the subject matter.
Focused on Academic Integrity: Essay Writer promotes academic integrity by helping students generate original content and discouraging plagiarism. The tool ensures that all citations and bibliographies are appropriately formatted, fostering a responsible academic practice.
Structured and Detailed Essay Components: Introduction; Body Paragraphs; Conclusion.
Adaptable to Various Academic Levels and Subjects: Whether you're an undergraduate struggling with your first essay or a graduate student tackling complex research, Essay Writer is equipped to assist at all levels and across a broad spectrum of subjects.
User-Friendly and Accessible : The tool is designed to be straightforward and easy to use, ensuring that students can navigate their way through their essay writing process with ease and confidence.
Style and Tone : Maintains an academic yet approachable tone, which is crucial for educational writing. The use of varied sentence structures ensures that essays are not only correct but also engaging and clear.

By combining these elements, the Essay Writer acts as a comprehensive assistant that enhances the essay writing experience, supports academic growth, and helps students achieve their educational objectives with confidence and academic integrity.

🗣️ Best AI for Learning Language - Duolingo

best-ai-tools-for-students-Duolingo-1024x672

Duolingo is an AI-powered platform that transforms the way people learn languages by turning the process into a fun, game-like experience with personalized learning paths.

Interactive Learning : Duolingo uses an engaging, game-like interface that makes language learning fun and addictive. Users can earn points, level up, and compete with others, which encourages regular practice.
Personalized Learning Paths : The AI algorithms adapt the difficulty and the content based on the user’s performance, tailoring lessons to better suit individual learning speeds and needs.
Wide Range of Languages : Offers an extensive variety of languages from around the world, including less commonly taught languages, which provides opportunities for a broad spectrum of learners.
Accessibility : Duolingo is accessible on multiple platforms (iOS, Android, Web), making it easy for users to practice anywhere and anytime.

🎤 Best AI for Transcription - Fireflies

Fireflies.ai is an AI-driven tool designed to record, transcribe, and help users manage meeting interactions with high accuracy across various platforms.

Accurate Transcriptions : Fireflies.ai can capture conversations with high accuracy, including complex jargon from various industries, which is invaluable for professionals.
Integration Capability : Easily integrates with popular video conferencing tools like Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet, automatically recording and transcribing meetings.
Searchable Transcripts : Users can search through transcripts using keywords, making it easy to find specific parts of conversations without listening to the whole recording again.
Efficiency : Saves users a significant amount of time in meeting summaries and note-taking, enhancing productivity.

🖥️ Best AI for Presentation - Motionit

Motionit leverages AI to simplify the process of creating engaging and visually appealing presentations through automated design and customization features.

Automated Design : Motionit uses AI to automatically design beautiful presentations based on user content, significantly reducing the time and effort needed in layout and design.
Customization and Flexibility : Offers a range of templates and design elements that can be customized, allowing users to maintain brand consistency while still using automated tools.
Interactive Elements : Supports the inclusion of interactive elements like polls and Q&A, making presentations more engaging for the audience.
Ease of Use : The intuitive interface allows even users with no design background to create professional-looking presentations effectively.

🎨 Best AI for Art Generator - BlueWillow

BlueWillow is an advanced AI image generator that allows users to create detailed, high-resolution images based on textual descriptions, facilitating creative projects of all kinds.

High-Quality Images : Generates high-resolution images that are detailed and visually appealing, suitable for both professional and personal use.
Creative Control : Users can input detailed descriptions to guide the image generation, giving them significant control over the creative output.
Speed and Efficiency : Produces images quickly, allowing for rapid prototyping of ideas and visual concepts without the need for extensive graphic design skills.
Versatility : Useful for a wide range of applications, from marketing materials and content creation to personal projects and educational purposes.

15 Best AI Education Tools in 2024

Each tool has been selected for its unique ability to optimize learning and streamline academic tasks, making them indispensable resources in a student's educational toolkit. Whether it's through personalized study plans, automated feedback, or interactive learning experiences, these AI tools are designed to significantly enhance academic performance and make learning more accessible and engaging for students across various disciplines.

The best AI tools for students simplify complex study processes and tailor learning experiences to meet the unique needs of each student. These AI study tools range from AI-driven tutoring systems to advanced research assistants designed to enhance and personalize the learning environment. Below is a brief description of each of the best AI tools for students in 2024.

📝 Summary: Provides a platform that enhances productivity by integrating AI-driven insights into workflows and team collaborations. Students can use this tool to manage group projects efficiently, organize study plans, and streamline communication within study groups. 💰 Pricing: Subscription-based. 🎓 Use For: Managing group projects, planning studies, and enhancing collaboration.

📝 Summary: Offers a versatile workspace where students can take notes, manage tasks, and create databases all in one place. It's particularly useful for organizing research, managing deadlines, and compiling academic resources in a centralized platform. 💰 Pricing: Free tier available; paid plans for additional features. 🎓 Use For: Note-taking, task management, and academic organization.

Interactive Mathematics

📝 Summary: This tool offers detailed math tutorials and interactive problem-solving tools that help students understand complex mathematical concepts. It’s ideal for self-paced learning and reinforcing math skills through practice exercises. 💰 Pricing: Free access to tutorials; premium features may vary. 🎓 Use For: Mathematics learning and practice.

Natural Readers

📝 Summary: Converts text into speech with natural-sounding voices, making it a valuable tool for students who benefit from auditory learning methods. It can be used to listen to course material, papers, or any text, aiding in better comprehension and multitasking. 💰 Pricing: Free version available; premium voices and features require a subscription. 🎓 Use For: Auditory learning, reading assistance.

📝 Summary: Slidesgo provides customizable presentation templates with AI-driven suggestions to create engaging presentations. Students can utilize this tool to enhance their presentation quality for class projects, thesis defenses, and conferences. 💰 Pricing: Free templates available; premium templates require a subscription. 🎓 Use For: Presentation creation and design.

📝 Summary: Is an AI companion that learns from user interactions to provide conversational practice and emotional support. Students can use Replika to relieve stress, manage loneliness, and improve communication skills in a safe environment. 💰 Pricing: Free basic version; subscription for advanced emotional support features. 🎓 Use For: Emotional support, conversational practice.

📝 Summary: Specializes in converting text into high-quality audio, helping students create audio versions of textbooks and notes for on-the-go learning. It’s particularly useful for auditory learners and visually impaired students. 💰 Pricing: Subscription-based. 🎓 Use For: Creating educational audio content.

📝 Summary: facilitates efficient grading of assignments and exams with AI automation. Students can receive quicker and more consistent feedback on their submissions, which is crucial for improving their academic performance. 💰 Pricing: Institutional subscription. 🎓 Use For: Receiving consistent feedback and tracking academic progress.

Smart Sparrow

📝 Summary: Smart Sparrow offers an adaptive learning platform that lets educators create custom educational experiences. Students benefit from tailored learning paths that adjust to their individual learning pace and style. 💰 Pricing: Based on institutional partnership and volume. 🎓 Use For: Personalized learning experiences.

📝 Summary: Typeset aids in the process of formatting and writing research papers according to academic standards. Students can use it to ensure their papers meet the specific formatting requirements of journals and universities. 💰 Pricing: Free basic version; premium features for advanced formatting options. 🎓 Use For: Research paper formatting and submission.

📝 Summary: Otter.ai provides real-time transcription of lectures, meetings, and interviews, turning spoken language into organized, searchable text. Students can use it to capture lecture notes accurately and review them efficiently. 💰 Pricing: Free basic plan; subscription for more features. 🎓 Use For: Lecture transcription, study notes.

StepwiseMath

📝 Summary: StepwiseMath assists students in solving mathematical problems step-by-step with explanations and interactive learning modules. It’s particularly useful for understanding complex equations and preparing for exams. 💰 Pricing: Subscription-based. 🎓 Use For: Math problem-solving and exam preparation.

Undetectable

📝 Summary: Undetectable enhances digital privacy and security through AI-powered solutions, helping students secure their online communications and protect personal information. 💰 Pricing: Pricing varies based on the services required. 🎓 Use For: Enhancing digital security and privacy.

📝 Summary: Heuristica uses AI to support legal and data analysis, aiding students in law, business, or data science fields to make informed decisions and analyze complex data sets. 💰 Pricing: Based on the services and solutions provided. 🎓 Use For: Legal analysis, data analysis support.

Wolfram Alpha

📝 Summary: As a computational knowledge engine, Wolfram Alpha helps students solve mathematical problems, analyze data, and get answers to complex queries across various subjects. It’s an invaluable tool for homework help and project research. 💰 Pricing: Free access with limited features; Pro version available. 🎓 Use For: Problem-solving, data analysis, research assistance.

Understanding the Role of AI Tools for Education

AI tools play a crucial role in modern education by bridging gaps between vast educational resources and student needs. They analyze large volumes of data to provide insights on learning patterns, which can be used to enhance educational outcomes. AI also aids educators by automating administrative tasks and allowing more time to focus on teaching and personalized student interactions. Additionally, the best AI education tools streamline the integration of cutting-edge technologies into classrooms, offering scalable and innovative solutions that adapt to both instructor and learner requirements.

These tools are designed to optimize educational practices, enhance engagement, and boost the efficacy of learning through data-driven insights and automated support. By harnessing the best AI education tools, educational institutions can ensure that their programs are aligned with the latest technological advancements, thereby enhancing both teaching effectiveness and student achievement.

Types of AI Tools for Students

AI study tools can be categorized into several types. Each type serves a different educational need, from managing course content and schedules to providing bespoke tutoring sessions. Additionally, AI-driven analytics tools help both students and educators track progress and identify areas needing improvement. Here are the main types of AI tools and their primary functions:

Learning Management Systems (LMS) : Learning Management Systems are platforms that organize and deliver educational content and courses. They enable educators to create custom learning environments that facilitate course documentation, administration, tracking, and delivery, often using AI to personalize learning experiences based on student performance.
Interactive Learning Platforms : These platforms use AI to engage students in interactive activities that are tailored to their learning speed and style. They often include multimedia elements such as videos, quizzes, and games that adapt dynamically to the learner’s progress and responses.
AI Tutors : AI tutors provide personalized tutoring sessions, using algorithms to adapt their teaching methods and materials to the student's specific needs. They can answer questions, provide explanations, and offer practice problems, mimicking a human tutor's support but with infinite patience and availability.
Study Help Tools : These tools assist students in organizing their study materials, providing summaries of texts, generating practice questions, and scheduling study sessions. AI algorithms analyze the learning materials and student interactions to suggest the most effective study strategies.
AI-Driven Analytics Tools : These tools analyze data from students’ interactions with various digital learning tools to provide insights into learning patterns, performance metrics, and potential areas for improvement. Educators can use this data to adjust curricula and teaching strategies, making education more responsive to individual and class needs.

Each of these AI tools plays a crucial role in fostering a more engaging and personalized learning environment, enhancing both the effectiveness and accessibility of education. Particularly, AI for learning harnesses the potential of artificial intelligence to transform traditional educational methods, making learning more adaptive and tailored to individual student needs. This approach not only optimizes the educational experience but also prepares students for a technology-driven world, making AI an integral part of successful learning strategies.

How Students Can Best Use AI

To maximize the benefits of AI tools, students should integrate these technologies into their daily learning routines. This can be done by setting specific goals for AI interactions, using AI tools for practice and revision, and leveraging AI analytics to monitor and enhance their academic performance. It's also important for students to stay updated on new features and AI tools that can further aid their learning. Incorporating AI for studying into regular study sessions can revolutionize how students approach their coursework and revision.

AI-powered study aids can provide personalized quizzes, summarize key information from extensive texts, and suggest study timelines that optimize learning efficiency. Engaging with these AI tools allows students to develop more effective studying strategies, adaptively focusing on areas needing improvement, and thus securing a deeper understanding and retention of the subject matter. This proactive engagement with AI tools ensures students are not just passive consumers of information but active participants in their educational development.

Best AI Websites for Students: FAQ

Are AI tools for education free? Many AI tools offer free versions with essential features, while premium features might require payment.
Can AI tools replace teachers? No, AI tools are designed to assist and enhance the teaching process, not replace educators.
How do AI tools protect student privacy? Reputable AI tools adhere to strict data protection regulations to ensure student information is secure and private.
Can AI tools help with all subjects? While AI tools are versatile, their effectiveness can vary by subject and the specific needs of the student.
Is AI bad for education? AI itself is not inherently bad for education; it offers numerous benefits such as personalized learning and efficient data analysis. However, like any tool, its impact depends on how it is implemented and used. Properly integrated, AI can significantly enhance educational experiences, but over-reliance or poor application can lead to issues such as reduced critical thinking or interpersonal skills development.

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Students Are Likely Writing Millions of Papers With AI

Illustration of four hands holding pencils that are connected to a central brain

Students have submitted more than 22 million papers that may have used generative AI in the past year, new data released by plagiarism detection company Turnitin shows.

A year ago, Turnitin rolled out an AI writing detection tool that was trained on its trove of papers written by students as well as other AI-generated texts. Since then, more than 200 million papers have been reviewed by the detector, predominantly written by high school and college students. Turnitin found that 11 percent may contain AI-written language in 20 percent of its content, with 3 percent of the total papers reviewed getting flagged for having 80 percent or more AI writing. (Turnitin is owned by Advance, which also owns Condé Nast, publisher of WIRED.) Turnitin says its detector has a false positive rate of less than 1 percent when analyzing full documents.

ChatGPT’s launch was met with knee-jerk fears that the English class essay would die . The chatbot can synthesize information and distill it near-instantly—but that doesn’t mean it always gets it right. Generative AI has been known to hallucinate , creating its own facts and citing academic references that don’t actually exist. Generative AI chatbots have also been caught spitting out biased text on gender and race . Despite those flaws, students have used chatbots for research, organizing ideas, and as a ghostwriter . Traces of chatbots have even been found in peer-reviewed, published academic writing .

Teachers understandably want to hold students accountable for using generative AI without permission or disclosure. But that requires a reliable way to prove AI was used in a given assignment. Instructors have tried at times to find their own solutions to detecting AI in writing, using messy, untested methods to enforce rules , and distressing students. Further complicating the issue, some teachers are even using generative AI in their grading processes.

Detecting the use of gen AI is tricky. It’s not as easy as flagging plagiarism, because generated text is still original text. Plus, there’s nuance to how students use gen AI; some may ask chatbots to write their papers for them in large chunks or in full, while others may use the tools as an aid or a brainstorm partner.

Students also aren't tempted by only ChatGPT and similar large language models. So-called word spinners are another type of AI software that rewrites text, and may make it less obvious to a teacher that work was plagiarized or generated by AI. Turnitin’s AI detector has also been updated to detect word spinners, says Annie Chechitelli, the company’s chief product officer. It can also flag work that was rewritten by services like spell checker Grammarly, which now has its own generative AI tool . As familiar software increasingly adds generative AI components, what students can and can’t use becomes more muddled.

Detection tools themselves have a risk of bias. English language learners may be more likely to set them off; a 2023 study found a 61.3 percent false positive rate when evaluating Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exams with seven different AI detectors. The study did not examine Turnitin’s version. The company says it has trained its detector on writing from English language learners as well as native English speakers. A study published in October found that Turnitin was among the most accurate of 16 AI language detectors in a test that had the tool examine undergraduate papers and AI-generated papers.

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Schools that use Turnitin had access to the AI detection software for a free pilot period, which ended at the start of this year. Chechitelli says a majority of the service’s clients have opted to purchase the AI detection. But the risks of false positives and bias against English learners have led some universities to ditch the tools for now. Montclair State University in New Jersey announced in November that it would pause use of Turnitin’s AI detector. Vanderbilt University and Northwestern University did the same last summer.

“This is hard. I understand why people want a tool,” says Emily Isaacs, executive director of the Office of Faculty Excellence at Montclair State. But Isaacs says the university is concerned about potentially biased results from AI detectors, as well as the fact that the tools can’t provide confirmation the way they can with plagiarism. Plus, Montclair State doesn’t want to put a blanket ban on AI, which will have some place in academia. With time and more trust in the tools, the policies could change. “It’s not a forever decision, it’s a now decision,” Isaacs says.

Chechitelli says the Turnitin tool shouldn’t be the only consideration in passing or failing a student. Instead, it’s a chance for teachers to start conversations with students that touch on all of the nuance in using generative AI. “People don’t really know where that line should be,” she says.

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AI Index Report

Welcome to the seventh edition of the AI Index report. The 2024 Index is our most comprehensive to date and arrives at an important moment when AI’s influence on society has never been more pronounced. This year, we have broadened our scope to more extensively cover essential trends such as technical advancements in AI, public perceptions of the technology, and the geopolitical dynamics surrounding its development. Featuring more original data than ever before, this edition introduces new estimates on AI training costs, detailed analyses of the responsible AI landscape, and an entirely new chapter dedicated to AI’s impact on science and medicine.

Read the 2024 AI Index Report

The AI Index report tracks, collates, distills, and visualizes data related to artificial intelligence (AI). Our mission is to provide unbiased, rigorously vetted, broadly sourced data in order for policymakers, researchers, executives, journalists, and the general public to develop a more thorough and nuanced understanding of the complex field of AI.

The AI Index is recognized globally as one of the most credible and authoritative sources for data and insights on artificial intelligence. Previous editions have been cited in major newspapers, including the The New York Times, Bloomberg, and The Guardian, have amassed hundreds of academic citations, and been referenced by high-level policymakers in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, among other places. This year’s edition surpasses all previous ones in size, scale, and scope, reflecting the growing significance that AI is coming to hold in all of our lives.

Steering Committee Co-Directors

Ray Perrault

Steering committee members.

Erik Brynjolfsson

John Etchemendy

Katrina Ligett

Terah Lyons

James Manyika

Juan Carlos Niebles

Vanessa Parli

Yoav Shoham

Russell Wald

Staff members.

Loredana Fattorini

Nestor Maslej

Letter from the co-directors.

A decade ago, the best AI systems in the world were unable to classify objects in images at a human level. AI struggled with language comprehension and could not solve math problems. Today, AI systems routinely exceed human performance on standard benchmarks.

Progress accelerated in 2023. New state-of-the-art systems like GPT-4, Gemini, and Claude 3 are impressively multimodal: They can generate fluent text in dozens of languages, process audio, and even explain memes. As AI has improved, it has increasingly forced its way into our lives. Companies are racing to build AI-based products, and AI is increasingly being used by the general public. But current AI technology still has significant problems. It cannot reliably deal with facts, perform complex reasoning, or explain its conclusions.

AI faces two interrelated futures. First, technology continues to improve and is increasingly used, having major consequences for productivity and employment. It can be put to both good and bad uses. In the second future, the adoption of AI is constrained by the limitations of the technology. Regardless of which future unfolds, governments are increasingly concerned. They are stepping in to encourage the upside, such as funding university R&D and incentivizing private investment. Governments are also aiming to manage the potential downsides, such as impacts on employment, privacy concerns, misinformation, and intellectual property rights.

As AI rapidly evolves, the AI Index aims to help the AI community, policymakers, business leaders, journalists, and the general public navigate this complex landscape. It provides ongoing, objective snapshots tracking several key areas: technical progress in AI capabilities, the community and investments driving AI development and deployment, public opinion on current and potential future impacts, and policy measures taken to stimulate AI innovation while managing its risks and challenges. By comprehensively monitoring the AI ecosystem, the Index serves as an important resource for understanding this transformative technological force.

On the technical front, this year’s AI Index reports that the number of new large language models released worldwide in 2023 doubled over the previous year. Two-thirds were open-source, but the highest-performing models came from industry players with closed systems. Gemini Ultra became the first LLM to reach human-level performance on the Massive Multitask Language Understanding (MMLU) benchmark; performance on the benchmark has improved by 15 percentage points since last year. Additionally, GPT-4 achieved an impressive 0.97 mean win rate score on the comprehensive Holistic Evaluation of Language Models (HELM) benchmark, which includes MMLU among other evaluations.

Although global private investment in AI decreased for the second consecutive year, investment in generative AI skyrocketed. More Fortune 500 earnings calls mentioned AI than ever before, and new studies show that AI tangibly boosts worker productivity. On the policymaking front, global mentions of AI in legislative proceedings have never been higher. U.S. regulators passed more AI-related regulations in 2023 than ever before. Still, many expressed concerns about AI’s ability to generate deepfakes and impact elections. The public became more aware of AI, and studies suggest that they responded with nervousness.

Ray Perrault Co-director, AI Index

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Guest Essay

The Troubling Trend in Teenage Sex

A pile of bed linens on a night stand next to a bed.

By Peggy Orenstein

Ms. Orenstein is the author of “Boys & Sex: Young Men on Hookups, Love, Porn, Consent and Navigating the New Masculinity” and “Girls & Sex: Navigating the Complicated New Landscape.”

Debby Herbenick is one of the foremost researchers on American sexual behavior. The director of the Center for Sexual Health Promotion at Indiana University and the author of the pointedly titled book “Yes, Your Kid,” she usually shares her data, no matter how explicit, without judgment. So I was surprised by how concerned she seemed when we checked in on Zoom recently: “I haven’t often felt so strongly about getting research out there,” she told me. “But this is lifesaving.”

For the past four years, Dr. Herbenick has been tracking the rapid rise of “rough sex” among college students, particularly sexual strangulation, or what is colloquially referred to as choking. Nearly two-thirds of women in her most recent campus-representative survey of 5,000 students at an anonymized “major Midwestern university” said a partner had choked them during sex (one-third in their most recent encounter). The rate of those women who said they were between the ages 12 and 17 the first time that happened had shot up to 40 percent from one in four.

As someone who’s been writing for well over a decade about young people’s attitudes and early experience with sex in all its forms, I’d also begun clocking this phenomenon. I was initially startled in early 2020 when, during a post-talk Q. and A. at an independent high school, a 16-year-old girl asked, “How come boys all want to choke you?” In a different class, a 15-year-old boy wanted to know, “Why do girls all want to be choked?” They do? Not long after, a college sophomore (and longtime interview subject) contacted me after her roommate came home in tears because a hookup partner, without warning, had put both hands on her throat and squeezed.

I started to ask more, and the stories piled up. Another sophomore confided that she enjoyed being choked by her boyfriend, though it was important for a partner to be “properly educated” — pressing on the sides of the neck, for example, rather than the trachea. (Note: There is no safe way to strangle someone.) A male freshman said “girls expected” to be choked and, even though he didn’t want to do it, refusing would make him seem like a “simp.” And a senior in high school was angry that her friends called her “vanilla” when she complained that her boyfriend had choked her.

Sexual strangulation, nearly always of women in heterosexual pornography, has long been a staple on free sites, those default sources of sex ed for teens . As with anything else, repeat exposure can render the once appalling appealing. It’s not uncommon for behaviors to be normalized in porn, move within a few years to mainstream media, then, in what may become a feedback loop, be adopted in the bedroom or the dorm room.

Choking, Dr. Herbenick said, seems to have made that first leap in a 2008 episode of Showtime’s “Californication,” where it was still depicted as outré, then accelerated after the success of “Fifty Shades of Grey.” By 2019, when a high school girl was choked in the pilot of HBO’s “Euphoria,” it was standard fare. A young woman was choked in the opener of “The Idol” (again on HBO and also, like “Euphoria,” created by Sam Levinson; what’s with him ?). Ali Wong plays the proclivity for laughs in a Netflix special, and it’s a punchline in Tina Fey’s new “Mean Girls.” The chorus of Jack Harlow’s “Lovin On Me,” which topped Billboard’s Hot 100 chart for six nonconsecutive weeks this winter and has been viewed over 99 million times on YouTube, starts with, “I’m vanilla, baby, I’ll choke you, but I ain’t no killer, baby.” How-to articles abound on the internet, and social media algorithms feed young people (but typically not their unsuspecting parents) hundreds of #chokemedaddy memes along with memes that mock — even celebrate — the potential for hurting or killing female partners.

I’m not here to kink-shame (or anything-shame). And, anyway, many experienced BDSM practitioners discourage choking, believing it to be too dangerous. There are still relatively few studies on the subject, and most have been done by Dr. Herbenick and her colleagues. Reports among adolescents are now trickling out from the United Kingdom , Australia , Iceland , New Zealand and Italy .

Twenty years ago, sexual asphyxiation appears to have been unusual among any demographic, let alone young people who were new to sex and iffy at communication. That’s changed radically in a short time, with health consequences that parents, educators, medical professionals, sexual consent advocates and teens themselves urgently need to understand.

Sexual trends can spread quickly on campus and, to an extent, in every direction. But, at least among straight kids, I’ve sometimes noticed a pattern: Those that involve basic physical gratification — like receiving oral sex in hookups — tend to favor men. Those that might entail pain or submission, like choking, are generally more for women.

So, while undergrads of all genders and sexualities in Dr. Herbenick’s surveys report both choking and being choked, straight and bisexual young women are far more likely to have been the subjects of the behavior; the gap widens with greater occurrences. (In a separate study , Dr. Herbenick and her colleagues found the behavior repeated across the United States, particularly for adults under 40, and not just among college students.) Alcohol may well be involved, and while the act is often engaged in with a steady partner, a quarter of young women said partners they’d had sex with on the day they’d met also choked them.

Either way, most say that their partners never or only sometimes asked before grabbing their necks. For many, there had been moments when they couldn’t breathe or speak, compromising the ability to withdraw consent, if they’d given it. No wonder that, in a separate study by Dr. Herbenick, choking was among the most frequently listed sex acts young women said had scared them, reporting that it sometimes made them worry whether they’d survive.

Among girls and women I’ve spoken with, many did not want or like to be sexually strangled, though in an otherwise desired encounter they didn’t name it as assault . Still, a sizable number were enthusiastic; they requested it. It is exciting to feel so vulnerable, a college junior explained. The power dynamic turns her on; oxygen deprivation to the brain can trigger euphoria.

That same young woman, incidentally, had never climaxed with a partner: While the prevalence of choking has skyrocketed, rates of orgasm among young women have not increased, nor has the “orgasm gap” disappeared among heterosexual couples. “It indicates they’re not doing other things to enhance female arousal or pleasure,” Dr. Herbenick said.

When, for instance, she asked one male student who said he choked his partner whether he’d ever tried using a vibrator instead, he recoiled. “Why would I do that?” he asked.

Perhaps, she responded, because it would be more likely to produce orgasm without risking, you know, death.

In my interviews, college students have seen male orgasm as a given; women’s is nice if it happens, but certainly not expected or necessarily prioritized (by either partner). It makes sense, then, that fulfillment would be less the motivator for choking than appearing adventurous or kinky. Such performances don’t always feel good.

“Personally, my hypothesis is that this is one of the reasons young people are delaying or having less sex,” Dr. Herbenick said. “Because it’s uncomfortable and weird and scary. At times some of them literally think someone is assaulting them but they don’t know. Those are the only sexual experiences for some people. And it’s not just once they’ve gotten naked. They’ll say things like, ‘I’ve only tried to make out with someone once because he started choking and hitting me.’”

Keisuke Kawata, a neuroscientist at Indiana University’s School of Public Health, was one of the first researchers to sound the alarm on how the cumulative, seemingly inconsequential, sub-concussive hits football players sustain (as opposed to the occasional hard blow) were key to triggering C.T.E., the degenerative brain disease. He’s a good judge of serious threats to the brain. In response to Dr. Herbenick’s work, he’s turning his attention to sexual strangulation. “I see a similarity” to C.T.E., he told me, “though the mechanism of injury is very different.” In this case, it is oxygen-blocking pressure to the throat, frequently in light, repeated bursts of a few seconds each.

Strangulation — sexual or otherwise — often leaves few visible marks and can be easily overlooked as a cause of death. Those whose experiences are nonlethal rarely seek medical attention, because any injuries seem minor: Young women Dr. Herbenick studied mostly reported lightheadedness, headaches, neck pain, temporary loss of coordination and ear ringing. The symptoms resolve, and all seems well. But, as with those N.F.L. players, the true effects are silent, potentially not showing up for days, weeks, even years.

According to the American Academy of Neurology, restricting blood flow to the brain, even briefly, can cause permanent injury, including stroke and cognitive impairment. In M.R.I.s conducted by Dr. Kawata and his colleagues (including Dr. Herbenick, who is a co-author of his papers on strangulation), undergraduate women who have been repeatedly choked show a reduction in cortical folding in the brain compared with a never-choked control group. They also showed widespread cortical thickening, an inflammation response that is associated with elevated risk of later-onset mental illness. In completing simple memory tasks, their brains had to work far harder than the control group, recruiting from more regions to achieve the same level of accuracy.

The hemispheres in the choked group’s brains, too, were badly skewed, with the right side hyperactive and the left underperforming. A similar imbalance is associated with mood disorders — and indeed in Dr. Herbenick’s surveys girls and women who had been choked were more likely than others (or choked men) to have experienced overwhelming anxiety, as well as sadness and loneliness, with the effect more pronounced as the incidence rose: Women who had experienced more than five instances of choking were two and a half times as likely as those who had never been choked to say they had been so depressed within the previous 30 days they couldn’t function. Whether girls and women with mental health challenges are more likely to seek out (or be subjected to) choking, choking causes mood disorders, or some combination of the two is still unclear. But hypoxia, or oxygen deprivation — judging by what research has shown about other types of traumatic brain injury — could be a contributing factor. Given the soaring rates of depression and anxiety among young women, that warrants concern.

Now consider that every year Dr. Herbenick has done her survey, the number of females reporting extreme effects from strangulation (neck swelling, loss of consciousness, losing control of urinary function) has crept up. Among those who’ve been choked, the rate of becoming what students call “cloudy” — close to passing out, but not crossing the line — is now one in five, a huge proportion. All of this indicates partners are pressing on necks longer and harder.

The physical, cognitive and psychological impacts of sexual choking are disturbing. So is the idea that at a time when women’s social, economic, educational and political power are in ascent (even if some of those rights may be in jeopardy), when #MeToo has made progress against harassment and assault, there has been the popularization of a sex act that can damage our brains, impair intellectual functioning, undermine mental health, even kill us. Nonfatal strangulation, one of the most significant indicators that a man will murder his female partner (strangulation is also one of the most common methods used for doing so), has somehow been eroticized and made consensual, at least consensual enough. Yet, the outcomes are largely the same: Women’s brains and bodies don’t distinguish whether they are being harmed out of hate or out of love.

By now I’m guessing that parents are curled under their chairs in a fetal position. Or perhaps thinking, “No, not my kid!” (see: title of Dr. Herbenick’s book above, which, by the way, contains an entire chapter on how to talk to your teen about “rough sex”).

I get it. It’s scary stuff. Dr. Herbenick is worried; I am, too. And we are hardly some anti-sex, wait-till-marriage crusaders. But I don’t think our only option is to wring our hands over what young people are doing.

Parents should take a beat and consider how they might give their children relevant information in a way that they can hear it. Maybe reiterate that they want them to have a pleasurable sex life — you have already said that, right? — and also want them to be safe. Tell them that misinformation about certain practices, including choking, is rampant, that in reality it has grave health consequences. Plus, whether or not a partner initially requested it, if things go wrong, you’re generally criminally on the hook.

Dr. Herbenick suggests reminding them that there are other, lower-risk ways to be exploratory or adventurous if that is what they are after, but it would be wisest to delay any “rough sex” until they are older and more skilled at communicating. She offers language when negotiating with a new partner, such as, “By the way, I’m not comfortable with” — choking, or other escalating behaviors such as name-calling, spitting and genital slapping — “so please don’t do it/don’t ask me to do it to you.” They could also add what they are into and want to do together.

I’d like to point high school health teachers to evidence-based porn literacy curricula, but I realize that incorporating such lessons into their classrooms could cost them their jobs. Shafia Zaloom, a lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, recommends, if that’s the case, grounding discussions in mainstream and social media. There are plenty of opportunities. “You can use it to deconstruct gender norms, power dynamics in relationships, ‘performative’ trends that don’t represent most people’s healthy behaviors,” she said, “especially depictions of people putting pressure on someone’s neck or chest.”

I also know that pediatricians, like other adults, struggle when talking to adolescents about sex (the typical conversation, if it happens, lasts 40 seconds). Then again, they already caution younger children to use a helmet when they ride a bike (because heads and necks are delicate!); they can mention that teens might hear about things people do in sexual situations, including choking, then explain the impact on brain health and why such behavior is best avoided. They should emphasize that if, for any reason — a fall, a sports mishap or anything else — a young person develops symptoms of head trauma, they should come in immediately, no judgment, for help in healing.

The role and responsibility of the entertainment industry is a tangled knot: Media reflects behavior but also drives it, either expanding possibilities or increasing risks. There is precedent for accountability. The European Union now requires age verification on the world’s largest porn sites (in ways that preserve user privacy, whatever that means on the internet); that discussion, unsurprisingly, had been politicized here. Social media platforms have already been pushed to ban content promoting eating disorders, self-harm and suicide — they should likewise be pressured to ban content promoting choking. Traditional formats can stop glamorizing strangulation, making light of it, spreading false information, using it to signal female characters’ complexity or sexual awakening. Young people’s sexual scripts are shaped by what they watch, scroll by and listen to — unprecedentedly so. They deserve, and desperately need, models of interactions that are respectful, communicative, mutual and, at the very least, safe.

Peggy Orenstein is the author of “Boys & Sex: Young Men on Hookups, Love, Porn, Consent and Navigating the New Masculinity” and “Girls & Sex: Navigating the Complicated New Landscape.”

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An earlier version of this article misstated the network on which “Californication” first appeared. It is Showtime, not HBO. The article also misspelled a book and film title. It is “Fifty Shades of Grey,” not “Fifty Shades of Gray.”

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Why I must write about Amarah Lalitte, a little girl brutally murdered in Trinidad

Feature image via Canva Pro.

On the night of April 8, in a house in Arouca, a town situated along Trinidad's east-west corridor, four-year-old Amarah Lallitte was found decapitated. Shortly before, her mother had fled the house, running to the nearby police station to report that her male partner, who is not Lalitte's biological father, had attacked her.

She reportedly tried to get her daughter to leave with her, but told the Trinidad and Tobago Newsday, “She thought we were playing, so she was laughing. When I called her to come, she was not coming, she just stayed on the bed. So I had no choice. I had to try and get away from his grip and go to the station with the anticipation that the police would have reached there in time to save her.”

So traumatising was the scene that even experienced police officers had to receive psychological counselling, as did the child's relatives and neighbours of the family.

Much of the online discussion around Lalitte's murder consisted of reposting information reported in mainstream media, probing the reasons the child's biological father was not part of the picture, lamenting the evil taking hold of the country, and inferring that the death penalty should be reinstated.

Trinidad and Tobago is the only country in the English-speaking Caribbean to retain the death penalty, although no one has been hanged for murder since 1999. There have been countless studies debating whether or not capital punishment deters violent crime, with human rights organisations like Amnesty International claiming it does not, and many others being unable to draw a clear conclusion .

With a population of about 1.5 million , Trinidad and Tobago's rate of violent crime is high. In 2022, World Population Review ranked the country third in the world when it comes to murder rates per capita, right behind two other Caribbean nations — Jamaica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. In fact, 2022 was cited as the year with the highest murder rate in local history: 605 people were killed, but only 89 were charged with murder, representing a solve rate of just 12.4 per cent. In 2023, its ranking had only slightly improved — according to Statista, Trinidad and Tobago was tenth on its list of the world's most dangerous countries by murder rate.

Breaking down the deaths by cause, the situation appears just as grim. In 2017 , for instance, when there were 494 murders, just over 10 percent of the victims were women. Of those, nearly 83 percent had been killed by an intimate partner. During the COVID-19 pandemic, instances of domestic violence became more common . The impact of this behaviour on children was cause for concern, as it is a well-documented fact that “the risk of serious harm from domestic and family violence is disproportionally carried by women and children.”

Article 3 in the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights specifies the right to “life, liberty and security of person,” yet so many women in Trinidad and Tobago — and throughout the wider region — have that right denied them and in cases like this, denied their children as well.

It is a problem that has been bubbling for some time. In 2014, Caribbean social media users questioned whether societal attitudes and laws against sexual assault were contributing to a regional “rape culture.” In 2016, the region was forced to confront its attitude towards women, yet Trinidad and Tobago's first murder victim of 2017 was a schoolgirl. For three years in a row — 2020 , 2021 , and 2022 — gender-based violence has continued to be a pressing issue.

As a nation, Trinidad and Tobago has marched against gender-based violence on International Women's Day, held public remembrances for femicide victims, tried to dismantle some of the causes of such a complex issue , called out victim-blaming and violence against children, identified links between gender-based violence and child abuse , and attempted to use humour to raise people's awareness and shift their perspective.

Citizens have routinely agitated for action, shifted the responsibility from women onto men , suggested tangible measures to make women safer , and said , “Enough is enough.” They have asked important questions — many of which remain unanswered — to the point where “ sometimes even words feel futile .”

The problem remains finding a way to quell the violence . How do we go about stemming the prevalence and acceptance of — or is it stoicism around — domestic violence in Trinidad and Tobago?

Many non-governmental organisations, doing this work on scanty budgets for a long time, can answer this question far better than I — but from a journalistic perspective, I'd like to riff off veteran correspondent Christiane Amanpour's belief that reporting should “be truthful, but not neutral.” She first came to that awareness when covering the Bosnian genocide, but says that the approach “applies to everything,” not just “gross violations of human rights.” But aren't the levels of violence we are currently experiencing — as a nation and as a region – just that?

To take Amanpour's stance on truth one step further, the role of the truth-telling journalist has got to be more than bearing witness. If it is the truth that is being brought to light — without agendas or interests — then a natural offshoot of that must be to effect change in the upholding of that truth.

First comes advocacy. We must tell the stories and shine a light. Education is key, as it bolsters the impact of the work that is already being done. How much more effective could our NGOs be if they worked together, alongside state agencies, communities, educational and even religious institutions, integrated into a national campaign against domestic abuse? If we figure out which of these organisations is making solid inroads, fund them so they can do more, and connect them to others so the communal effort can be augmented, I suspect that small steps will soon become big strides.

People would start talking more openly about what gender-based violence looks like and what the warning signs are. By putting our ingrained “ macociousness ” to work for good, unnecessary deaths could possibly be prevented. People would hopefully become more aware of how to access support, and less ashamed to ask for it. Literacy programmes and skills-building workshops in anger management have performed well in the past. How much more good could they do if they received the resources needed to scale up?

Socialisation of our boys and young men is key to breaking this cycle. This begins with families, regardless of how they look: nuclear, extended, blended, broken. As a society, we need to find ways to get into homes and provide the help that is needed. In some cases, this might begin with economic support. Other situations might call for social outreach or mentorship to alter mindsets and give people tangible coping mechanisms.

Parenting workshops are also desperately needed. It's time to reinstate home visits by community nurses and social welfare officers — maybe even random visits that take the “mystery shopper” approach — so that we can better gauge which households are struggling with domestic and child abuse issues. This framework is integral to the proper functioning of state social services, and has the potential to relieve the workload of the Victim and Witness Support Unit of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) by helping to prevent attacks in the first place.

Could the government make better use of the experts in its population? Could private sector psychiatrists, psychologists, counsellors and mental health experts, for instance, be assigned to help different communities and, in return, qualify for tax breaks? Could such an initiative extend to people like yoga instructors, nature enthusiasts, musicians, artists and other cultural workers? Let's use the resources we have at our disposal to create a country we all feel safe living in.

The scourge of corruption needs to be addressed in tangible ways. Without consequences for illegal behaviour, our systems will continue to deteriorate until they are mere façades. Our judicial system is in dire need of streamlining for it to be truly equitable. This is not to say that there has not been hope amidst the doom.

The Evidence Act, for example, has been updated to allow for more modern approaches for evidence gathering in criminal trials, and the recently launched National Strategic Action Plan to end gender-based and sexual violence puts a strong emphasis on prevention and protection for survivors, as well as prosecution of abusers. In the country's 2023-24 National Budget, social development was the fourth highest funded sector .

Finally and perhaps most importantly, changing a culture requires innovation, commitment, diligence and consistent implementation for it to take hold. We are all our brother's — and sister's — keepers, or, to cite a local idiom, “When your neighbour house on fire, wet yours.” Will we continue to turn a blind eye while things are building up to disaster, then wail over the tragedy — until it happens again? Or will we finally wake up, realise no political party or action hero is coming to save us, and begin to show up for ourselves?

If we are to break free from this morass, we must take advantage of every opportunity to respectfully and responsibly participate in our society — top down, bottom up. Our women and children deserve nothing less. When we do, I suspect the need to write about such harrowing stories will diminish — and that on the occasions where we must, it will feel much less like despair.

The Bridge features personal essays, commentary, and creative non-fiction that illuminate differences in perception between local and international coverage of news events, from the unique perspective of members of the Global Voices community. Views expressed do not necessarily represent the opinion of the community as a whole. All Posts

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