1.

INTRODUCTION

No one denies the importance of English language in the present time as global language. It
is clear that the English language has become more dominant around the world. In some
countries it use as the mother tongue and ,other countries learn it as second language in their
schools. This is make English widespread. In addition, many reasons which contributed to rising
of English spreading . for example, use it for communication between people around the world,
as well as, it is language of modern times. On other hand , English is the language of science and
technology.

There is no doubt that, the English is language of communication between the people with
different cultures . It is also the language of computers that help to communicate with the people
around the world through Internet technology and e-mail. People who know English can deal
with the Internet, which is regard information and communications revolution .

Also one of reasons that contributed to the spread of English that, it is the language of the
modern era. Where the people are use it in various field of life such as, economy, e-commerce,
medicine and aviation. In addition ,it is the language which use in the tourism and travel.This
reasons motive the people to learn English .

One of the main reasons why the English is dominant in the present time, use it in the field
of education by universities and institutes and, they use it in scientific research . It has become an
addendum to the mastery of scientific individual stock. On the other hand, the English is an
important requirement in most government jobs and private.

It is quite clear that English has become a necessity today. We need it in different fields of
life . The English language has become easier to learn more than ever before with the availability
of many sources to help people learn very easily. Such as the Internet, books and educational
institutes which spread around the world.

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2.HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

2.1 A short history of the origins and development of English

The history of the English language really started with the arrival of three Germanic tribes who
invaded Britain during the 5th century AD. These tribes, the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes,
crossed the North Sea from what today is Denmark and northern Germany. At that time the
inhabitants of Britain spoke a Celtic language. But most of the Celtic speakers were pushed west
and north by the invaders - mainly into what is now Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The Angles
came from England and their language was called English - from which the words England and
English are derived.

a) Old English (450-1100 AD)

The invading Germanic tribes spoke similar languages, which in Britain developed into what we
now call Old English. Old English did not sound or look like English today. Native English
speakers now would have great difficulty
understanding Old English. Nevertheless, about half of the most commonly used words in
Modern English have Old English roots. The words be, strong and water, for example, derive
from Old English. Old English was spoken until around 1100.

b) Middle English (1100-1500)

In 1066 William the Conqueror, the Duke of Normandy (part of modern France), invaded and
conquered England. The new conquerors (called the Normans) brought with them a kind of
French, which became the language of the Royal Court, and the ruling and business classes. For
a period there was a kind of linguistic class
division, where the lower classes spoke English
and the upper classes spoke French. In the 14th century English became dominant in Britain
again, but with many French words added. This language is called Middle English. It was the
language of the great poet Chaucer (c1340-1400), but it would still be difficult for native English
speakers to understand today.

c) Modern English
i. Early Modern English (1500-1800)

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Towards the end of Middle English, a sudden and distinct change in pronunciation (the Great
Vowel Shift) started, with vowels being pronounced shorter and shorter. From the 16th century
the British had contact with many peoples from around the world. This, and the Renaissance of
Classical learning, meant that many new words and phrases entered the language. The
invention of printing also meant that there was now a common language in print. Books
became cheaper and more people learned to read. Printing also brought standardization to
English. Spelling and grammar became fixed, and the dialect of London, where most publishing
houses were, became the standard. In 1604 the first English dictionary was published.

ii. Late Modern English (1800-Present)

The main difference between Early Modern English and Late Modern English is vocabulary.
Late Modern English has many more words, arising from two principal factors: firstly, the
Industrial Revolution and technology created a need for new words; secondly, the British Empire
at its height covered one quarter of the earth's surface, and the English language adopted foreign
words from many countries.

iii. Varieties of English

From around 1600, the English colonization of North America resulted in the creation of a
distinct American variety of English. Some English pronunciations and words "froze" when they
reached America. In some ways, American English is more like the English of Shakespeare than
modern British English is. Some expressions that the British call "Americanisms" are in fact
original British expressions that were preserved in the colonies while lost for a time in Britain
(for example trash for rubbish, loan as a verb instead of lend, and fall for autumn; another
example, frame-up, was re-imported into Britain through Hollywood gangster movies). Spanish
also had an influence on American English (and subsequently British English), with words like
canyon, ranch, stampede and vigilante being examples of Spanish words that entered English
through the settlement of the American West. French words (through Louisiana) and West
African words (through the slave trade) also influenced American English (and so, to an extent,
British English).

Today, American English is particularly influential, due to the USA's dominance of cinema,
television, popular music, trade and technology (including the Internet). But there are many other

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varieties of English around the world, including for example Australian English, New Zealand
English, Canadian English, South African English, Indian English and Caribbean English.

The Germanic Family of Languages

English is a member of the Germanic family of languages.

Germanic is a branch of the Indo-European language family.

A brief chronology of English

55 BC Roman invasion of Britain by Julius Caesar.

Roman invasion and occupation. Beginning of Roman rule

AD 43 Local inhabitants
of Britain.
speak Celtish
436 Roman withdrawal from Britain complete.

449 Settlement of Britain by Germanic invaders begins

450-480 Earliest known Old English inscriptions.

William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, invades and Old English

1066
conquers England.

c1150 Earliest surviving manuscripts in Middle English. Middle English

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 English replaces Latin as the language of instruction in most
1348
schools.

English replaces French as the language of law. English is

1362
used in Parliament for the first time.

c1388 Chaucer starts writing The Canterbury Tales.

c1400 The Great Vowel Shift begins.

1476 William Caxton establishes the first English printing press.

1564 Shakespeare is born.

1604 Table Alphabetical, the first English dictionary, is published.

The first permanent English settlement in the New World

1607
(Jamestown) is established.

1616 Shakespeare dies.

1623 Shakespeare's First Folio is published Early Modern English

The first daily English-language newspaper, The Daily

1702
Courant, is published in London.

1755 Samuel Johnson publishes his English dictionary.

Thomas Jefferson writes the American Declaration of

1776
Independence.

1782 Britain abandons its American colonies.

1828 Webster publishes his American English dictionary.

1922 The British Broadcasting Corporation is founded. Late Modern English

1928 The Oxford English Dictionary is published.

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3.WHY SHOULD WE LEARN ENGLISH?
There are many benefits of learning English. English is the Global language now. English is used
for communication by people who do not speak the same language around the world. Here, I'm
going to tell you some more advantages of learning it:

1. Most professional jobs need a good English speakers or writers.

2. If you want to grow in your job you need to know good English. It has become as
important as Degrees and Diplomas.

3. You may need to attend International Business Meetings and Exhibitions either as a
visitor or a presenter and the chances are youll have to speak in the English language.

4. Learning English can also help you to meet new people, if you are traveling places you
won't face any problem.

5. The estimated 200 million users of the Internet, some 35% communicate in English.

6. English is the main language of books, newspapers, airports and air-traffic control,
international business and academic conferences, science, technology, diplomacy, sport,
international competitions, pop music and advertising.

4.How Many People Speak English Around the World

Approximately 375 million people speak English as their first language. English today is
probably the third largest language by number of native speakers, after Mandarin Chinese and
Spanish. However, when combining native and non-native speakers it is probably the most
commonly spoken language in the world, though possibly second to a combination of the
Chinese languages (depending on whether or not distinctions in the latter are classified as
"languages" or "dialects").

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Estimates that include second language speakers vary greatly from 470 million to over a billion
depending on how literacy or mastery is defined and measured. Linguistics professor David
Crystal calculates that non-native speakers now outnumber native speakers by a ratio of 3 to 1.

The countries with the highest populations of native English speakers are, in descending order:
United States (215 million), United Kingdom (61 million), Canada (18.2 million), Australia (15.5
million), Nigeria (4 million), Ireland (3.8 million), South Africa (3.7 million), and New Zealand
(3.6 million) 2006 Census.

Countries such as the Philippines, Jamaica and Nigeria also have millions of native speakers of
dialect continua ranging from an English-based to a more standard version of English. Of those
nations where English is spoken as a second language, India has the most such speakers ('Indian
English'). Crystal claims that, combining native and non-native speakers, India now has more
people who speak or understand English than any other country in the world.

5. HOW TO SPEAK FLUENTLY?

Becoming fluent in a foreign language takes hard work, but it is fully within your ability. Here
are some tips for you to try:

Do two to three sessions each week.

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 Practicing a language is like working out muscles, it's important to do it regularly to
improve. Just like lifting weights or jogging once a year won't help your body get in
shape, practicing English infrequently will not be much of a benefit. Set a goal for
practicing regularly and stick with it.

Be patient.

Speaking with a native English-speaker may be very difficult at first, but it's ok. Perhaps
you are used to hearing your teachers or friends speak with an accent and they are easier
to understand. The more you practice with native English-speakers the better you will get.
Have patience and keep working at it.

Don't get frustrated.

Of course there will be plenty that you do not understand, that's part of learning. You will
get better. If you feel silly trying to speak to someone who speaks English fluently, just
remember: You speak their language better than they speak yours!

Write down words that you do not understand.

After you read a newspaper or a book, jot down any words that you are not sure the
meaning of. Then, work on memorizing those words so the next time you hear them, you
will understand.

Use your English conversations to practice whatever you need to work on.

If you have a job interview coming up, practice job interview questions. If you have a
mirror, try to speak in front of it frequently.

Read English books.

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 Reading English books will improve your vocabulary and your grammar, which will help
you get more information.

Don't give up on studying.

Just because you are practicing speaking doesn't mean you should give up studying other
ways too. Continue memorizing vocabulary, taking English classes, and reading English.

6.WAYS TO MAKE ONES PERFORMANCE IN A GROUP DISCUSSION

EFFECTIVELY

There are a number of ways to make ones performance in a group discussion effective and
impressive.

In terms of body language, the following are very useful tips to carry oneself in a group
discussion:-
1. Sitting with a straight back and both hands on ones knees appears formal and confident
simultaneously while also making one feel more confident.
2. Making eye contact with each individual in the group creates more room for communication.
3. Nodding shows receptivity.
4. It is important to be assertive yet humble while also being oneself during a group discussion.

In terms of speech (a very important factor in a group discussion), the following points must be
kept in mind:-
1. It's great to seize the opportunity to speak first if you have an understanding of the topic and a
valid point to make. If not, it is advisable to wait for another to speak and step in for value
addition.
2. Facilitate contribution from others.
3. Without aggression, be assertive, without submission, be humble.
4. No one is a personal friend during a group discussion. The tone of the discussion is impersonal
and cordial.

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5. Avoid creating a fish market as far as possible. If you find yourself in one, break it, by raising
your voice just enough to be heard and making a very heavy point (such as facts and figures to
support your stand).
6. Statistics and facts are very impressive but need to be real and backed up by references in case
one is questioned.
7. Don't repeat a point, be lengthy or irrelevant. Intervene if someone else is going off on an
irrelevant tangent.
8. Don't take to making one on one conversation.
9. Be simple in your speech and conclude objectively.

In terms of mindset and behavior, one must remember:-

1. That ones skills as a team member and personality are being observed by the moderator at all
times.
2. That one is mostly answerable for his/her actions during the group discussion in the personal
interview which generally follows.
3. That being nervous is not help and being genuine will.
4. That leaders take a topic on its proper path.

Further for an effective speaking one has to be self confident and motivated. Visit the links and
learn on how to motivate a person and make him self confident for any group discussion and
reap the benefits of effective communication.

CONCLUSION:

1. Communication

English, whether you like it or not, is the chosen language of international communication.

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 English has official or special status in at least seventy five countries with a total
population of over two billion.

Speakers of English as a second language probably outnumber those who speak it as a

first language.

Around 750 million people are believed to speak English as a foreign language.

One out of four of the world's populations speak English to some level of competence;
demand from the other three-quarters is increasing.

Nearly one in two European Union citizens claim to be able to converse in English*
according to a survey carried out in 1998, and 69 per cent of survey respondents who did
not speak English as their first language felt that it was the most important language for
them to learn or use.

2. Information & Research

English is the main language of books, newspapers, airports and air-traffic control,
international business and academic conferences, science, technology, diplomacy, sport,
international competitions, pop music and advertising.

Over two-thirds of the world's scientists read in English.

Three quarters of the world's mail is written in English

80% of the world's electronically stored information is in English.

Of the estimated 200 million users of the Internet, some 36% communicate in English.

3. Develop your career

Most professional jobs require a good level in English think how impressive "excellent
level in English" will look on your CV.

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 Business and commerce are increasingly driven by international trade and if you are
going to grow in your job you need to be able to follow this trend.

Technical skills are essential in modern industries and you need to be able to both read
and write technical English if you are going to maintain your technical competence.

You may need to attend International Symposiums and Exhibitions either as a visitor or a
presenter and the chances are youll have to work in the English language.

4. Food

Perhaps you enjoy the food and/or drink of a particular country or region and make regular
trips there, or the recipe books you want to use are only available in an English Language.

5. To find your future husband/wife

Learning a new language and culture increases the size of your selection pool. We often
communicate in face book and twitter, and maybe we accidently found our future husband/
wife there. By learning English, communication is clearer and better. It is not enough I think
just to say I love you. Planning your future might be easier with good English.

(2548 words)

REFERENCES:

1. http://www.articleslash.net/Writing-and-Speaking/384164__Speaking-Effectively-
in-a-Group-Discussion.html retrieved on 29.05.2011 at 20.26.31pm.
2. http://www.indiahowto.com/tips-speaking-english-fluently.html retrieved on
29.05.2011 at 27.05.2011 at 13.25.00 p.m.
3. http://ezinearticles.com/?Advantages-to-Speaking-a-Second
Language&id=2742071 retrieved on 29.05.2011 at 14.14.25p.m.
4. http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071118033454AAW7A5M
retrieved on 29.05.2011 at 15.10.20p.m.
5. http://speakwithamericans.com/int/benefits.php retrieved on 30.05.2011 at
12.00.05p.m.

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