The rampant imperialism of the English language contributes to the building of
an ivory tower invisible to its inhabitants. They are so convinced that no
serious thoughts can be conceived outside their culture they deem it unnecessary
to learn other languages. In Britain, only a quarter of state schools make
modern languages compulsory at GCSE level. A generation of linguists is about to
be lost and with it the country's capacity to understand a different world.
University language departments will close, the Foreign Office will find itself
short of competent staff and British academics will declare themselves the last
true intellectuals, in blind ignorance.

Commentary by Agnès Poirier for The Guardian.

Whether or not it is blind ignorance that translates into the apparently unconscious subscription of linguistic Darwinism of the intellectual community in Britain, it has become an undeniable fact that the the expanding role and usage of increasingly standardized language is at once a product and a factor of the phenomena that we have all embraced and come to love, globalization. The promotion of a global lingua franca is primarily classified within the context of cultural imperialism, bringing to attention the ubiquitous connection between the two. Culture forms language. Language forms culture. Language is both the symptom and the cause; the product and intisgator of perhaps the more pessimistic viewpoint of cultural hegemony. More than a means of of communication of ideas, it is a weapon, making language and linguistic dominance the cannons of cultural warfare. Without a language, a culture is defenseless, exposed to larger, global forces and susceptible to steady weathering. In many instances the displacement and neglect of native languages is a direct indication of the displacement and neglect of the culture itself.

In this war of globalization (if it can be thought of as a war between local and global identity) it is those dominant cultures that are emerging strong and on the offensive that will ultimately survive. It is not until one considers the flipside--the cultures that made way for this dominance--that one sees the poignance and futility of the idea that traditional cultures cannot co-exist in light of globalization. The ability to ensure the relevance and usefulness (a devastating degradation and might I add, deadening of) a language is to be able to fight for the survival of one's nation and culture on the global stage. It is a immensely difficult task, and the odds are as always, stacked against the minorities.

Language imperialism by definition is essentially the transfer of a dominant language to foreign people. As with imperialism and colonization in the 19th century, it is a demonstration of power, although not necessarily in the original millitaristic sense. In the 21st century this takes on new meaning. With globalization the demonstration of power is no longer confined to millitary might (although with the rise nuclear weapons this is still a major factor), but has expanded to include world economic and political power as well. It is also a matter of prestige; more often than not the dominant language is regarded as innately superior and an alleged proponent of several values. This is evident in the rhetoric used by the British Council, founded in 1934 with the intent of 'cultural propaganda' (a crude way of putting it) or the promotion of the English language, relying mainly on the key fundamental tenets of English applied linguistics and its teaching methodology. Many of these arguments have been described as fallacies, as highlighted by the article on Language imperialism on Wikipedia:

• English is best taught monolingually ("the monolingual fallacy")
• the ideal teacher is a native speaker ("the nativespeaker fallacy")
• the earlier English is taught, the better the results ("the early start fallacy")
• the more English is thought, the better the results ("the maximum exposure fallacy")
• if other languages are used much,standards of English will drop ("the subtractive fallacy")

The article also identifies the arguments of proponents of the English language as being:

• English intrinsic arguments describe the language as God-given, rich, noble and interesting. These arguments usually assert what English is and other languages are not.
• English extrinsic arguments point out that English is well established: there are trained teachers and a multitude of teaching material. There are also abundant immaterial resources like knowledge of the language.
• English functional arguments emphasise the usefulness of English as a gateway to the world.

While the idea that English is the gateway to the world because it is useful is somewhat circular in nature, it is undeniable either way. It is impossible to pinpoint exactly when English emerged as the singular, dominant language, as it was spread over a gradual period of time.

The article on International English on Wikipedia loosely identifies the beginnings of the globalization of the language as such:

The language of England came to dominance throughout the island of Great
Britain during the Middle Ages and in Ireland during the 18th century and,
especially, the 19th century. In the modern era, printing led to the gradual
standardisation of English, and particularly the use of the prestige dialect of
the English ruling classes.

The establishment of the first permanent English-speaking colony in North
America in 1607 was a major step towards the globalisation of the language.
British English was only partially standardised when the American colonies were
established. Isolated from Britain by the Atlantic Ocean, the settlements
evolved a distinct standard form of American English. In particular, Noah
Webster's reform of American-English spelling in the early 19th century gave
rise to the main division in English spelling that exists today.

In short, the English language spread as a result of British military and mercantile expansion in the 19th century, although it would be slightly after that that the written language was standardized and consciously acknowledged as an international language.

International English is the concept of the English language as a global means
of communication in numerous dialects, and the movement towards an international standard for the language. It is also referred to as Global English, World English, Common English, General English or Standard English. Sometimes these terms refer simply to the array of varieties of English spoken throughout the
world; sometimes they refer to a desired standardisation.

Article on International English, Wikipedia

As America quickly overtook Great Britain after the second world war, International English was consequently American- rather than British-dominated. Today, majority of the competent English speakers are not native to the language, showing the extent of its reach. Along with the language, American culture has also made its way across the world and settled itself comfortably in foreign lands.

Back in the 19th century while developments in mass communications were rapid, written English was increasingly introduced to the world at large. As the film industry grew in influence after sound was added to moving pictures, spoken English was next. Broadcasting and advertising industries increasingly Hollywoodicized countries beyond American borders. Pop music and rock and roll found their way onto the airwaves, and thus began the mass appeal of music, packaged and sold to the masses who accepted all that was seen as popular.

But while the argument regarding the extent of the loss of unique cultures in the world as well as the rise of a single, dominant culture rings true, the standardization of language is not without merit.

The existence of modern mass communications has made it possible to set up international bodies and organize events on a global scale. The United Nations, the World Bank, and the European Union all have several official languages, but practical realities nearly always dictate that English is the one most used. The use of several official languages means that documents have to be translated from the original language into other official languages, but this is often viewed as a waste of time and money. In a sense the convenience of using one standardized language presides over the recognition of the importance of several languages.

Computer-based technology has led to a massive extension in the use of English, both in computer software and on the Internet. Computer languages are based on English, and English is the language normally used to communicate with the user. Theoretically with the use of the internet it is possible to contact anyone in the world as long as one is sufficiently proficient in English. This way, a common language breaks down cultural and linguistic barriers, allowing increased interaction and communication of ideas, which by default is not necessarily bad.

We should not, however, take the pre-eminience of the dominant position of the English language for granted. With the rise of the Chinese language, and possible developments in machine translation technology (making immediate and automatic translation a reality and thus reducing the need for standardized language), the English language faces the risk of progress.

Obviously dealing with globalization and its effect on culture, more specifially in this response, on (the standardization of) language. All sources respectively cited. The writer is very, very, very tired. The ideas and argument cannot, of course, be claimed as original, rather it is a condensation of the argument in attempt at a coherent presentation of both sides of the coin. What else. Oh, all comments and criticisms welcome. Thanks.