Globalization And The English Language

Did you realize that over a billion people in the world now speak English? According to a report titled, "English Next" by language researcher David Graddol, "...two billion people [will] be speaking or learning English within a decade." [1]

English is everywhere. The Economist says, "[English] is the language of globalization-of international business, politics... It is the language of computers and the Internet... it is the dominant international language in communications, science, aviation, entertainment, radio and diplomacy...." [2]

"English... is an important tool for operating on the world stage," says John Whitehead, director of the British Council. The ability to speak and understand English is mandatory in certain fields, professions, and occupations. In fact, English is so widely spoken, it is referred to as, the "lingua franca" [3] of the modern era.

Nonetheless, with the millions of native speakers vying for jobs in the global market, what chance is there for ESL (English as second language) speakers to compete? ESL students take heart. As the Graddol report demonstrates, the global spread of English... will lead to serious economic and political disadvantages in the future.... A future in which monolingual English graduates face bleak economic prospects as qualified multilingual young people prove to have a competitive advantage in global companies and organizations.

Given that English has acquired its world-wide reputation due, in large part, to globalized power relations, those companies and governments employing well-trained non-native speakers for their international business communication needs will obviously see the advantage of hiring non-native speakers of the English language with multilingual talents.

1) David Graddol (1997). The Future of English?. The British Council.

2) The triumph of English. The Economist (20 December 2001.

3) David Graddol (1997). The Future of English?. The British Council.

Steve G. James is a native English speaker living in Tomsk, Russia with over thirty years teaching experience. He is an independent journalist, ESL professor, and authority on teaching international business English. His site, [http://www.esl4ru.com] provides an affordable opportunity for non-native speakers of the English language to learn the international business communication skills necessary to give them a competitive advantage in our globalized world.

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Benefits From Globalization

Facts

The things that come to many minds when globalization is mentioned are loss of United States' jobs, NAFTA, CAFTA, APEC, outsourcing, and low-wages. The perception to most people is that if outsourcing is bad, then globalization must be bad. The fact is that globalization is good for the United States of America and the market economy. It promotes prosperity for participating countries. What needs to be done is to educate people on the diversity and multiculturalism in the work place, and the sensitivity in the culture of the participating countries. Listed below are the benefits of Globalization and international trade:

(1) Opportunity cost

(2) Comparative advantage

(3) Cheaper to buy than to produce

(4) The terms of trade

(5) Balance trade

(6) Changes in production and consumption

Role of Trade

The United States represents a major exporter of raw materials and agricultural products, and imports a large volume of services. Market is efficient when trading is concentrated on specialization. By concentration, cost is minimized, profit is maximized, production is increased, and efficiency is maximized. Specialization is achieved when participating countries shift their scarce resources toward producing goods and services in which they have a comparative advantage over other countries, and in turn, increase the consumption of all goods.

To workers, this may not make sense if they are losing their jobs, but organizations are in business to make money, and they understand what it takes and how long it takes to break-even and to start making profits. Businesses do not intentionally try to hurt workers by laying them off. They rather keep the jobs in the United States, and by keeping it here, they will save themselves the hassle of moving and talking to people with different languages and accents all over the world. But organizations operate their businesses like puzzles, and for each puzzle, it requires a lot of the pieces to be put together in order to complete a puzzle. Going global is what it might take for most organizations to compete in order to control costs and produce at an efficient capacity.

Only winners are created in global trading, because selling a product creates an increase in the demand for that product because net demand by foreigners is added to domestic demand. Therefore, with the increase in demand, the price will rise. On the other hand, buying a product will create an increase in the supply of the product because net foreign supply is added to domestic supply. Hence, with the increase in supply, the price falls. No one loses; it is all a win-win situation for all the participating countries.

Market economy is dynamic due to continuous research and development, and the change in technology, and as such individuals will need to keep up with the movement and change by continuously attend seminars and undergo retraining. The old style of static market is over.
The argument has been made concerning exploitation of the poorer people in the developing countries. It also went further to compare their wages to slave wages. The fact is, whenever the people of these developing countries have opportunity to obtain jobs and earn more than they originally earn, it is improvement. Most parents in these countries are illiterate and do not know the importance of education, and because of that they send their children to work at these production plants. They need to be educated on the importance of education in order to begin sending their children to school rather than to the production plants.

For more information on globalization and international trade email to: consulting@iba-pec.com

Dr. Sidney Okolo is a professor, consultant, strategist, and Africa expert. He is affiliated to several universities, the Managing Director of International Business Associates, a management consulting firm, and also the CEO of Global Education Support, an education assistance program.

Among other things, he engages in all aspects of learning, knowledge, organization and human change. His focus is on leadership, management, entrepreneurship, profit engineering, human potential, excellence, achievement, business strategy, research and development. Product management, change management, conflict management, athlete management, marketing, business development and operations. He works with clients to adapt to change due to change in factors of production, technology, goods and services. He engages clients in training, retraining, development, skills enhancement, association, behavior modification, ways of thinking, and attitude adjustment. In addition to his work in the United States, his focus is also on developing countries in the continent of Africa, their leadership, culture, economic and market structure, community planning and development, and his created four letter word, "PIES", which stands for: poverty, instability, ethnicity, and sectarianism.

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The Positive Effects of Globalization

Globalization has a relatively new idea that the world has been embracing. The positive effects of globalization are numerous and extremely beneficial for everyone in all countries. It has been the most successful prosperity and anti-poverty movement in modern history.

The Advantages Include...

• Forces businesses to compete on a global scale. This allows the market place to really work and gives consumers a better advantage. No long will businesses be able to corner markets because politicians protect them. They'll now to compete with foreign businesses that may or may not be able to do business more efficiently.
• Countries move to market sectors that they are better at. This simply means that the labor in a country is going to do what it's best at. There is no need for Americans to do manufacturing when someone in China can do it better. Our labor is better served doing something beneficial.
• The consumer is the real winner. Despite the desire from some politicians to protect workers, there are far more consumers than there are workers, but no one wants to seem to protect them. Consumers should not be forced to buy over priced goods from American buyers when you can get the same quality for less if it is made in China. Now consumers can get the best products for the best prices.
• Everyone grows more prosperous. Just look at China and India. Before globalization they were very poor countries. The standards of living were extremely bad. Now these people are becoming more prosperous. These countries having mega economic booms. People that could never afford a car are now getting them. Not to mention the fact from the consumers side that are benefiting from saving money which can be used to save or spend on other things.

These are the positive effects of globalization. It is a movement that is pro-free trade, pro-prosperity and anti-poverty. It is helping the developing world raise it's standard of living as well as raising the standard of living in the developed world.

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Definition And Examples of Globalization for Newbie

Banyak dari kita yang sering bertanya-tanya “Apa sih definisi Globalisasi itu?”, “Makhluk macam apa itu Globalisasi?”, “Pengaruh Globalisasi ke kita apa sih memangnya?” dan pertanyaan-pertanyaan lain sejenis. Lalu apakah Globalisasi itu sebenarnya?

Anda bisa saja mencari di Wikipedia, tapi tentu di Wikipedia anda tidak akan menemukan referensi-referensi terpercaya secara ilmiah (karena Wikipedia Indonesia tidak dicantumkan penulisnya). Satu-satunya jalan yang bisa anda lakukan adalah mencari dalam bahasa Inggris, dan itupun akan menjadi masalah tersendiri bila anda sangat kurang dalam berbahasa negeri Ratu Elizabeth itu.

Ada beberapa definisi Globalisasi itu sendiri. Definisi Globalisasi menurut Jagdish Bhagwati dalam bukunya In Defense of Globalization adalah proses yang mengintegrasikan ekonomi, masyarakat dan budaya regional melalui jaringan komunikasi, transportasi dan perdagangan. Sedangkan Achmad Suparman menyatakan bahwa Globalisasi adalah suatu proses menjadikan sesuatu (benda atau perilaku) sebagai ciri dari setiap individu/negara di dunia ini tanpa dibatasi oleh wilayah.

ESCWA (United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia) mempunyai definisi dan penjelasan mengenai globalisasi yang cukup kompleks dan sangat relatif. Menurut mereka Globalisasi adalah suatu pengertian yang bisa didefinisikan dalam banyak hal. Ketika digunakan dalam konteks ekonomi, maka arti globalisasi adalah proses pengurangan atau penghapusan batasa-batasan zona kedaulatan negara dalam rangka mempermudah aliran barang, uang,layanan dan tenaga kerja. Globalisasi bukan fenomena baru karena Globalisasi sudah terjadi sejak zaman abad ke 19, tapi mengalami hambatan pada masa awal perang dunia pertama sampai sekitar tahun 1970’an. Hambatan ini dikarenakan kebijakan proteksi yang dilakukan oleh beberapa negara untuk melindungi industri dalam negerinya. Namun bagaimanapun proses globalisasi itu sendiri terus berkembang pada masa-masa setelahnya hingga hari ini.

Dari beberapa definisi dan penjelasan diatas dapat kita dapatkan kata kunci “Dunia”, “negara”, Jadi dapat saya ungkapkan dengan bahasa sederhana bahwa Globalisasi adalah proses penyatuan perspektif masyarakat berbagai negara di dunia dalam hal apapun. Ya saya cenderung lebih suka menyebut dalam hal apapun karena memang pada kenyataannya Globalisasi tidak hanya terbatas dalam sektor ekonomi, tapi juga telah menyebar dalam berbagai sektor seperti Globalisasi Politik (Blok Barat – Blok timur), Globalisasi Hankam (NATO, Pakta Warsawa), Globalisasi Budaya (lifestyle) bahkan ada pula istilah Globalisasi agama.

Contoh Globalisasi politik yang paling mudah bisa ditemukan adalah pada masa perang dingin antara Uni Soviet dan Amerika Serikat. Kedua kubu itu saling berebut pengaruh politik di tiap-tiap negara di dunia. Tujuan mutlak dari globalisasi politik ini cukup jelas, yaitu menyeragamkan perspektif politik negara-negara di seluruh dunia. Pada masa sekarangpun kita masih cukup mudah menemukan Globalisasi politik, yaitu propaganda AS akan kehebatan dan kesaktian Demokrasi. Terlepas dari benar tidaknya ideologi tersebut, namun yang pasti proses penyebaran nilai-nilai demokrasi itu adalah termasuk dalam proses Globalisasi.

Sedangkan Globalisasi Hankam ini sebenarnya agak rancu untuk dikategorikan sebagai Globalisasi dalam artian sesungguhnya. Kenapa? Karena Hankam ini pada umumnya adalah sebuah isu yang menjadi konsentrasi suatu negara/regional saja, tidak sampai pada tingkatan global. Contohnya adalah NATO, SEATO dan Pakta Warsawa (dulu). Organisasi-organisasi itu melakukan penyeragaman peralatan dan kekuatan militernya hanya untuk negara-negara yang menjadi anggotanya saja, sedangkan untuk negara luar samasekali tidak dianggap dan justru dianggap sebagai suatu “lawan”. Namun Globalisasi hankam ini tampaknya hanya berlaku bagi negara Superpower seperti Amerika Serikat dan Uni Soviet (dulu) yang bercita-cita menciptakan kesatuan militer dunia dibawah pengawasan dan komandonya.

Mungkin jenis Globalisasi yang paling mudah untuk dilihat oleh semua orang adalah Globalisasi kebudayaan (lifestyle). Globalisasi lifestyle ini mencakup kebiasaan, hiburan, teknologi, dan bahkan kebutuhan hidup. Contohnya adalah gaya hidup hedonisme yang mengharuskan kita berbelanja baju yang bermerek internasional, penggunaan Gadget tertentu yang populer di dunia dan lain sebagainya. Biasanya Globalisasi kebudayaan ini lebih cenderung ke Arah Westernisasi. Definisi westernisasi menurut Samuel P. Huntington dalam bukunya The Clash of Civilazation adalah proses yang mengikuti segala bentuk gaya hidup bangsa barat (Eropa, Amerika Serikat dan Kanada, kecuali Turki, Israel, Eropa Timur dan Rusia).

Sedangkan istilah Globalisasi Agama adalah istilah baru yang belum terbuktikan secara empiris oleh sekelompok pemerhati diskusi lintas agama (http://gazali.wordpress.com/2007/11/01/artikel-21/). Namun inti dari globalisasi ini bukan pada proses penyatuan agama di dunia, namun lebih ke arah sikap tenggangrasa antar pemeluk beragama di dunia sehingga seakan-akan tidak ada perbedaan. Implikasi negatif dari Globalisasi agama ini adalah terciptanya “agama langit” yang berkesan mencampuradukkan dan menyamakan semua agama di dunia.

Globalisasi ekonomi saya kira tidak perlu saya jelaskan karena anda akan menemukan artikel yang sangat banyak mengenai hal itu, baik dalam bahasa Indonesia ataupun bahasa Inggris.

Itulah kira-kira penjelasan mengenai Globalisasi yang saya nilai penting, yaitu mengenai definisi dan contoh. Tentu saja contoh dan definisi diatas belumlah sempurna dan lengkap. Anda dapat mencari contoh-contoh disekitar anda sendiri dan kaitkan dengan definisi dari peneliti tersebut diatas, maka anda akan mendapat pemahaman mengenai globalisasi. Karena bagaimanapun sebagai salah satu warga dunia, kita tidak mungkin lepas dari efek globalisasi itu sendiri.

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Globalization

Impacts of Globalization

The forces of globalization have allowed for lesser developed countries to make meaningful socioeconomic progress and attain Western standards of living. Ever since 1950, life expectancy in many of the developing countries has increased over fifty percent. These large increases are directly linked to the lower infant mortality rates, better nutrition, improved sanitation and immunizations, and other public health advances. In addition, literacy rates in developing countries have also risen dramatically in the last fifty years. The world now has a largely educated population with a greater intellectual capacity than at any other time in history. Especially in Asia, mass public education has allowed for billions of people to increase their productivity and join together in the global economy as workers and consumers.

In recent decades, the economies of developing countries such as China or South Korea have surged so quickly that they have doubled productive output in just seven to ten years. Also, the proportion of the world's population living in poverty has dropped from over eighty percent in 1820 to less than fifteen percent in 2000, even as the world's population increased from about one billion to more than six billion people.
Furthermore, the concept of free trade has allowed for poorer countries to import more of their goods, such as fruits and vegetables, to the wealthier countries. This then allows the wealthier countries to produce more clothing and light manufactured goods for domestic consumption and export. By importing their fruits and vegetables, the wealthier country provides the poorer country with capital to improve their education and infrastructure. Over time, the poorer country should be able to produce goods such as clothing or radios, and improve their living standards.
Another positive impact of globalization is the increased purchasing power, as it allows us to work less and consume more. For example, the time needed for the average American to earn enough to buy a pound of ground beef was thirty minutes in 1919; however, in 1997, six minutes was all it took. Overall, there is a dramatic increase in the standard of living for people all around the globe, especially those in the developing countries.
Potholes on the Road to Globalization
In order for our world to continue to flourish, globalization must be accepted by a larger number of people. The four obstacles which stand in the way of the continued progress are: protectionism, armed conflict, environmental stress, and demographic imbalances.
Protectionism: Many arguments against globalization are directed towards its empowerment over the traditional industries and cultures. One of the main concerns is the Global Trade Policy, as it excludes developing countries from 700 billion dollars in commerce, each year. These policies deny them foreign currency and the commercial and social interaction necessary to bio-social progress. Also, it is vital for wealthy countries to let go of old industries such as apparel or agriculture, as it is far more profitable to focus on industries such as aviation, pharmaceuticals, and entertainment.

Armed Conflict: The economic, political, and cultural uncertainty surrounding areas of potential conflict restrict the flow of capital, and paralyze businesses, consumers, and investors. If economic resources continue to be used for military purposes, there will be fewer resources devoted to the development of human capital. Also, countries cannot compete economically, cultivate human capital, or develop financial markets in the midst of armed conflict.
Environmental Stress: The success of globalization is held back due to the dramatic increases in consumption. The increased consumption damages the environment, which then slows down economic progress. In order to sustain our environment, wealthier countries should increase public spending on alternative or renewable energy sources. With an alternative energy sector, there could be new economic growth areas for employment in rich countries, and countries that are over-reliant on oil exports may begin to develop and modernize. Also, developing countries would be able to build their infrastructures with a more diversified and sustainable energy approach.
Demographic Imbalances: Drastic population trends such as the youth bulge in developing nations, and the rapid aging of industrialized countries present many challenges to globalization. Large young populations in developing nations may lead to unregulated and unlawful migration, which can create long-lasting instability. On the other hand, the lower birth rates and increasing longevity of the industrialized countries stresses public pension schemes and causes the populaton to decrease dramatically.
Will Globalization Eventually Benefit the Developing World?
It can be concluded that eventually, globalization will be a benefit to the developing world; however, there are many obstacles which may lead to prove otherwise. If human capital is a key component of improved living standards, increased spending on education should become a priority in both rich and poor countries. By increasing the number of educated people, there will be a wider range of workers and consumers. Furthermore, by boosting the human capital in poor countries through financial and technical aid, the number of healthy, productive workers and consumers would increase. About two billion people could overcome their daily struggles with malnutrition, HIV/AIDS, malaria, and dirty drinking water. In order for the poorer countries to become large markets for goods and services, wealthy countries should focus on higher-value-added industries for domestic consumption and export, while poorer countries should begin to focus on the lower-skilled sectors. All this can only be done over a period of time, because globalization is not a perfect process. Even if all this is done, there is no guarantee that it will greatly benefit the developing countries, or if the results will last for a long period of time. Ultimately, we as humans have the power to accept or deny the ways of globalization. If we see it as a benefit, many of us will support it; however, there will always be people who are completely against the concept of globalization.

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Analysis of William Mazzarella's "Culture, Globalization, Mediation"

The author of “Culture, Globalization, Mediation”, William Mazzarella firmly believes that media has become a basic part of our ever expanding culture and undeniably impacts the way people view other cultures. Furthermore, Mazzarella perceives media as a mirror image of ourselves, “It is the process by which the self recognizes itself by returning to itself, renewed and once removed” (2004:357). Thusly, Mazzarella believes media represents us and our culture back to us, thus making media the mediator between the two neutral parties. Media allows the viewer to compare themselves to other cultures all across the globe and see fragments of themselves manifested in other cultures because media gives the viewer access to these images. These presentations of culture through media allows the viewer access to a wide array of culture and the ability to manipulate and influence our own identity with media images that we have been presented with. Thus, a homogenization of culture is produced. This statement is best illustrated in the across the globe popularity of food and beverage chains like McDonalds or Starbucks, were cookie-cutter images of these establishments appear all over the globe, Mazzarella terms this the “McWorld-Style homogenization” (2004:352). Thus rituals of usage occurring in some small town in Canada could essentially also be mirrored in Bangkok. Essentially, a hybrid effect or assimilation is created across cultures due to the onset of globalization and Mazzarella views media as the catalyst.

Furthermore, media can be viewed as a retarding agent on society because authenticity and legitimacy essentially begins to diminish because media can present false images of culture and predators of the market manipulate the market to their advantage, mainly in the form of large scale corporations. These manipulations can have the largest impact on the local in terms of authenticity because with the homogenization of cultures due to globalization, uniqueness of cultures deteriorates and hybridization takes over. This is largely due to the fact that media is so easily accessible by all spheres of society. Thusly, media is essentially a force that is used to change society and does not aid in the understanding of the rest of the world because media supplies the masses with a false sense of culture.

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Guest Post: How to Stay Chic with Summer Dresses 2011

This is a glorious summer for dresses of all styles and fabrics, from modern to retro. Nothing beats the ease of slipping into a dress for work or weekend and finishing the outfit with sandals and a bracelet. Dresses that suit the wearer's figure radiate elegance and confidence, and could not look less like a uniform. They are easy to wear from work to dinner out, or from the beach to the gallery, dressed up or down with accessories, jackets, and nearly any flat or heeled shoes.  The biggest trend this year is the biggest dress of them all, the Maxi. This blast from the past is still gaining popularity in lengths from mid-calf down to the ankles. The long length creates a showcase for sheer floral fabric, or for the most minimalist black jersey column that accentuates curves and statement jewellery. This summer dress can be worn everywhere, and is especially appropriate for summer parties. Depending on the fabric, it can span three seasons; worn with boots and cropped sweaters or jackets, it makes a wonderfully versatile element for your wardrobe.

Minimalism continues to be another strong trend. Simple shapes, simple colours, and simple fabrics let you the wearer be the focus and not your clothes. These pieces are also ideal for layering in creative and flattering ways. Nothing, however, is more minimalist than a dress, one single all-purpose item of clothing. Along with the above-mentioned black columnar Maxi dress, there are knee-length versions, and variations on the T-shirt dress. The minimalist look is urban, and fits in well at any place that is elegant or artistic. Wear this to the next gallery opening.  

The T-shirt dress comes in various weights of jersey and of course in a variety of patterns. The big trend is stripes, wide, narrow, or mixed-width stripes, and in any direction and in any colour combination. Go crazy with stripes for T-shirt dresses that double as beach cover-ups, and more subdued with stripes for work. Always keep in mind your shape and height with the striped T-shirt dress, and avoid horizontal stripes on the bits you'd rather not emphasize. Vertical stripes are slimming and lengthening, and the newest versions break away from preppy straight stripes, favouring the more watery lines of tropical prints in deep, vivid colours.  Sun dresses are the classic summer treat, strappy and breezy and absolutely essential for garden parties. They are their most charming when embellished with embroidery or in special fabrics. This summer look for floral and ethnic prints in both regular and sheer fabric weights. If your arms are not your best asset, add a long, lightweight lace or linen scarf as a shawl.  How to top off any of these dresses? With the cropped denim jacket, of course. This is such an icon it never really goes out of style and never takes itself too seriously: it can be and has been worn simply everywhere! The ruggedness of denim jackets perfectly play up the lightness of summer dresses.

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Ayana Designs Necklace Giveaway!

First things first, darlings! The winner of CC's Lingerie.com Giveaway is the lovely Rebirth ~ congrats!

Darlings, CC is so excited to introduce you to Ayana Designs, a fabulous line of handmade jewelry!
All necklaces at ayanadesigns.com.
Fabulous news, darlings! CC and Ayana Designs have one of these lovely necklaces to give away to a lucky CC reader! The winner gets to select her prize!
Seven Day Reader’s Choice Contest: To enter, simply visit the Ayana Designs website, select your favorite piece, and mention it in the comments section of this post. For an extra entry, like Ayana Designs on Facebook and tell CC you have done so in a separate comment.
Also, be sure to visit the Ayana Designs blog.
Good luck, darlings!
xoxox,
CC
P.S. Please stop by CC's other blog, CC Loves..., for a $100 Shopbop.com Giveaway!

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Architectural Inspiration: Sassy Stripes

First things first, darlings! The winner of CC's Towne & Reese Jewelry Giveaway is the lovely NGS ~ congrats!

Architectural inspiration via nuevo-estilo.es.

Balmain striped low-rise skinny jeans; this and next at net-a-porter.com.

Burberry studded leather and denim wedge sandals.

Oonagh by Nanette Lepore Jackie sweater; this and next at shopbop.com.

Rebecca Minkoff tweed clutch.

Darlings, what do you think of this space and the look it inspired?
xoxox,
CC

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Chanel Cruise 2012 Highlights

Runway coverage via style.com.

Which look is your favorite?

xoxox,

CC

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