A vision on understanding the History and Expansion of the English language

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to investigate the process of the evolution in which English has become the lingua franca, that is, 'a language that is widely used over a relatively large geographical area as a language of wider communication' (Sebba 1997). It will be explained by examining the three main periods of the history of the English language: Old English, Middle English and Modern English and by focusing on the idea of how English language expanded. Through these times, several conquests and invasions have taken place in the British territory. Upon exploration of these events, it becomes clear that the British Empire had a huge impact in the expansion of the English language over the world and the creation of several English dialects. It is interesting to observe how English dialects are spread in diverse areas of the Earth. Therefore, this research will provide valuable information regarding the history and the development of the English language. It entails the analysis of the changes and alterations produced in each of the periods mentioned above. In order to comprehend the main differences between the three periods, some illustrations will be provided to facilitate a proper understanding of the way of writing at those particular years. By means of these prominent instances, a complex explanation would be given focusing on the characteristics of each period of time such as its spelling, grammar, syntax and morphology. Finally, I will conclude by giving a proper data of how important History is in learning English. After this analysis, a conclusion and final remarks will be provided to finish the project.