English is a language of great power. One effect of this situation, is that people with inadequate skills in English, have little social power.

English is a language of great power. One effect of this situation, is that people with inadequate skills in English, have little social power.

  • Submitted By: khadiji
  • Date Submitted: 09/03/2014 5:10 AM
  • Category: English
  • Words: 969
  • Page: 4

2. English is a language of great power. One effect of this situation, is that people with inadequate skills in English, have little social power. Using the Tan article supplied, decide if this is true?
Social power can be define as the impact that an organisation or an individual can have among peers and society as a whole. This impact can be recognised by an individual’s skill, knowledge, information, and the ability to communicate these ideas (Guinote, Willis, Guillermo, Martellotta, 2012). English is widely known as a global language, it is used as the main form of communication all over the world. It can be suggested that with inadequate skills in English, an individual places themselves in a disadvantaged situation, where they are generally seen to be to be un-educated, not trustworthy and not interesting (Tsurutani 2012).
A key component of having social power is having confidence and having the ability to openly communicate with others. In western countries, most foreigners have trouble talking fluently with the English language. In these western countries non-native speakers are surrounded by negative views, this is witnessed during everyday life and is identified in different studies (Ball 1983). They have originated by foreigners broken up language due to unusual rhythm, causing speech which is unfamiliar to native speakers (Tsurutani, 2012). These negative views have led to accent stereotyping. According to Tsurutani (2012) study, the heavier an individual accent was, the lower the social attractiveness the individual held. Key components of social power, is having confidence and open to communication. Much individuals with in-adequate English skills don’t want to make a fool out of themselves, so they rather stay silent, keep a low profile and not participate in much activities. Discrimination against accent stereotyping can lead to many people feeling uncomfortable in approaching or communicating with others that are unfamiliar, thus creating a...

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