The Impact Of French Influence On The English Language

French is one of the only languages that is spoken worldwide, and it is impressively the only language that is spoken in all five continents. French has quickly morphed into a language of much importance, and this importance will only continue to grow; it is the second most commonly taught language in the world (after English), and because it is so commonly taught and known, speaking French will be helpful almost anywhere one travels. It allows for people, who previously would be unable to communicate, to interact and understand each other. Therefore, this language connects the world and brings it closer together.

Robert MacNeil, a writer of many great historical articles, was once, a journalist and news anchor. In his article, “English Belongs to Everybody”, MacNeil responds to the fear of many Americans who believe that Spanish will soon sweep over English. He argues that English can not be diluted by any other language as “it has prospered and grown because it was able to accept and absorb changes,”

There are some aspects found in almost all literary works written in the medieval times, some of which are influenced by everyday life, problems, religion, and politics. For example, the French invasion of England, known as the Norman Conquest, greatly influenced the language of the time. At first, England was ruled by the Anglo-Saxons, and used Old English in their literature, even though they did not write much. With the invasion of the French, Anglo-Saxon language was not considered appropriate, and so they introduce a new easier dialect, which came to be known as Middle English. This became the language they used to write, and the act of writing itself became more abundant. Moreover, the conquest resulted in an increasing tension between England and France. This tension is apparent in many works of the time, including “Le Morte d’Arthur”. For example, the depiction of Sir Launcelot as the greatest knight of all time in several romances. Also, “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” has roots

“The History of the English Language”. http://www.uni-due.de/SHE/. Univ. of Duisburg Essen. April 2013. Web 4 Oct. 2013.

Old English dates back to approximately the year 700. If you go back even farther, Dutch, German and old English can all be traced back to the same source. French had a large impact on the English language during the medieval centuries primarily because England was ruled by the upper class that spoke French. English today has spread across the globe. People around the world will adapt English into their own cultural practices.

In more modern times the interaction of English speakers with other languages, through first colonialism, and later the emergence of English as a global language has enriched the vocabulary (‘pyjama’) and led to the evolution of different versions of English around the world, for example the hybrid ‘Singlish’ that has emerged in Singapore.

This being said, the French - English relations

In the war of 1346 the English battled the French. The English were led by King Edward III. They took out the much larger French army.(2) The purpose was to claim France. They succeeded and held it for over 200 years.

In today’s society, the United States has a culture full of arts, architecture, and cuisine. Since the United States is a huge melting pot, much of our arts, architecture, and cuisine, and architecture have influence from many different nations, especially in Europe. It’s hard to imagine the United States without first knowing about the influence of the French art, architecture, and cuisine.

England seemed to have never-ending bad relations with the country of France. On the day of Henry’s coronation, his Venetian ambassador wrote England was a, “magnificent, liberal, and great enemy of the French.” Eagar to reclaim the lands across the English Channel stolen by the French, Henry carried

William’s success in the Battle of Hastings had longer lasting effects than just crowning him King and yet this was not his only legacy. Although William was intelligent and savy in relation to fighting wars, he was illiterate and could not speak English, no matter how hard he tried (www.history.com/news/history-lists/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-william-the-conqueror, 2013: online). Consequently, he insisted on the English speaking French on a daily basis and French became the national language for over 300 years. English eventually became more widely spoken again and despite it once again becoming the national language, it had been transformed due to the length of time French had been spoken as it was now infused with French and latin words. William’s inability

The France and England have been battling at war from the beginning of time. When Charles IV of France dies leaving only daughters. His sister Isabella of France who was also the the wife of the King of England. She claimed the French throne for her son Edward III of England because he is the closest male relative. However the french nobles favoured Philip VI because they didn't want a foreign king. The One Hundred Years War started in 1337 to 1453 and had many Kings during that time period. England was winning most of the war but because of the help Joan Of Arc France came back into the war. She gave France life and without her they would have lost the war and England would have took over France.

It wasn 't until 1334 that trouble began with England. Edward III, who didn 't particularly like paying homage to Philip for his holdings in France, decided to flout Philip 's interpretation of Salic Law and lay claim to the French crown through his mother 's line. (Edward was most likely spurred on in his animosity toward Philip by Robert of Artois.) In 1337 Edward landed on French soil, and what would later be known as Hundred Years’ War began.

The English language has changed drastically over the years, but are we the reason that is has changed so much?  With the world constantly changing and evolving, the way we speak changes too; Many things such as technology, music, media, and new products have influenced the way that English is spoken today.

English has undergone some changes in relation to its status in the world. Some years ago, it only became the first or second language for several countries. Nowadays, alongside with the development of information, communication, and technology the status of English becomes a lingua franca in the world. That is, a language that is used as a means of communication between people with different language. This change, of course, brings some impacts in the roles of English as a language. English is not seen as a language for identity anymore. Yet, it functions mainly as a means of communication. Added to this, the change of the English status as a lingua franca will also impact to the educational sector especially in English Language Teaching (ELT). With regard to this issue, this paper tries to present the notion of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) and its implication to the teaching learning process especially in Indonesian context.