English Language: A viable communication tool for sustainable development

Abstract

Today, the English Language has become the most popular language in the world as a meaningful tool to develop mutual understanding and cooperation among nations. No country in the world can avoid using English. Countries that rejected English initially, like Russia, Japan and China, are now expanding their English education to cope with the international development needs. Sustainability is a challenge facing every country today. There are threats to environment and ecosystem because of global warming, rising sea level and desertification; hence earthquakes, tsunamis, droughts, cyclones and floods are very frequent. Consequently, countries are looking for avenues to solve the problems in order to sustain development. Today, Sustainable Development is an international issue. A country cannot achieve much in protecting the ecosystem alone because the world is rapidly becoming a global village. Every country in the world is dependent on others. Carbon dioxide emissions from European factories contribute to the increasing temperature in Asia, Africa and Latin America. The answer to this problem is a global outlook. The objective of this study is to analyze the impact of English communication skills as a tool of disseminating knowledge in international forums as regards problems of development and how development can be sustained in and among nations. Literature in English as a tool for communication will be used for this study. It was found that the introduction of compulsory English education in all countries, as is done in Sri Lanka for university students, will be a milestone in achieving mutual understanding and cooperation in the future world that will bridge the communication gap between nations and peoples, and, thus, help in sustaining development and solving the problems of development easily.