English-theuniversallanguageontheInternet?

　　TheimportanceoftheInternetgrowsrapidlyinallfieldsofhumanlife,includingnotonlyresearchandeducationbutalsomarketingandtradeaswellasentertainmentandhobbies.ThisimpliesthatitbecomesmoreandmoreimportanttoknowhowtouseInternetservicesand,asapartofthis,toreadandwriteEnglish.

　　Ofcourse,themajorityofmankindcannotusetheInternetnowadaysorinthenearfuture,sincetheyliveincountrieswhichlackthenecessaryeconomicalandtechnologicalinfrastructure.ButtheInternetcausespolarizationindevelopedcountries,too:peoplearedividedintoInternetusersandInternetilliterates,andastheuseoftheInternetgrowsandoftenreplacestraditionalmethodsofcommunication,theilliteratesmayfindthemselvesinanawkwardposition.

　　Ingeneral,itiseasytolearntouseInternetservices.TheworstproblemsofInternetilliteracyare,inadditiontolackofeconomicalresourcesofcourse,wrongattitudes.Olderpeopleareusuallynotaccustomedtoliveinaworldofcontinuousandrapidchange,andtheymaynotrealizetheimportanceoftheInternetortheeasinessoflearningtouseit.

　　ButalthoughInternetservicesthemselvesare,generallyspeaking,easytolearnanduse,youwillfindyourselfisolatedontheInternetifyouarenotfamiliarwithEnglish.ThismeansthatknowledgeorlackofknowledgeofEnglishisoneofthemostseverefactorsthatcausepolarization.LearningtouseanewInternetserviceoruserinterfacemaytakeafewhours,afewdays,orevenweeks,butittakesyearstolearnalanguagesothatyoucanuseitinafluentandself-confidentmanner.Ofcourse,whenyouknowsomeEnglish,youcanlearnmorejustbyusingitontheInternet,butatleastcurrentlythegeneraltendencyamongInternetusersistodiscouragepeopleintheirproblemswiththeEnglishlanguage.IncorrectEnglishcausesafewflamesmuchmoreprobablythanencouragementandfriendlyadvice.

　　Indifferentcountriesandcultures,Englishhasdifferentpositions.TherearecountrieswhereEnglishisthenativelanguageofthemajority,therearecountrieswhereEnglishisawidelyknownsecondlanguage,andtherearecountrieswhereEnglishhasnospecialposition.Thesedifferencesaddtotheabove-mentionedpolarization.Specifically,itisdifficultforpeopleinpreviouscoloniesofothercountriesthanGreatBritain(e.g.France,Spain,theNetherlands)toadapttothenecessityoflearningEnglish.Locally,itmaybenecessarytolearnthelanguageofthepreviouscolonialpowersinceitisoftenanofficiallanguageandthecommonlanguageofeducatedpeople;globally,EnglishisnecessaryforlivingontheInternet.Andthemorelanguagesyouhavetolearnwell,thelesstimeandenergyyouwillhaveforlearningotherthings.