Essay on English as a Global Language
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500 Words Essay On English as a Global Language
A global language is one that is spoken and understood at an international level by a wide variety of people. Moreover, no language in the world better fits this description than the English language. This essay on English as a global language will shed more light on this issue.
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Essay on English as a Global Language
Why English is a Global Language
When it comes to languages, one can make a strong argument that a strong link exists between dominance and cultural power. Furthermore, the main factor that the languages become popular is due to a powerful power-base, whether economic or political or military.
The derivation of the English language took place from languages like French, Latin, German, and other European languages. This can be a reason why many Europeans don’t find English a difficult language to learn. Furthermore, linguists argue whether the simplicity of the English language is the main reason for it becoming a global language.
The Latin script of the English language appears less complicated for people to recognize and learn. Also, the pronunciation of the English language is not as complex as other languages like Korean or Turkish for example.
Generally, the difficulty level of a language varies from person to person and it also depends on the culture to which one may belong. For example, a Korean person would find less difficulty in mastering the Japanese language in comparison to a German person. This is because of the close proximity of the Korean and Japanese cultures.
Due to the massive British colonial conquests , no culture is in complete oblivion of the English language or words. As such, English is a language that should not appear as too alien or strange to any community. Consequently, learning English is not such big of a deal for most people as they can find a certain level of familiarity with the language.
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The Effectiveness of the English Language
English is a very effective language and this is evident due to the presence of various native and non-native speakers on a global scale. Furthermore, according to statistics, one-fourth of the world is either fluent in the English language or content with it. While it’s true that the number of native Mandarin speakers is the greatest in the world, Mandarin is not the global language due to its complex spellings, grammar , and letter system.
The English language, on the other hand, does not suffer from such complexity problems. Furthermore, the English language has a lot of words and synonyms to express something. As such, any word or its meaning can be expressed with a high level of accuracy.
Conclusion of the Essay on English as a Global Language
English is certainly the most widely spoken language in the world by far. On a global scale, English has the most number of speakers, who speak English either as a first or second language. Without a doubt, no other language in the world can come close to English in terms of its immense popularity.
FAQs For Essay on English as a Global Language
Question 1: Why English is referred to as the global language?
Answer 1: Many consider English as a global language because it is the one language that the majority of the population in almost every region of the world can speak and understand. Furthermore, the language enjoys worldwide acceptance and usage by every nation of the world. Therefore, it is an extremely essential global language.
Question 2: How English became the global language in the world?
Answer 2: By the late 18th century, the British Empire had made a lot of colonies. Moreover, they had established their geopolitical dominance all over the world. Consequently, the English language quickly spread in the British colonies.
There was also the contribution of technology, science, diplomacy, commerce, art, and formal education which led to English becoming a truly global language of the world.
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How the English Language Conquered the World
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By Amy Chua
- Jan. 18, 2022
THE RISE OF ENGLISH Global Politics and the Power of Language By Rosemary Salomone
“Every time the question of language surfaces,” the Italian Marxist philosopher Antonio Gramsci wrote, “in one way or another a series of other problems are coming to the fore,” like “the enlargement of the governing class,” the “relationships between the governing groups and the national–popular mass” and the fight over “cultural hegemony.” Vindicating Gramsci, Rosemary Salomone’s “The Rise of English” explores the language wars being fought all over the world, revealing the political, economic and cultural stakes behind these wars, and showing that so far English is winning. It is a panoramic, endlessly fascinating and eye-opening book, with an arresting fact on nearly every page.
English is the world’s most widely spoken language, with some 1.5 billion speakers even though it’s native for fewer than 400 million. English accounts for 60 percent of world internet content and is the lingua franca of pop culture and the global economy. All 100 of the world’s most influential science journals publish in English. “Across Europe, close to 100 percent of students study English at some point in their education.”
Even in France, where countering the hegemony of English is an official obsession, English is winning. French bureaucrats constantly try to ban Anglicisms “such as gamer , dark web and fake news ,” Salomone writes, but their edicts are “quietly ignored.” Although a French statute called the Toubon Law “requires radio stations to play 35 percent French songs,” “the remaining 65 percent is flooded with American music.” Many young French artists sing in English. By law, French schoolchildren must study a foreign language, and while eight languages are available, 90 percent choose English.
Salomone, the Kenneth Wang professor of law at St. John’s University School of Law, tends to glide over why English won, simply stating that English is the language of neoliberalism and globalization, which seems to beg the question. But she is meticulous and nuanced in chronicling the battles being fought over language policy in countries ranging from Italy to Congo, and analyzing the unexpected winners and losers.
Exactly whom English benefits is complicated. Obviously it benefits native Anglophones. Americans, with what Salomone calls their “smug monolingualism,” are often blissfully unaware of the advantage they have because of the worldwide dominance of their native tongue. English also benefits globally connected market-dominant minorities in non-Western countries, like English-speaking whites in South Africa or the Anglophone Tutsi elite in Rwanda. In former French colonies like Algeria and Morocco, shifting from French to English is seen not just as the key to modernization, but as a form of resistance against their colonial past.
In India, the role of English is spectacularly complex. The ruling Hindu nationalist Indian People’s Party prefers to depict English as the colonizers’ language, impeding the vision of an India unified by Hindu culture and Hindi. By contrast, for speakers of non-Hindi languages and members of lower castes, English is often seen as a shield against majority domination. Some reformers see English as an “egalitarian language” in contrast to Indian languages, which carry “the legacy of caste.” English is also a symbol of social status. As a character in a recent Bollywood hit says: “English isn’t just a language in this country. It’s a class.” Meanwhile, Indian tiger parents, “from the wealthiest to the poorest,” press for their children to be taught in English, seeing it as the ticket to upward mobility.
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The advantages and disadvantages of a global language
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I was reflecting upon the topic for my blog post when an idea popped into my head. Last summer, I was going over old photo albums, records, passports and such with my family. And then I stumbled across something that really struck me. My mother showed me my maternal grandfather’s work card, which he obtained in Germany. After World War II , my grandfather, who was the eldest in his family, decided to leave his village in Calabria, in the south of Italy, and search for work elsewhere in Europe. This German work card surprised me because there was no English translation in sight! In fact, the text was translated into French. I had become so used to English being the global language, especially after feeling its omnipresence while travelling abroad, that I forgot that French once occupied that same global position. This got me thinking, “What are the advantages and disadvantages of a global or universal language?”
Advantage 1: Facilitates communication between different cultures
A global language allows for communication between different cultures. Language has always been the focal point of cultural identity. A global language dismantles communication barriers and offers individuals a gateway to understanding one another’s cultures.
Two years ago, my family and I travelled to Argentina, where we watched the Buenos Aires soccer team play a game. As a futbol fanatic, I remember talking in English with this Argentinian university student after the game. We had an amazing conversation about Argentinians’ passion for soccer compared with that of Canadians. Even though we were both from different countries, and English was not our native tongue, we were able to connect culturally through our ability to speak the current global language.
Advantage 2: Facilitates international trade
With the rise of globalization and neo-liberalism since the 1970s, an unprecedented amount of international trade and business between different countries has been carried out. The reality is that in order to buy from or sell to a business partner from another country, you need to communicate effectively and accurately. Thankfully, a global language eliminates the communication barrier, promoting greater international trade and opportunities for economic growth.
As I was doing research for this blog post, I came across a very interesting index called the “Language Barrier Index (LBI).” In short, the LBI “quantifies international language barriers by measuring the dissimilarity between the main languages of trading partners.” Footnote 1 Although it involves a very complicated mathematical equation, it speaks to the advantage of having one world language. Using the LBI , Lohmann found that “language barriers are a significant deterrent to bilateral trade. A 10% increase in the Language Barrier Index can cause a 7% to 10% decrease in trade flows between two countries.” Footnote 2
Disadvantage 1: Presents challenges for non-native speakers in the sciences
There are bigger disadvantages of having a global language than the one I’m going to discuss in this section. However, I wish to explore this one because it has a direct impact on the field I’m currently studying in. Since I’m in environmental studies, scientific literature is vital to any lab, research project or assignment in my classes.
Getting a scientific paper published is a long (about one year) and difficult task that requires many steps. Having a global language has allowed scientists to access a vast amount of literature from around the world, but it has also presented significant challenges for non-native speakers of English. You might be thinking, “They’re scientists. Why are adequate English language skills needed by scientists to get their papers published?” Well, scientists need to clearly communicate their findings, conclusions and methods, and for some non-native speakers, that can be strenuous. Scientists who want their work to be globally recognized need to attend English conferences or discussions and read English scientific papers. According to an article published in The Atlantic , 80% of scientific papers were in English. Footnote 3 Furthermore, the article notes that “a journal published in a language other than English must at the very least include English abstracts.” Footnote 4
Disadvantage 2: Poses a threat to minority languages
According to a BBC article, in this last century, some 400 languages have become extinct – about one language every three months – and in the next century, 50% of all remaining languages will become extinct. Footnote 5 Needless to say, this is worrying, because simply put, an extinct language means the loss of a unique culture. People who speak a global language have greater opportunities for employment, education and overall success. Therefore, some minority language speakers believe that learning to speak a global language will benefit them financially. Footnote 6 Furthermore, with globalization, our cultures are ever increasingly interconnected, catalyzing the takeover of minority languages by a global language.
In conclusion, a global language has its advantages and disadvantages. Its strong points include facilitating communication between different cultures and paving the way for greater international trade between countries. Its drawbacks are the challenges it creates for non-native speakers in the sciences (especially when it comes to publishing scientific literature) and its contribution to the extinction of minority languages. The question remains: Will English continue as the world’s global language in this century and beyond, or will another language take its place?
The opinions expressed in posts and comments published on the Our Languages blog are solely those of the authors and commenters and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Language Portal of Canada.
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Alexandre Chemla
Alexandre Chemla is a student at the University of Ottawa. He is enrolled in the bilingual environmental studies program, with Italian as his minor. As a fluent French and Italian speaker in Canada, and an active member of both the French and Italian communities, he values the importance of a language in connecting to his family roots.
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IELTS Writing 2 Topic: Language and Culture
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The spread of a ‘global language’ such as English will threaten national languages. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? (IELTS Writing Actual Test in 2014)
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Opinion essay
Introduction
Paraphrase the question in a sentence or two, and give an overview of the topic of the essay
Clearly state your point of view and what could be expected in the following sections of the essay
Facts have shown that countries, like Singapore, by adopting an international language, have generated a huge amount of profit through the tourism industry. More visitors worldwide swarm to this nation, as a result of finding less difficulty in their communication with local people and being attracted to these people’s high adaptability and hospitality
Admittedly, only by studying the King’s language, English, as people label, people in the third world enjoy significant economic growth and have a chance to extend the market to giant and developed countries, like America and Britain. Through this global language, each country can promote its culture easily through the internet and other means of media.
Sum up the essay by giving a conclusion in support of your opinion.
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English is gaining its popularity in the modern world. Some people believe this trend might cause the possible extinction of the national language of each country, while others view it as acceptable, and even that this may result in the positive development of that country in many fields. I partly agree with the latter view for the following reasons.
Opponents even go so far to claim that the loss of a language is just the tip of the iceberg . Not only does that nation forget its own language, but its culture and economic situations are at stake as well. Is it true in any circumstance? Facts have shown that countries, like Singapore, by adopting an international language, have generated a huge amount of profit through the tourism industry. More visitors worldwide swarm to this nation, as a result of finding less difficulty in their communication with local people and being attracted to these people’s high adaptability and hospitality. Some of us may find ourselves falling in love with cultures of other nations, accidentally through our discovery of their people, way of thinking, and living after surfing information in such a common language.
It is undeniable that according to monthly social surveys, about three to four languages across the world are dying out, due to the increasingly small size of native speakers. In case that authorities are ready to pour a huge amount of money into linguistic programs, say, training, and insisting on indigenous textbooks, the language of that country is sure to survive well.
All things considered, provided that the language of each nation receives more attention from the government, and positive aspects of an international language as absorbed, the native language is alive, along with the contribution of the global ones, so as to enrich that country itself, economically and culturally.
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The rise of global languages has been substantially increasing in many parts of the world. A certain number of people consider such expansion to be precarious to the native languages. However, a considerable school of thought bolsters the increase in the usages of it. I agree with the latter notion and feel that the preponderance of such languages is indeed for good.
The very reason for the advent of global languages was the unification of the cord of different ideas encoded in various languages. Earlier, it was difficult for the standpoints at times for a particular geographical terrain with a certain vernacular connotation to be deciphered by others. Especially, during foreign visits. The very fact that languages like English have been soaring high across the globe strengthens the efficacy of international linguistics. For the tourism sector, it has proved to be a bonanza wherein the earlier times, foreigners warded off the idea to travel to a new place just because of a language problem. It has now been completely allayed. The economy, therefore, in the tourism industry has been ballooning.
For international businesses and ventures, usage of such languages has been very lucrative ever since the times they were used for multiple reasons as in terms of communication abstinence and the need for a third medium or translator to decipher the entire process as the speakers of international languages earlier were not many. In terms of the amicability of the relationship among nations, such languages have been a primary root cause. The foreign investments upon the fluorescence of global language acceptance have only seen mammoth and gigantic increments.
Some might contradict the usage of global languages as it could be an impediment to the existence and heritage of native languages. But it could be very effectively negated by conserving and promulgating the native vernacular medium of language. After all, the exponential inception of an international language in no way means the diminution of indigenous culture.
Conclusively it could be stated that international languages should be emboldened and duly accepted.
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British Council
In our rapidly changing world what is the future of the English language?
By mina patel, assessment research manager, british council, 18 april 2023 - 16:54.
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English is one of the most spoken languages in the world, but what will English look like in the future? Here Mina Patel, one of the authors of the new British Council publication ‘The Future of English: Global Perspectives’, looks at how English, its teaching, assessment and use in business will be affected in a rapidly changing world.
People ask: what’s so important about English? The answer is simple, English connects people and changes lives. English changed my life. I arrived in England at the age of four as a refugee from Uganda. I couldn’t speak a word of English. Today I am one of the authors of the British Council’s newest publication, The Future of English: Global Perspectives. I was lucky. I was inspired at school, had wonderful teachers, and they instilled in me a passion for learning and teaching. I have been in English language education for many years and English has connected me to thousands of people around the world.
The Future of English: Global Perspectives is part of a long-term research programme, which identifies key trends that will define the role of English as a global language in the coming decade. It also examines the issues and opportunities for countries around the world in achieving their goals for the use of English.
The publication describes the programme and presents the findings from discussions with 92 policy makers and influencers from 49 countries and territories during 14 roundtables, about what they see as the future of English. From these conversations, eight themes emerged, themes that we believe will have an impact on the future of English in the coming years. So, what are the global perspectives about the future of English and what does the data tell us?
Will English remain the world’s most sought-after language?
For the foreseeable future English will remain the dominant global lingua franca (a language used by people with different native languages to communicate with each other), but the role it plays in the lives of individuals or in policies will begin to change.
Numbers of learners will remain stable or rise in the next ten years. The main drivers for this are education, employment, technology and global mobility. Employers, parents and learners themselves are driving the need for English language education. They see it as a necessity for success in life, learning and employment.
What role will English play in our multilingual world?
Multilingualism is the norm in most contexts around the world. Exploration, colonialisation, migration, and globalisation have all contributed to today’s multilingual world.
English is often one of the languages used in multilingual situations where everyday communication is managed by individuals using their full range of languages organically and fluidly – a practice known as ‘translanguaging’.
One implication for English is that it increasingly ‘belongs’ (in the sense that any language can belong to anybody) to whoever uses it, in whatever form, to interact successfully in any given context.
What is the future of English as a medium of education?
English as a medium of education (EME), also called English as a medium of instruction is when students are taught subjects in English, regardless of their first language. It is hugely popular in some contexts and is driven by governments and parents that see it as a good way to achieve fluency in English, so improving the chances of students getting a good job in the future.
Universities which teach courses in English - with lectures, course materials and tutorials all given in English - are now very common. Primary and secondary schools where English is the main language of teaching and learning are also becoming more popular. However, EME is a topic of much discussion and debate.
How will teachers remain relevant in future English language learning systems?
Our data tells us that teachers are very much at the heart of the teaching and learning process and the education system. Regardless of the technological shifts during the Pandemic, teachers are very important. However, in some places in the world, there are concerns about capacity with two main questions being asked. Are there enough English teachers and are there enough skilled English teachers?
Linked to this is teacher motivation and well-being. If English is considered a valuable and important skill for a nation’s educational, professional and economic success, then it follows that English language teachers should be looked after, supported, developed and rewarded to reflect the significance of their contribution to society.
Public and private English language provision - who has the answers?
This is an interesting question, and although private language education provision can be better, our participants were concerned about the lack of monitoring and evaluation of private language provision.
That said, public-sector provision of English language teaching is inadequate in many countries, often featuring inappropriate or outdated curricula.
It is likely that the answers to better quality provision in both sectors lie in greater cross-sector communication and collaboration.
Can English language assessment meet stakeholders’ changing needs?
People require different types of proficiency for different tasks in different contexts. This has implications for teaching, learning and assessment (TLA), particularly as we expect that aligning these components will continue to be of interest in the future.
English is no longer seen in isolation. Instead, it is seen as part of a range of knowledge, skills and expertise, captured by the concept of 21st-century skills and required for a dynamic globalised world. This presents two challenges for current assessment practices:
• Assessment needs to be more creative and innovative to develop and measure individuals more holistically.
• Language Assessment Literacy (LAL) needs to be considered more seriously and concepts of LAL need to adapt to be relevant in this changing assessment landscape.
Can technology narrow the equity gap in English language education?
While there are significant advantages to using technology to aid learning, both in and outside the classroom, these advantages have not always been built upon. This is because uptake and success depend on several factors:
• Access to hardware, such as TV, radio, computers, smartphones and the Internet.
• Teacher skills and motivation to support learning.
• Stakeholder support (within the education system and at home).
• Inclusion in modern curricula of recognition of informal learning (typically online).
The reality is that in many cases there are significant disparities in access across communities. This ‘digital divide’ can have social, educational and economic repercussions for those affected.
It is important to note that in many developing or rural places, technology doesn’t just mean mobile devices, it also means televisions and radios.
To what extent is employment driving the future of English?
The world of work has changed. Globalisation, together with advances in technology, has changed the way many companies operate and the skills required by employees. Previously technical skills in specific areas were highly sought after, now employers are looking for ‘all-round’ employees who can combine technical expertise with additional skills, including teamworking, problem-solving, negotiation, intercultural awareness and digital literacy.
Multilingual and multicultural workforces are not uncommon, whether people are working remotely or in the same location. English is often the lingua franca and sometimes the official language of business as chosen by organisations. The very concept of international, dispersed teams changes and expands the parameters of English for work.
English is becoming a requirement for all sectors of industry. At all levels in organisations and all over the world, English at work is no longer only for professional jobs or senior management roles – it has increasingly become necessary for lower-skilled jobs in the tourism and retail sectors. As cited in a previous British Council study, ‘even if English is one of the working languages in a major multinational company, the English proficiency requirement differs from role to role’
All these factors have led to the notion of proficiency, as we know it, being re-defined.
As the data shows, the future of English is interesting, dynamic and contextual but there are still many questions. The future of English programme is an invitation for colleagues and partners to collaborate to try and answer some of these questions. We’re living in exciting times, change is the norm, but for the foreseeable future, English will continue to connect people and change lives.
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Find out more about our Future of English programme and download a free copy of the book Future of English: Global Perspectives.
You might also be interested in:.
- Ten statements about the Future of ELT - the hidden messages from the ELTons finalists
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- How to help your students speak with clarity
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Language and Globalization: The study of English as a global language
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Fernanda Ferreira
The conference paper considers changes taking place in the world system of languages as a result of the English language transformation into the Global Language. The most important feature of ELF is emphasis on its function, i.e. its use as a means of intercultural communication, and not on its form, which is subject to the influence of the speaker's first language. Therefore, foreign language education should be reorganized with a view of transition to multilingual teaching in which English is regarded as the language of worldwide communication that does not require acquisition of any system of national values and does not impose any economic political or cultural views.
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Abdurrosyid Abdurrosyid
The idea that people should have a common language has long been an ideal. Moreover, the heated discussions that have been taking place with regard to globalization have led to some speculations on the existence of a global culture, which may be accompanied by a global language. By comparing the Basic English movement in the first half of the twentieth century with the rise of global English over the last two decades, this paper argues that a global language alone will not lead to a global culture. The argument is supported by two main rationales: first, English functions as a value-stripped instrument, and second, a multilingual reality has emerged in recent years. Instead of leading to a global culture, English as a global language and tool expresses and constitutes a part of various local cultures which appropriate the use of English according to their own purposes. The majority of people will continue to think in a language other than English, while still being aware of its hegemonic power. While a rootless, neutral language could never become a common language, a language with numerous roots around the world may be able to achieve the status of a global lingua franca. However, these cultural roots force the language to constantly change, instilling new cultural elements. Thus English as a global language implies fluid, dynamic and often fragmented language use, nested in a multilingual landscape, very different from what is usually conceived of as a common world language.
Mohammad Naghavi
Per Linguam
Elaine Ridge
Olga M Demidova
The present paper analyses the influence of globalization on the languages. The author considers language transformations to be the most important cultural processes because languages are the first to reflect all social, political, economical, cultural changes occurring in our society. The author analyzes the following processes which tend to happen in languages: language integration, language regionalization, language differentiation, language compression. The author concludes that these processes reflect globalization processes happening in modern society; language integration reflects homogenization; language differentiation displays the conflict between global and local phenomena; and spatial-temporal compression as a typical feature of globalization is revealed in language compression.
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Dinara Salieva
IJELS Editor , Nikita Balhara
In the past 20 years, the significant trend of globalization has had a considerable impact on language. An illustration of this is the fact that English is recognized on a global scale as a dominant and mostly uncontested medium of communication. Despite this undeniable internationalization of English, the question of whether or not a translation from or into English still has a place in this fast-evolving world given the advancements in communication technology remains for the professional. This study has three components of exploration and illustration. First, despite fierce competition from other languages, it aims to establish benchmarks for the internationalization of English as a language. The following are examples of the variables that affect power in language and society: 1. Being granted access to resources, including, material, political, and fiscal. 2. Participation in the international decision-making process. 3. A willingness to introduce and deal with global technical developments, including the knowledge of superhighway and communication technology among others. The study further, establishes and does the advocacy with relevant ideas and justifications that a strong language like English can take the lead and maintain dominance in a global society due to its significant role in disseminating and facilitating information technology and the consequent tools, such as email service and the internet among others. The notion that every translation is a recreation originated with Derrda's followers, whose philosophy of deconstruction investigated every claim or fabrication through the process of tearing down the preexisting construction or framework. As a result, the term "translation" came to denote "recreation" from structuralism to deconstruction to post-structuralism. It sums up that regardless of the translator's changeable characteristics, such as culture, language, or age, the production would always include all three aspects of reinterpretation, reappropriation, and recreation.
Christopher Horn
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