КОММЕРЦИАЛИЗАЦИЯ АНГЛИЙСКОГО ЯЗЫКА: БЛАГО ИЛИ БИЧ?

Abstract

The progressive commercialization of the English language is taking place both in the audio-visual information space and in the academic environment of the Russian Federation. The process is global, not national, and affects the educational sphere, but has not yet received proper analysis and assessment. The purpose of this study is to identify special functions of English as a foreign language in the context of language education, in particular its transformation into a sought-after product, an instrument of prestige and profit making. At first glance, this is a positive phenomenon that increases the motivation and responsibility of language learners, giving a competitive advantage in individual careers and contributing to the growth of income of countries and companies. On the other hand, commercialization leads to a consumerist attitude towards the language as a means of well-being, and not as a cultural and spiritual phenomenon, which has a detrimental effect on pedagogical practices. This interdisciplinary study examines the modern status of English, drawing on scientific evidence from the fields of language economics, linguistic landscape, educational policy, philosophy of education, and linguistic security. The scientific result of this work embraces identified indicators of commercialized English, their evaluation from the perspective of the foreign language educationist, and proposing counterbalances to it.