Globalization and the role of English in the countries of South Asia and the Middle East (the case of Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan)

The article analyzes the role of English in the language policy of the Asian continent countries in the system of world globalization processes from the viewpoint accepted in modern sociolinguistic literature on the connection between the language aspect of globalization and the spread of English as the global language, the universal second language. The authors note the historical component of the popularity of English in the modern world in general and in the countries under consideration in particular. It includes the influence of the British Empire and the strengthening of the US position in the international arena. There are also provided estimates of the number of people speaking English both as the first and the second language in everyday life. The authors analyze large multinational states of South Asia and the Middle East such as Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan. The situation with the English language is presented in these countries against the background of the state and national languages functioning. The authors made an attempt to show both the general aspects of the use of English, including through the prism of the legislative acts that are in force there, above all the constitutions, and the peculiarities of its functioning in each of these countries, including under the influence of the language policy pursued by their leadership. There is also noted the growing interest of the authorities in Russian in Iran and Chinese in Pakistan as the languages that may seriously compete with English in the future and break its monopoly

Development economics · Economics · Globalization · Legislature · Linguistics · Middle East · Multinational corporation · Political science · Popularity · Economic and Industrial Development · Law · Linguistics, Language Diversity, and Identity