Appreciate the medium that unites all of us.

 By: Rennielle Campos

Photo By: Joylene Batomalaki

International English Language Day is celebrated on April 23 every year. This day is specifically dedicated to creating awareness about the language’s history, as well as boosting proficiency for speakers all around the world. 

The origin of the English language started when three Germanic tribes invaded Britain during the 5th century A.D. The Angles, Saxons, and Jutes crossed the North Sea from what is known as modern Denmark and North Germany today. The rise of Modern English happened at the beginning of the 16th century when the language had a distinct shift in pronunciation called the ‘Great Vowel Where vowels in the English language were pronounced shorter and shorter.

The main difference between today’s English language and 16th-century Modern English is the vocabulary. Two factors contributed to this: the Industrial Revolution and the Global British Empire. The Industrial Revolution called for the need to use more words. On the other hand, this was also the height of the British Empire’s colony which covered a quarter of the world’s territories, forcing them to inevitably adopt foreign words in their vocabulary.

DYK?

The longest English word is ‘pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis,’ which is a medical term for referring to a lung disease caused by fine silica dust inhalation, while according to historians and medieval records, ‘I’ is the shortest and oldest English word.

This day highlights the benefits of learning English, which promotes easy communication. As the world’s universal language, it allows people to connect from different parts of the world, be it for business or leisure.