English Globalization And Localization

With the economic globalization, English is widely used in the globe, being an international language and becoming globalized. However, along with its wide use in every corner of the world, English is inevitably affected by local cultures, being localized. In the past few years, scholars of foreign language learning and teaching have done researches on English localization of non-English native countries. They have tried to examine the effectiveness of English being used as a tool in international exchanges and communication. With the development of China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, economic and cultural exchanges between China and ASEAN countries have become more frequent. English, as an international lingua franca, functions as a tool of national contacts and information exchanges. Since language works as a means of cultural exchanges, English is inevitably influenced by its local cultures. Whether English localization impacts information exchanges has attracted the author’s interest. Guangxi, the gateway of China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, is bound to encounter the English with local characteristics in the exchanges with ASEAN countries. Such a need urgently calls for researchers to explore the features of English localization in ASEAN countries so as to apply findings to the English teaching and translation in service of international exchanges.In this paper the author sums up the process and reasons of English globalization as well as features of Cambodian English with the help of previous researches, takes the theories of language transfer and inter-cultural communication, the assumption of double-layer English and the model of three concentric circles as the theoretical framework, and conducts an empirical research which combine qualitative research method and quantitative research method on Cambodian English. The author aims to answer the following questions:1. How has English developed into a global language and what is the relationship between English globalization and Cambodian English?2. What are the features of Cambodian English?3. What kind of difficulties will English native speakers meet when they read Cambodian English?The author firstly browses 20 issues of Phnom Penh Post-English-language newspaper published by Cambodian authority. Then the author collects 160 articles that are related to Cambodian national events on many fields. Next, the author invites two American native speakers to read through the articles and highlight the expressions with Cambodian features. Then the author invites two Cambodian native speakers to confirm whether the expressions are with Cambodian features. After that, the author divides the expressions into explicit localized expressions and implicit localized expressions. Last, the author tests the expressions in terms of intelligibility through interviews and investigations.The study finds that English native readers meet some difficulties in reading Cambodian English with local cultural features. Therefore, newspaper reporters should give the relevant cultural contexts or notes when using Cambodian English to report national events. The author also finds that English globalization and localization are not contradictory and that intelligibility is the key to achieve effective communication, which should be given enough attention.