Discuss the issues surrounding English as a global language.

The first issue surrounding language change is that as a result of Empire, English has always been positioned as the superior language, of government, religion and education in the world. For years, many people have viewed the ability to speak and write English as an esteemed talent, particularly in less economically developed countries. However, this is a direct result of Imperialism, where European colonisers imposed their languages onto countries that they overthrew. Therefore, degrading any native languages in the process.
The second and more recent issue that linguists face surrounding language, is that previously colonised countries want to reclaim their national identities by reviving their native language as the nations first language. This is because, many people have been educated to speak English as their L1( first language) and speak their mother tongue as their L2 (their second language. In the Guardian article, ' Ghana calls an end to tyrannical reign of the Queen's English', Kofi Agyekum discusses how people in Ghana have tried to assimilate with the Received Pronunciation of the Queen's English and that it simply does not sound right. The problem that we face now, is that in order to reclaim Ghana's national identity, English should no longer be the dominant language, because it emblematises the colonial era.