GLOBALIZATION HAS LED THE WORLD TO BECOME A GLOBAL VILLAGE

Globalization has led the world to become a global village. But, what are the different aspects of this process?

According to Thomas L. Friedman globalization can be defined as “the inexorable integration of markets, nations-states and technology to a degree never witnessed before … in a way that is enabling individuals, corporations and nation-states to reach around the world farther, faster, deeper and cheaper than ever before, and in a way that is enabling the world to reach into individuals, corporations, and nation-states farther, faster, deeper than ever before.”

Moreover, globalization has allowed people to be in contact with people from all over the world in a matter of seconds due to the use of the Internet, cellphones and computers. They have also allowed people to connect to each other and learn about every aspect of every culture around the globe. In this way, we have access to other´s countries ideas, costumes, habits, happenings, etc. For instance, we can buy food from other countries or regions. For example, we can buy sushi in whatever restaurant in Montevideo.  

Furthermore, globalization has unified the world through the English language. It has affected education around the world because in many countries students have to learn English since elementary school. This is the case of China where English is one of the most important courses and has to be learnt since elementary school. It has also affected education because we have to learn about other cultures and being informed of what is happening around the world.

However, globalization has negative aspects too. Globalization kills culture. The number of language has steadily decreased since the early 16^th century. The biggest decline occurred in the late 1990s as it dropped about 200% (Francis, 2004).

In addition, transnational companies such as McDonald’s, Google, WAL*MART, Nike, Microsoft have a great impact on our lives. Some of them are becoming more powerful than democratelly-elected governments. Today, there are more than 70.000 transnational companies. For example, McDonald´s is now available in over 100 countries and it disrupts the local eating habits, especially among the younger generations, increasing obesity rates. People argue that they buy fast food because it is cheap, easy and fast.  Nike shoes, pants, shirts are made by workers in countries such as in Saipan, Vietnam and Indonesia where the owners make their workers work more than 24 hours straight and only pay them less than 2 dollars. Many of the people who work in this kind of sweatshops cannot even work enough to support themselves and in some cases women are forced to have abortion. We can all try to stop these sweatshops by buying fair trade products from that assure that the people work in good living conditions.

Thus, globalization has also spread forced labor, human trafficking in a massive scale, exploitation, etc. For example, it was discovered some months ago that the multinational Nike had offered jobs to people from Malaysia. They were forced to sign a three year contract in a language they could not read and their passports were confiscated. They were trapped. For this reason, in order to buy their passports back, they had to live and work in unhealthy conditions. Many of the people who work in this kind of sweatshops cannot even work enough to support themselves and in some cases women are forced to have abortion. We can all try to stop these sweatshops by buying fair trade products from that assure that the people work in good living conditions.

Taking everything into account, globalization is a process in which the people of the world have been unified in a single society. But, as every process, it has positive and negative aspects. 

CONSUMERISM & ADVERTISING

Nowadays, no one can deny that we live in a consumerist society. But, to what extent does advertising determines our buying habits? Are we all affected in the same way?

To begin with, the term consumerism refers to “a social and economic order that is based on the systematic creation and fostering of a desire to purchase goods and services in ever greater amounts”.[1] In other words, consumerism is the act or practise of an increasing consumption of goods. In general, the basics of consumerism are: the extraction of resources, the production of goods, the distribution, the consumption and the disposal. According to Mr Fortunato, consumerism can be defined as the “distorted desires to possess and consume things beyond what is necessary”.    In order to accomplish this, companies hire commercial advertisers to generate increased consumption of some services and products through the creation of different publicities.

Moreover, some people think that advertising cannot sell any product if the person does not want to buy it. On the other hand, other people argue that advertising is so effective that it can brainwash us and make us spend money in unnecessary things. So, entrepreneurs are always designing new products, creating new necessities, and thinking on how to advertise them so that we, as consumers, will (want to) buy them.

Furthermore, what is true is that countless enterprises invest billions of dollars to get our minds and hearts and to influence our choices when buying.  For this reason, they create commercials in which the products effects on people are exaggerated and what they offer is an opportunity to be part of the “cool” people; to make you feel better about yourself. To do this, companies improve their marketing techniques through: emotional appeal testimonials, scientific appeal, glittering generalities, etc.

What is more, frequently the products that are advertised are: cosmetics, alcohol and cigarettes. In fact, the amount of money that is spent in advertising this kind of products it much greater than the money used to improve society.

Besides, advertising makes happiness be seen as equivalent to having, rather than to being. In this way, Philip Saltier says: “Americans become unhappy and vicious because their preoccupation with amassing possessions alleviates their loneliness. This is why production in America seems to be on such an endless upward spiral: every time we buy something we deepen our emotional deprivation and hence our need to buy something.” Therefore, in many cases people are willing to work long hours, to steal, etc. in order to get the products on offer and to keep the same standard of living as the people who are around them.

Also, advertisements can provoke people to be disappointed with what they already have, and make them want even more. Thus, people are exposed several times to products that they cannot afford, thus creating a feeling of dissatisfaction and frustration. Continuing with this line of thought, not all the parents can afford the dolls, toys, cars, etc. that their children see on TV. 

In addition, it is important not to forget that every kind of advertisement is targeted towards a specific population/segment. For example, children, teenagers, adults, etc. 

However, people are not interested in advertising anymore. Research has shown that people try to skip from two-thirds to eighty per cent of the ads. For this reason, companies have a big interest in placing brands in films, soap operas, etc. In this way, they advertise their products in a subtle way.

Taking everything into account, there is no doubt that we are immersed in a consumer society. But, what is important for us is to know  whether advertising determines or not our buying habits and what are the effects that advertising has on us.

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[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumerism

Differences in language!

Essay writing:

Please read the joke below and give your views on it considering the Chinglish, Spanish, Globish and other variations as well as linguistic imperialism.

An American visiting England walked into a hotel lobby. "The lift will be down presently", the receptionist told him.

"The lift?" said the American. "Oh, you mean the elevator."

"No, I mean the lift." replied the Englishman.

"I think I should know what it is called",. said the American. "Elevators were invented in the States."

"Perhaps" retorted the Englishman. "But we invented the language."

Firstly, it can be said that in the joke about who ahd invented the language and who had invented the lift, the English man feels responsible for the language and it can also be said that, he is a little jealous of the kind of English he speaks, which is British English.

It can also be seen that language takes the role- part in the sense that for the English man, the language cannot be changed. It should be as it is, a fact , which some “languages”, such as “Chinglish”, etc, does not respect. These new languages which are being created are not as formal, as the real ones. They do not follow rules, and they do not have any structure, they only follow some features of the language they pretend to be.

From my point of view, the reaction the English man had, was normal in the sense that the English Language which he feels it is from his own, because it is the way he feels it, is in danger in the sense that he sees that other people do not respect the fact that languages are already created and that they cannot come and change many important features of the language, just because they want, and he does not like it, which is normal and understandable. Maybe we can think that it would be good to have languages which are not so difficult, which can be learnt in few months, which can be considered as taking advanatages of the changes which can be done, but in fact, they are not.

It is really important, first, to take into consideration who are those people who want to change the normal languages into easier ones. If we think carefully, we will notice that those people who want languages to become easier, we would be able to see that the only activity they do with language, is business, and they do not care if they are respecting or not the language, and within it, the culture of the scoieties which speak that languages. Their purpose is to make money, and just do, without respecting anything as usual.

Languages are some of the most beautiful things we have in life. Each of them has a story to tell, all of them have different structures, different pronunciations. All these differences makes the different societies which speak these languages reach in culture. We should consider the importance of being different and respecting the others, from their way of thinking till the languages they speak. Once again, it can be seen that human beings do not appreciate the value of respecting and admiring the others for being different.

Those people who want to change languages for their benefit, are selfish,and do not respect the others. It can be compared, with somebody who wants to change the person with whom he/she shares her/his life , only because he/she cannot get any material benefit form her/his partner. Don` t you agree?

WELCOME TO THE EMPIRE!!!

La idea de este blog es compilar los trabajos de los alumnos de formación docente pertenecientes a la generación 2009 de la asignatura inglés, con el fin de brindar modelos de producción escrita a las futuras generaciones del área. 

Otro objetivo es brindar materiales complementarios de lectura para las unidades temáticas que serán trabajadas durante el curso. 

Esperamos que éste blog les sea de ayuda.