ASSIGNMENT 1
DUE AUG-SEPT 2024
, Assignment One
Read the questions below and answer the questions set. Please ensure that you engage
with your prescribed text and resources when you construct your answers.
1. Explain how the printing press influenced the spread of the English
language and compare its earlier influence with the current spread of
English. Your response should be approximately 3 paragraphs.
The invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in the 15th century greatly
changed how English spread. Before the printing press, books were copied by hand,
which made them rare and expensive. Only a few people could read or own books.
When the printing press was invented, it made it much easier and cheaper to print
books. This meant more people could read, and it helped to make English spelling and
grammar more consistent, so everyone could understand it better. (Mahmud Embark
Embark 2020)
Today, English spreads in different ways compared to the past. With the internet and
digital technology, English is everywhere online. It's the main language used in
websites, social media, and international business. Unlike before, where printed books
were the main way English spread, now we have digital platforms that let people share
and learn English instantly all over the world.
In the ancient world printing press helped make English more standard and available,
but now English spreads quickly thanks to digital technology and global connections.
While the printing press was a big step in spreading English, today's technology helps