One of the most spoken languages in the world is English. Overseas students are required to take English classes, just as Spanish is in American schools, but some countries in Europe start as young as ten years old (Marling, 83). The best time to learn a new language is when one is younger, but in America, the only time that a language other than Spanish is given as an elective is when a student reaches high school. The two popular languages in American high schools are French and German; however it is difficult to learn a new language at the age of fifteen. When it comes to trading between America and another country, English is the language that is spoken (Edwards). This shows how America is continually controlling the way the world is run. There is no reason why more major business owners and leaders in America cannot learn another language in order to be able to communicate with their associates or a leader of another country.
Entertainment from the United States is heavily spread, just like English, with Hollywood movies, television, music, and sports. When someone in America turns on a television, the chances of watching a French show or one from any other country is highly unlikely. On the other hand, France has aired at least forty American television shows that are popular in the states, such as CSI, Grey’s Anatomy, One Tree Hill, and Prison Break that are dubbed in French or have subtitles (McDowell). If countries are all influencing one another, why is it that there aren’t at least forty well-liked television shows from various countries being shown in the United States with English subtitles? Perhaps the same question could be asked about sports. Basketball is an extremely popular in America and throughout the world, but what sports from overseas are as much of a hit in America? The professional players of the NBA can be recognized anywhere they go, not only because they are tall, but because games can be seen in 212 countries by 750 million households (Batelho). Not to mention, there are seventy three players from thirty four countries who make up a part of the NBA, such as Yao Ming (China), Tony Parker (France), Dikembe Mutombo (Africa), and Manu Ginobili (Argentina), who people all over know because of their popularity thanks to the television (Batelho). If the games weren’t broadcasted overseas, would people abroad still make up forty two percent of NBA.com’s traffic and twenty percent of their sale merchandise sales (Batelho)? In many ways, much of what goes out of America is a form of advertisement which betters the country economically.
Much of what is advertised throughout the world can be found right outside their door. American businesses have spread throughout South America, Asia, and Europe. The fast food industry is one of the fastest growing industries, and it is changing the way nations are run. This could be seen as a form of globalization, but is it truly? In 2003, McDonald’s had thirty thousand restaurants in one hundred nineteen countries (Batelho). Not only is it “the world’s leading food service retailer,” but McDonald’s also wants all their employees to be the same, no matter where they are from (Batelho). They wish to convey the same image with smiling faces representing the company. However, every nation is different from another, which is why everyone has there own values that they live by. McDonald’s is changing the way some nations function, and it is viewed by many overseas “as a close-minded, greedy American company without proper respect for other cultures” (Batelho). In France, where mustaches and goatees are popular and quiet common, their employees were banned from having facial hair (Batelho). In Russia, some customers were offended when the franchise first opened and they saw the “super-smiley McDonald’s workers” because they were not used to that type of greeting, and theysaw it as insincere (Batelho). Although there are a great variety of cultural restaurants in the United States, there are none as popular or well known as McDonald’s is overseas. Kentucky Fried Chicken is also recognized throughout the world. In Japan, there was a picture taken of a young girl with pig tales standing next to figure of Colonel Sanders dressed as a samurai (Marling 1). To see an American food icon advertised in a way to get business in a foreign country is rather sickening because it is taking away from a culture that is theirs. Fortunately, the employees who work at Wal Mart in Japan refused to “adopt its American guideline of asking any customer within ten feet “How can I help you?” because it is in their culture for clerks not to speak unless spoken to (Marling 87). It is imperative that countries begin to stick with their values and not give in to the pressure of America.
American Universalism is a strong force in the world, and honest and equal globalization is needed. As soon as more people in the United States are able to speak another language other than Spanish, when foreign movies and sports are watched in America, and more cultural restaurants exist with less manipulation in the fast food industry, than globalization will for once be true. Until then, America will continue to manipulate cultures.
Works Cited
Botelho, Greg. "Marketing in a complex business climate." CNN. 2003. 17 Nov. 2007
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