English as the Language of Trade, Finance, and Technology in APEC: An East Asia Perspective
Dorothea C. Lazaro, Erlinda M. Medalla
Philippine Institute for Developmental Studies

Main Idea: Being able to openly communicate with one another constitutes to building a stronger regional economy. In order to do this, the English language has been used for cross-border communications and so it is essential for the internalization of English as a second language.

Evidences: 

• English has served as the official language among 52 out of the 195 countries in the world, as well as other small colonies or territories. In addition to this, around one-third of the people in the world can understand or speak English. It became the most useful language to learn for it is now the de facto lingua franca of diplomacy.
• According to Lazaro and Medalla, "The simplest forms of international transactions must have English translations if only to achieve increased global transparency. " (Lazaro & Medalla, 2004, p.4).
• Research by Lazaro and Medalla stated, "Most governments have long acknowledged that the knowledge of languages of the countries with whom  they trade provide advantages." (Lazaro& Medalla, 2004, p.4).
• Knowledge in the English language also enables workers to participate in multi-skill initiatives and flexibility. It also contributes to outsourcing by many developed countries.

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