English Vs Albanian: Impact of English on Albanian Language in Post-War Kosovo

Abstract

The English language is in practical terms the most popular language in the world today, the so-called linguafranca. Language; media, music, politics, economy, art, science, etc. etc. are many fields that are discussed and viewed through the prism of English. In this context, the “smaller” and “less” influential Albanian language in Kosovo, especially after the 1999 war and intervention of the international community against the Serbian security forces, has in the post-war period of time here come into a much closer contact – and impact – of English; countless organizations that simply flooded Kosovo after July 1999, civilian or military alike, also brought many changes and impact on the Albanian society too, among other things. And when it comes to the language itself, the Albanian one, the impact was not always and necessarily a positive one, as it will be shown in more detail and in depth in the thesis. The work itself is not a re-invention of the wheel, since this is a widely recognized issue locally, and not only locally, but rather an attempt to localize and define comprehensively the very roots that lie at the heart of the subject, apply various research methods that will shed light on the topic and detail the core of the issue, and offer optional alternatives and suggestions. Discussing and analyzing such an intimate human topic as language, maybe the most intimate one, is and always has been a deep, challenging and complex dip in the very human soul, because after all the languages and dialects that we all human beings speak are nothing but a mere reflection of the human soul. In our brightest heyday and happiest moments as well as in our darkest hour and deepest sadness, language is and always will be the vocal tool that will palpably express our inner self; the outer reflection is just a physical wave of sounds, morphemes and phonemes, while the inner and deep source is the eternally hidden human spirit and human soul. Some might argue that there are also human beings who for various reasons, mental and physical alike, cannot express themselves vocally and in this way appear of lacking the capability of lacking this unique gift called human language, but this could not be farther the truth; the language element is still there, in them, in their blood, their DNA, their soul, their very being. There is no physical thing and force that can stop the unstoppable and free human spirit, and in turn free choice of language expression. Language is with us, this unique kind called mankind, since the very beginning, it can and will never split apart from the fabric of mankind, and will ultimately follow the fate of mankind, whatever that fate is going to be. From the perspective of this big picture, the English-Albanian relationship can be viewed from two principal viewpoints: firstly, this is obviously a much smaller, more specific and more narrowed part and angle of the overall language puzzle. After all, the English and Albanian native speakers comprise a smaller part of the total world population and number of countries, right. Sure, but this is only one part of the truth. The other part of the truth, in fact the colossal one, is that in essential terms both pictures are just - the same; both one single human being soul and all mankind combined equals, still, one single – human soul. Also, one of the main objectives of this paper is going to be the description, portrayal, reflection etc. of the developments in this particular field just as they are, without any national-romantic or nationalistic/patriotic connotations whatsoever. Zero ones, preferably. A review, analysis and research about the English-Albanian interaction among Kosovo Albanians without Albanian feelings.