ABSTRACT
This chapter looks into the current processes of globalization and their social, political, economic and linguistic consequences on contemporary life, institutions and the workplace. It examines what these developments mean for translation. The chapter discusses the role of the English language in its function as a global lingua franca and the way English might affect the nature, frequency and indeed further existence of translation worldwide. Globalization is a process that makes national borders more transparent or even eliminates them completely, with restrictions on many kinds of exchanges becoming rapidly obsolete. In the field of globalized discourse, computer-mediated linguistic aspects play an increasingly important role. Linguistic aspects of globalized discourse can be located at various linguistic levels, e.g. lexical, semantic, pragmatic-discourse and socio-semiotic ones. The expansion of digital industries centred around e-learning and other education forms spread over the Web in many different languages again shows the intimate link between translation and today’s global economy.
