Chapter 1

English All Over the World

Text 2

Why has English become the dominant language? It is the dominant language in science, technology, business, tourism, diplomacy and pop culture. English is a useful means of communication at sea and in the air.

Spoken by many people

Today about 20 % of the world's population speak English, 400 million people as their mother tongue, for another 750 million it is the country's official second language or a foreign language. English has official or special status in at least seventy-five countries with a total population of over two billion. In addition millions of people all over the world learn English as a foreign language, and it is still expanding. English is larger than most other languages with a vocabulary of at least 750 000 words.

Spreading English via emigration

To understand the growth of the English language, we must look at some historical facts. Until the beginning of the 17th century the English language was spoken by a few million people living on an island in the North Sea. Britain’s colonial expansion and settlements around the world established global use of the English language. A large number of immigrants from Britain, and especially Ireland, made English the dominant language in the United States. In Australia and on New Zealand English is spoken by a great majority.

Earlier colonies use English

Trade gave Britain possessions all over the world. A common language was a necessity, and English became the language of administration. Even though nearly all of Britain’s former colonies in Asia and Africa got their independence after the Second World War, most of them have kept the English language as the official second language or the language of government and administration. In some of these countries there are differences in grammar and vocabulary from Standard English, and there is reason to believe that the English language will have to accept some changes in the future. However, most people think that English will keep its position as our most important international language.