Why Study English?
The international language of the modern world, English is spoken by over 1 billion people on the planet. Its importance in political, economic, scientific, and cultural global communities makes it a highly valuable linguistic asset. English is also important because it acts as a lingua franca (a common language between varying mother tongues) in many parts of the world.
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English in the World
English today is a language that spreads far beyond national borders and joins international communities in a common mode of discourse. It is the world's most-used lingua franca; a common language used as a communication tool between people of differing native languages.
The influence of English in areas such as global business, diplomacy, and entertainment, and its relevance in professional disciplines of all kinds explains why English is the most commonly studied foreign language in the world.
Early forms of English were spoken by Germanic tribes who settled in England, with later influence from the French language following the Norman conquest of the region. Throughout its historical evolution English has traditionally adopted words from numerous languages, a trend that continues to this day.
The language owes its current popularity to the expansive growth of the British Empire in the eighteenth, nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Its global significance came to prominence after World War II, with the growing economic and cultural influence of the United States on the international community.