A little peek on the spread of the English language

          English is the third most-spoken language in the world. Although not all of the world’s seven billion people understands or speak English it is considered the global dominant language, being a lingua franca. More than 375 million people speak English as a primary language, with most of them are domiciled in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. Around 400 million to around a billion people, meanwhile, speak English as a second language, depending on the variety of mastery. Around 200 million have mastered English as their second language, with a large number of them living in the Philippines, India and Nigeria.

          While the English language originated in the area near northwest Germany, it was a consolidation of different Germanic dialects when it reached Britain. Before it became Britain’s most commonly used tongue, the language has undergone several evolution to become what is now known as Modern English. Its spread to other parts of the world was primarily attributed to the massive colonization efforts undertaken by the British Empire. The language became a lingua franca to several colonies around the world, Including India, North America, Africa and Australia. The Empire greatly influence the way people speak in North America, especially in the United States, a former colony. United States’ rise as world power further pushed the English language into other parts of the world.

         It is to be noted that countries which population speak English as a second language were former colonies or territories of Britain and the United States. India and Nigeria were formerly under the reign of the British Empire. Britain controlled India for around 90 years and Nigeria for around 60 years. The Philippines, meanwhile, was a colony of the United states for around 50 years. During their decades of stay at these countries, Britain and the United States achieved to incorporate English as a second language for most of the former colonies’ population.

          The number of people speaking English as their second language is increasing around the world. The Internet, television and other media played very pivotal roles in spreading the global use of English.