The changing world of English

Something that I learn from this article is that English has gradually become the language of communication for people from different backgrounds whose language is other than English. Kachru’s (1985) estimates were between 320 and 380 million native speakers of English, compared to between 250 and 380 million non-native speakers of English. However, he also foresaw a change in these numbers, meaning there would be more non-native speakers of English as time went by, which came to be true. Currently, estimates find that there are close to 329 million native English speakers, but about 1.2 billion non-native English speakers (Crystal 2003a). 

There are certain changes thought the language such as the economic power, who ensures a language survival and growth. Commerce, has become more globalized mainly by American dominance, English has become the language of business. According to Harmer (2001) the commercial activity has helped fan the flames of English. Also, the exchange of academic conferences, journal articles and several branches of the sciences and education have English as their main language. The introduction of the Internet, which has its roots in the USA, has also caused English to become more ‘popular'. Tourism, is conducted in English in most places around the world, but even if English is not used for tourism in certain areas, one can always be sure that most airports on the planet have English besides the country’s first language printed in signs, and most of the staff at the airport will certainly know English to be able to provide assistance to travelers. 

On the other hand, movies and music are very commonly found in English in the western part of the planet, and certain countries such as the USA, the United Kingdom, Australia and others try to persuade people all around the world to choose said countries as study destinations, which also be seen as part of the business these places are doing.  To conclude, I want to say that English is taught (and learned) for a big number of reasons, business, education, travel or for a hobby. However, no matter what the reason, it is clear that the number of speakers is growing dramatically.