The Rise of English: A Global Language Explained
Before English's Dominance
Before English became the dominant language of international relations, French was considered the language of diplomacy. A lot of diplomatic terms today are still referred to in French.
The Role of Historical Languages
A few hundred years ago, you often had to speak multiple languages depending on your interests. Latin and Greek were required if you were interested in science. A lot of books and manuscripts were written (partially or wholly) in these languages. That’s why many scientific terms, even to this day, have Latin and Greek roots.
The Influence of Other Languages
You often had to be able to read Arabic and Sanskrit when studying mathematics. The characters used in Europe and America for numbers come from characters in Arabic and Sanskrit manuscripts on mathematics.
The Dominance of China
Things were a little different in the Orient, as China was dominant in culture, science, and trade. You had a written language that stayed the same, but the spoken word drifted, as local dialects could make it hard for people from different areas of China (or surrounding countries) to speak to each other.
Economic Globalization and the Rise of English
There is also the fact that the American era was really (for the most part) the end of the colonial era and the start of economic globalization. Countries were choosing their allegiances between Western free-market capitalists and Soviet socialists. Since the capitalists pulled ahead, free markets began to rule. The way to gain power was to make wealth.
After World War II was also when the dollar was set as the currency all others would be priced against, and the currency that the UN, IMF, and other world bodies dealt in. Lastly, most investment money was coming from the US. So any savvy businessperson, international personality, or politician would do well to speak English.
The Cultural Impact of English
Moreover, American movies and music have been great ambassadors for the English language. English is also the mandatory language in international commercial air travel, as well as the de facto language for science papers.
The Legacy of Colonialism
To follow up, many former British and American colonies, like India, the Philippines, and parts of sub-Saharan Africa, also had many competing languages within one country previously. Setting English as the 'official' government language as the imperial powers withdrew both enhanced their ties to the wealthiest countries and easily transitioned the colonial governments to domestic ones.
The Anglosphere
In addition, there is a bit of an elite 'Anglosphere' power club of the UK and former commonwealths and colonies that have both close cultural-political ties and make up around 35–40% of the global economy. Think if one family controlled 40% of a town’s businesses and wealth—everyone else would have to somewhat develop cordial relations with said family.
The Language of Technology
Language is a given one, especially when most of the developments in technology (think coding languages) are happening in English-speaking countries. Pretty much every aspect of internet infrastructure, programming languages, HTML, and computer operating systems is based in English.
Conclusion
To sum up, the dominance of English in international relations, commerce, science, and technology did not happen overnight. It is the result of historical, cultural, and economic factors that intertwined over centuries from diplomacy and colonialism to globalization and technological development.
English now serves as a global bridge, enabling communication across countries with diverse languages and backgrounds. While this offers unparalleled opportunities for collaboration and access to knowledge, it also underscores the responsibility of learners and professionals to approach the language with respect for cultural diversity and historical context.
Mastering English today is not just a practical skill; it is a key that opens doors to global engagement and understanding.