Why is english the universal language to comunicate through nations?

Question

I mean, the most spoken language is chinese...

Answer 1

The world language is always the language with the most power behind it - political, economical, ideological. When the Roman Empire was at its peak, Latin was the world language.

English first became the world language because of the British Empire - the British owned pretty much half the world, and if you wanted to get anywhere in any of the countries they controlled, you darn well better spoke their language.

Nowadays, English is still the world language - partly because of British influences still, but mostly because of the US's political and economical power - think of all the trade going on, as well as cultural exports, such as movies and music.

If China ever became the superpower, it's likely that Chinese would become the world language.

Answer 2

Well, partly because of the British Empire... countries from India to Malaysia and a clutch of African countries were all administered by the British... and naturally we taught them our language as well as how to run thir country (for example, the Civil Service in India today is amost identical to the one we left in 1948!) ... in fact this has turned out to be a very big advantage for India over China in teh international market for some services such as call centers, they are well ahead of China in terms of being able to find more fluent English speakers!

plus of course we colonised countries like Australia (despite the fact that the place was already, if sparsely inhabited by the Aboriginal) and New Zealand ,,,

These countries, such as New Zealand and Australia are dominant in their regions, so English is spoken widely...

Then you have to consider the effect of the United States - being the worlds major superpower (for the moment anyway) as they speak English most of the worlds trade and business is done in English.

So there you have it, the British Empire, imperialism, and the US of A :)

Of course, it could have been so different - if the British East Indies Company hadn't made such a fuss over the Spice Islands (particularly the little nutmeg island of Run in the Banda archipelago in Indonesia) then New York, and consequently the rest of the US might have remained Dutch speaking.... but who knows...

to learn more about that, check out the excellant book by Giles Milton called 'Nathaniels Nutmeg'!

Hope that helps

Philip

Answer 3

The reasons have to do with economic and cultural imperialism: successful and long-term colonization of other peoples all over the world under the British empire; the defeat of the Axis powers by the British-American coalition; the rise of the United States as an economic and cultural powerhouse after WWII, etc. Everybody wants to be like us (rich and powerful). Plus the inability/unwillingness of English speakers to learn other languages.

Answer 4

English is the first language of an enormous part of the Earth`s surface, and the second language of all the rest. The exceptions are France who resent English wherever it is spoken, and the Scots, who find language a problem.

Answer 5

Perhaps it stems from the result of many centuries of Empire building by Great Britain, that led to indigenous nations to take up the English tongue, or at least to teach their peoples the rudiments of the English language.

Answer 6

Its because, up until WW2 Britain was the main superpower, like America is now. All communtication, therefore, in congresses, treaties etc was in the English language.

I suppose now it is a force of habit, so it is hard (for them) to change it.

Answer 7

The British Empire in the past and Hollywood nowadays.

Answer 8

Don't know for sure but maybe more countries speak english than any other language. I don't mean more people, as in population, I mean more countries. Just a guess.

Answer 9

Because we have been the dominant , most inventive,and best nation on earth for about the last 500 years

Answer 10

We re like a cow pat when we land we spread out