What in the World Why people learn English
Jan 8, 2026
Georgie Thorman, a BBC Learning English producer, discusses the fascinating journey of English from 1.5 billion speakers to its current global dominance. Discover how British colonization and American culture helped English spread and the emergence of hybrids like Spanglish. Linguist Linda Heimisdóttir analyzes English's internet supremacy and its implications for AI performance and cultural influences. She warns about potential digital language death for smaller languages as English continues to dominate online.
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How History And Power Spread English
- Colonisation and US global power spread English through government, education and trade.
- The rise of American entertainment and tech cemented English in business, diplomacy and academia.
English Evolves Through Local Influence
- Local languages shape regional English varieties, creating distinct pronunciation and vocabulary.
- English borrows back terms from other languages, forming a global patchwork of varieties.
Teach English As A Core School Subject
- Make English a core part of school curricula to increase access to global communication.
- In former colonies, retain English for core subjects to ensure continuity in government and education.