English
the language of the world
 

 

350 millions people in the world speak English as their first language
300 millions people in the world use it as a second official language
60 ..countries in the world use English as an official or semi-official language
80% of all information in world's computers and in the internet is provided in English
The official language of world wide air traffic control and sea communication is English
Add : communication in business, science, politics, international organisations

English is the international communication language of the planet Earth

2000 years ago there wasn't English yet; Britain was an obscure island at the extreme border of the "known word" at a primitive stage of development in comparison with the cultural and political development of imperial Rome.

1000 years ago most European languages had already emerged : French, Italian, German ; or were just about emerging like Spanish. There wasn't any English yet, since the language spoken in Britain was basically old Germanic.

500 years ago England was a small and modest kingdom threatened by the Spanish super-power and in conflict with the all-powerful Roman catholic church.

How did English develop and why did English conquer the world ?

1. In the mist of times The adventure of languages ... when did people start to speak ?
2.The Indo-Europeans, our ancestors The people whose language produced all current or extinct European languages
3. English, the language of the world A detailed history of the English language
4. (Indo-)European languages The language chart
5. The Gaelic language The expansion and decline of the Celts, Gaelic today
6. Ah...! Cro-Magnonic ...! What did the old Europeans speak before the the Indo-Europeans came ?
7. Brrrr... too cold to speak ! There was someboy around in - 400'000 B.C. !