International English
Refers to the English language’s status as an international, global means of communication. English is spoken by approximately 375 million people as a mother tongue, with three times this number speaking English as a second language. Due to colonialism, English is spoken as a first language in many countries worldwide and this linguistic distribution has facilitated the spread of English as an international language. English has therefore become the world’s most widespread lingua franca. However, the continuing growth of English as an international language has been criticized by some who see its spread as a sort of cultural imperialism. Opponents argue that English is only so widespread today due to former Britain imperialism.
