English (global spread), encyclopedia entry
English began as the language of a few groups in what is now England. Today it is used by more than a billion people. This spread did not happen because English is easier or more beautiful than other languages. It happened mostly because of power.
From the 17th to the 20th century, the British Empire took English to North America, the Caribbean, Africa, South Asia and Oceania, often imposing it in schools and courts while local languages were discouraged. In the 20th century, the economic and cultural influence of the United States, through trade, science, cinema and later the internet, made English even stronger. Many former colonies kept English as an official language, but they also transformed it, creating new varieties with their own words and accents.
Segundo o verbete, a expansão mundial do inglês se explica, sobretudo, por