HOW ENGLISH SPREAD AROUND THE WORLD
The English language was used in Britain first and the ovri expanding Biilisli Empire helped to spread the Modern English around the world during the 18th and 19th centuries. This is why many of the countries where English is an official language were former British colonies, including Canada, Australia, South Africa and the United States.
Colonialism helped to introduce English to regions like India and parts of Africa, where it continues to be widely spoken. Although Hindi is the most widely-spoken language in India today, English remains an official language in the country and is often used in university education, and within the field of politics.
Officially, just 12 percent of Indian people speak English, with many only speaking it as a second language. Nevertheless, the country has an extremely dense population, meaning that this 12 percent cross-section of society exceeds 100 million people. As a result, India has one of the largest English speaking populations on the planet.
Throughout the 20th century, the United States emerged as a major political superpower, especially in the years after World War II. Its influence, combined with Hollywood films and the work of the British Broadcasting Corporalion, are credited with the continued spread of the language throughout the century.
English remains the only official language of the Commonwealth of Nations and is also the recognised official language of Gibraltar, the Falkland Islands and Bermuda.
By the turn of the new century, English has been the most widely-spoken and written language that has ever existed.
*colony (n): thuộc địa
(Adapted from Lingoda)
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36. | The modern English started to be used worldwide between 1700s and 1800s. |
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37. | Hindi is the most widely-spoken language in the world. |
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38. | Both Hindi and English are offical languages in India. |
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39. | The movie industry in the USA has contributed to the spread of English. |
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40. | In the new century, English hasn’t existed as the most widely-spoken and written language anymore. |
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