There is no official definition of "global" or "world" language, but it essentially refers to a

language that is learned and spoken internationally, and is characterized not only by the
number of its native and second language speakers, but also by its geographical distribution,
and its use in international organizations and in diplomatic relations. A global language acts
as a “lingua franca”, a common language that enables people from diverse backgrounds and
ethnicities to communicate on a more or less equitable basis.
Historically, the essential factor for the establishment of a global language is that it is spoken
by those who wield power. Latin was the lingua franca of its time, although it was only ever a
minority language within the Roman Empire as a whole. Crucially, though, it was the
language of the powerful leaders and administrators and of the Roman and this is what drove
its rise to global language status. Thus, language can be said to have no independent existence
of its own, and a particular language only dominates when its speakers dominate.
Because English is so widely spoken, it has often been referred to as a "world language", the
lingua franca of the modern era and while it is not an official language in most countries, it is
currently the language most often taught as a foreign language. It is, by international treaty,
the official language for aeronautical and maritime communications. English is an official
language of the United Nations and many other international organizations, including the
International Olympic Committee. English has approximately 375 million native speakers,
born in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia and other countries.
However, it has been estimated that there are over a billion non-native speakers of English.
English is the language most often studied as a foreign language in the European Union, by
89% of school children, ahead of French at 32%, while the perception of the usefulness of
foreign languages among Europeans is 68% in favour of English ahead of 25% for French.
Among some non-English-speaking EU countries, a large percentage of the adult population
claims to be able to converse in English – in particular: 85% in Sweden, 83% in Denmark,
79% in the Netherlands, 66% in Luxembourg and over 50% in Finland, Slovenia, Austria,
Belgium, and Germany.
Books, magazines, and newspapers written in English are available in many countries
around the world, and English is the most commonly used language in the sciences with
Science Citation Index reporting as early as 1997 that 95% of its articles were written in
English, even though only half of them came from authors in English-speaking countries. This
increasing use of the English language globally has had a large impact on many other
languages, leading to language shift and even language death and to claims of linguistic
imperialism. English itself has become more open to language shift as multiple regional
varieties feed back into the language as a whole.
English is also the predominant language on the Internet. Web pages in other languages
often tend to have an English translation. The British Empire and the dominant nature of
American popular culture have contributed overall to the spread of English across the planet.
While English can be very difficult to learn, learning it can be very rewarding. Knowledge
of English makes it possible for natives of non-English speaking countries to enjoy English
language film, television, music, magazines, novels and nonfiction, among other things,
without the need for any translation. English makes communication with people of other
countries and cultures possible. More importantly, English offers a wide range of possible
expressions for similar concepts.
While its advantages are self-evident, there are some legitimate concerns that a dominant
global language could also have some built-in drawbacks. Among these may be the following:
 There is a risk that the increased adoption of a global language may lead to the
weakening and eventually the disappearance of some minority languages. It is
estimated that up to 80% of the world’s 6,000 or so living languages may die out
within the next century, and some commentators believe that a too-dominant global
language may be a major contributing factor in this trend.
 There is concern that natural speakers of the global language may be at an unfair
advantage over those who are operating in their second, or even third, language.
 The insistence on one language to the exclusion of others may also be seen as a threat
to freedom of speech and to the ideals of multiculturalism.
 Another potential pitfall is linguistic complacency on the part of natural speakers of a
global language, a laziness and arrogance resulting from the lack of motivation to
learn other languages. Arguably, this can already be observed in many Britons and
Americans.
A 2006 report by the British Council suggests that the number of people learning English is
likely to continue to increase over the next 10-15 years, peaking at around 2 billion, after
which a decline is predicted. Various attempts have been made to develop a simpler
"controlled" English language suitable for international usage (e.g. Basic English, Plain
English, Globish, International English, Special English, Essential World English, etc).
Increasingly, the long-term future of English as a global language probably lies in the hands
of Asia, and especially the huge populations of India and China.
The intrinsic appeal of English as a world language is probably overblown and specious,
and largely based on chauvinism. It is unlikely that linguistic factors are of great importance
in a language's rise to the status of world language, and the position of English today is almost
entirely due to the aforementioned political and economic factors.