The English language is the most dominant language spoken on earth today. It is used in politics when great countries decide their future in trade or war, but also when we order food on vacation. It is a language made for everyone and for every occasion. The power of mastering a language is, in my opinion, often understated, and the power of global understanding is crucial for our future global wellbeing. I know that it is highly rewarded both in search of a job and socially, and in Sweden we do not have as big of a problem with valuing the art that is language. But many countries do. They do not put as much resources into education, which causes a gap between school kids across the world. In a world that, as for the look of it, is going on a downhill path rapidly, I believe talking, debating and diplomacy is the way towards a global act of heroic proportions that will steer us into a future of global solidarity and understanding. The mastering of a language is the key.
The spread of English started in the 17th and 18th centuries when Britain began their hunt for colonies. When occupying countries like India, South Africa and Zimbabwe, the English language was taught out to the public and made into an official language in most occupied countries. Often, the means in order to accomplish this was very cruel and violent - Britain is definitely not a hero in this scenario. But the outcome we can see today is a global language, modernized countries and globalization. However, the countries that were not occupied, or occupied by countries with another official language fell behind. French is considered the second world language, and in the 20th and 19th century, that was probably the case. Today it is still a language that is spoken on at least three continents, but unless it is one of the official languages of the country in question, it is not often prioritized, unlike English. English is understood and/or spoken on every single continent.