If we took a look at how people in Europe communicated just one hundred years ago, we woold be very surprised to find out that English was hardly used outside the United Kingdom. The languoge most commonly used between people of different nationalities, and particularly the aristocracy, wa French. In fact, French was the language of diplomacy, culture and education. However, that is not the case nowadays. English has replaced French as the international language of communication Today there are more people who speak English as a second language than people who speak it as a fir language. There are many reasons why English has become the language of international communication Britain's colonization of many parts of the world had something to do with it, but it is mainly due t America's rise to the position of major world power. This helped spread popular American cultur throughout the world bringing the language with it. But is it good that English has spread to all parts o the world so quickly? Language specialists seem to be divided over this issue. There are those who clair that it is important to have a language that the people in our increasingly globalize world have common. According to others, English is associated with a particular culture and therefore promotes the culture at the expense of others. Linguists have suggested "Esperanto", an artificially put-togeth language, as a solution to international communication problems but without success. So English w continue being the world language until some other language, maybe Chinese, which is the most widel spoken native language in the world, takes over as the world's international language instead of English 1. Was English spoken worlwide in the past? 2. What was the language most commonly used between people of different nationalities and particula the aristocracy in Europe one hundred years ago? 3. How many reasons why English has become the language of international communication? 4. What is chiefly responsible for the growth in popularity of English? 5. What do some language specialists think when English has spread to all parts of the world so quickl 6. What about the others? 7. What have linguists suggested as a solution to international communication problems but without succe 8. Does English or China have more speakers? 9. What does the author believe? 10. What do you usually do to learn English well?