English language

English is one of the most commonly spoken in the world. It is impossible to tell exactly how many people speak English, but it is believed that at least 500 million speak it as their main language, and a billion more know how to speak it. It evolved in England between the twelfth and seventeenth centuries from the French, Anglo-Saxon and Latin languages. Because Britain colonized many places in North America, Australia, Africa and India, among others, English was spread very far. Though not every country colonized by Britain adopted English as its official language, the most powerful governments to result from British colonization, the United States and Australia, did so. Many hope that eventually everyone in the world will learn to speak English which will result in better understanding among the people of the world. Others, however, believe that the dominance of English is oppressing people who wish to maintain their own languages.