[originaltext] The global spread of English over the last 40 years is remark

The global spread of English over the last 40 years is remarkable. It is unprecedented in several ways: by the increasing number of users of the language; by its depth of penetration into societies; by its range of functions.
    Worldwide over 1.4 billion people live in countries where English has official status. One out of five of the world’s population speaks English with some degree of competence. Over 70% of the world’s scientists read English. About 85% of the world’s mail is written in English. By the year 2010, the number of people who speak English as a second or foreign language will outnumber native speakers.
    English is used for more purposes than ever before. Vocabularies, grammatical forms, and ways of speaking and writing have shown influence from technological and scientific developments, economics and management, literature and entertainment genres. There is no reason to believe that any other language will appear within the next 50 years to replace English.
    English has become an international language. However, this does not mean that English is replacing or will replace other languages as many fear. Instead, it may supplement or co-exist with other languages by allowing strangers to communicate across linguistic boundaries. It will become a tool that opens windows to the world, unlocks doors to opportunities, and expands our minds to new ideas.