International travellers, wherever they are from, use English these days – they just have to. There are two experiences they are all familiar with.
On the one hand, wherever you go, you get along with English. The English language has become the main tool of globalization. In transnational communication, in the worlds of business, diplomacy, education, the arts, sports and tourism, it is just expected.
On the other hand the traveller also knows that the English he or she encounters may demand some effort; it may sound strange and may be difficult to understand.
The first of these trends implies shared linguistic knowledge as its basis; it strengthens and requires uniformity. It is associated with the concept of a regionally neutral ‘International English’ – a language that is occasionally postulated but never really found. The second results from increasing differences; it indicates ongoing linguistic diversification and fragmentation.
The fate of a global language
The Queen’s English is being pulled in many different directions around the world, but this is something to be celebrated
