English Episode 1

This video mentions that "English is more influential than any other language." This statement is then supported by the evidence that an Italian airline, with Italian pilots, speaks the "airport language" of English, which is used in airlines in 157 countries across the world. It goes on to explain that English is infiltrating other countries other than Britain and the US, through newscasting, newspapers, mail, movies, songs, computers, TV etc. Even the countries themselves are producing these items in English which is not their native language. In this video, they refer to the word "variety" of English instead of dialect, because dialect is a loaded word that can denote segregation or grouping of different people. I guess you could say "variety" would be more politically correct. In public schools in England, they have taken groups of children that speak different varieties of English and have helped them develop the more "superior" English accent because this accent supposedly denotes that you are "intelligent, trustworthy, and good-looking." Maybe English has become a dominant language in the world because those who speak English are unwilling to communicate in any other way (because of pride/arrogance?) which forces others to learn to be able to communicate and understand the growing majority of people that speak English.

Info provided by:
Armstrong, Edward. "The Story of English Episode 1 - An English Speaking World - Part 1/7."                YouTube. YouTube, 27 Aug. 2009. Web. 12 Jan. 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?                  v=7FtSUPAM-uA>.