I’ve been teaching a class called “English: The World’s Language”, sort of a historical and linguistic look at English and why it is like it is. A very natural question: Why is English so popular? Why is there no other language that has so many learners?

I like to think of it like computer operating systems. Right now, Windows is the dominant OS. It’s not the easiest to use, or the nicest, but it does have a few advantages:

  • It has a huge user base.
  • There’s a lot of software written for it.
  • It’s a pain to change platforms.
  • Microsoft was in the right place at the right time, and made the right moves. It has been relentlessly aggressive in promoting Windows.

English is the same way. It has wonky orthography, and learners have a terrible time remembering the irregular verbs and nouns. But:

  • It has a huge user base, 4th in the world in terms of native speakers.
  • There’s a vast body of literature written in English, not to mention science, technology, and most of what’s on the Internet.
  • Some historical accidents have placed English in the position it’s in. What if Americans had for some reason spoken something else? And British imperialism and American military might have spread English far beyond its pool of native users.

This ananlogy between computers and languages is apt because both areas involve the issue of standards. Communities need to agree on file format and language in order to get business done, and some standards will win the struggle.