In Europe

While large portions of the globe came under the influence of English between the 16th and 19th century, this was not really the case in Europe. Not until after World War II did English truly begin to flourish, sweeping across Europe at an uneven pace, starting in the west and spreading eastward after the fall of the Iron Curtain. It was also around 1945 that American English began to exert a stronger influence than its predecessor from the British Isles. Since that time American English has dominated the European and world scene primarily through influence of media, technology and power while British English has predominated the educational systems. Internationalization and increased mobility have also played their part and as Cenoz & Jessner noted “It requires little linguistic sensitivity to note the omnipresence of English in Europe today”(2000). Currently English is one of more than 20 official languages of the European Union yet enjoys a privileged status as one of three working languages and as the unofficial status quo. Surveys financed by the EU have shown that it is the most used and most learned language with an entire 31% knowing English well enough to hold a conversation (Europa website, 2004).

Despite current and probable future opposition, English will undoubtedly continue to play an important role in Europe and in European cooperation.