The Future of English: A Global Perspective

According to a new research publication, The Future of English: Global Perspectives, published by the British Council last month, English will retain its position as the world’s most widely spoken language over the next decade and teachers will continue to be at the heart of English learning, even in the face of increased automation, AI, and machine learning.

This is the first publication in a major program of research and global engagement started by the British Council in 2020. The Future of English research program will shine a light on the trends driving the use of English as a global language and provide data to inform policy makers, educators, researchers, and others interested in this important topic.

Key findings:

• English is the most widely spoken language in the world. It is the global language of communication and is likely to retain this position for the next decade and beyond.
• English will continue to play an important role, increasingly doing so increasingly doing so alongside other languages to provide rich linguistic opportunities for learners all over the world.
• English will continue to play an important role, increasingly doing so increasingly doing so alongside other languages to provide rich linguistic opportunities for learners all over the world.
• Technology has the potential to help greater numbers of people access language learning.