English is the world's most spoken language. But how did that come to be? Some tie the dominance of the language to the spread of British colonialism, the prevalence of American hegemony, or the global distribution of media and other popular culture productions stemming from Hollywood. Technically, these are all correct.
In a political climate of anti-immigrant sentiments in the West, the relationship toward English is changing. Some nations, like the United States, are using the language as a ticket to belonging, while others are using the English language as a marker of exclusion.
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