Question

what historical events made English become the global lingua franca it is today?

Answer 1

This started with the British Empire and America's colonization. A significant portion of the World was colonized by the British Empire. English became the language of government administration and education in the areas they colonized. But English became a dominant language even in a country like India, which has cultures far older than that of the British.

America became a place where innovation and creativity were rife, as there were few social structures, such as existing aristocracy, that prevented the common man from advancing in life. After the Second World War, with new technology and media, America dominated the world economically. Understanding English has therefore become an advantage in a number of areas, including business and research.

Lingua Franca has thus become recognized as a common language in which people who have not spoken the language of each other may speak. The "Standard" Latin vs. the Frankish version of Latin, which was the language of education in Europe, was a good example of this, thanks in part to being the language of the bible used by the Catholic Church until quite recently. Earlier, because of the British Empire's immense influence and wealth, English became the world's Lingua Franca. India, for example, has a dozen or more languages. If a language called "Indian" may exist, it is English. That's how Indians interact with each other from different states.

With the ensuing influence of the US during the Second World War and the Cold War, English became even more emphasized as the Lingua Franca worldwide. When a Dutchman has to talk to a Bavarian, what are they talking about? They learn the only common language: English