ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses how bilingualism is evidenced in schools and society in a globalized world. Technological advances of the last few decades have enabled great numbers of individuals and communities to come in contact with one another over great distances. It describes the extent of the global spread of English as a lingua franca. No other language in human history has had the level of popularity and widespread usage that English has today. English is by far the most popular second language of choice and is a major driving force behind new occurrences of bilingualism in the world. It is used by more non-native speakers than native speakers, and is at the heart of an interconnected world. It looks at four global flows that have particular significance to our study of bilingualism in the globalized era: transnational migration, popular music, advertising, and the Internet.
