ABSTRACT
The book turns in its final chapter to the future. It considers how the language might develop and asks questions about whether it will still be a global language in fifty years’ time or will be ousted from its present powerful position by some other language. The chapter looks particularly at the work of David Crystal, a linguist who has thought and written a lot about the future of English. It describes what factors he considers make a language important on the world stage and shows how this leads him to informed speculation about the possible future status of English. It also describes Crystal’s look at the present, particularly at the rapid growth of electronically mediated communication - a variety which is likely to continue to develop and spread in the future.
