Large communities were established in which English now serves as a second language - in West and East Africa, South and South-East Asia

New varieties of English - often referred to as New Englishes - quickly emerged from contact with local languages

In the late 20th and early 21st centuries the rise of Global English has been facilitated by economic globalisation and very recent developments in communications technology

Learning English is now seen as being of economic benefit to individuals and national economies in every part of the world