At the end of the 16th century, there were approximately between 5 and 7 million people who spoke English in the world. 350 years later, there were more than 50 time million. Meanwhile there were another 100 million learning English as a foreign language. At the beginning of the 21st century, there are more than 300 million people who speak English as their first language. There are between 400 million – 1 billion people who use English as a second language.
Most science and entertainment nowadays is written or communicated in English, including in non-English speaking countries. In Finland, for example, the number of dissertation written in English increases from 7.1% (1930-1949) to 95% in 1990-1997. In Indonesia, all the abstraction of thesis and dissertation must be written in English.
In 1981, 85% articles of biology, chemistry and physics were written in English 69% articles in Mathematics were written in English, 73% of articles in medical were written in English. 86,5% of one billion documents in website in 1999 were written in English.
Everybody, willingly or not, must accept that English has become the main lingua franca language in the world. It evolved from very small communities, Angles and Saxons, in the 5th century to a global area of speaking.
http://wagetanton.blogspot.com.es/2011/07/how-did-english-become-lingua-franca.html
