English is ours!

Whether we like it or not, English is the current language of international communication. But the phenomenon is not to be blindly taken as natural, neutral, or beneficial. Actually, in several parts of the globe, English is accused of having been promoted at the expense of local languages. For sure, this is to be combatted. When a language dies out, the world wakes up outrageously poorer. Statistics shows that for each native speaker of English we already count on four non-natives. For sure numbers matter, and the good thing about this process is that as we are not parroting but re-shaping the world language, new 'Englishes' are emerging, and through several variants, they are putting on the map many historically neglected and ignored sociocultural contexts. To reach the status of an international language, English became de-nationalized, and those who speak it, no matter their color or country of origin, are also its legitimate owners, just like the so-called native speakers. So, if you are learning English for any plausible purpose, remember this language is to be taken as yours. Use it, add your personal flavor to it, color it with the colors of your culture. Accept and foster diversity, struggle for linguistic democracy. After all, English is ours! Don't forget that!