How English Became the Global Language

by David Northrup

In this book, the first written about the globalization of the English language by a professional historian, the exploration of English's global ascendancy receives its proper historical due. This brief, accessible volume breaks new ground in its organization, emphasis on causation, and conclusions.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Language

218 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

David Northrup is serious about world travel and world history. So far, his rambles have taken him to 49 US states and as many foreign countries. Early studies and research in France were followed by teaching and research in rural Nigeria. The latter experience led him to earn a doctorate in African history from UCLA. While teaching African and world history at Tuskegee Institute and Boston College, he published important books and articles in African, Atlantic, and world history. He also served as president of the World History Assn. Since retirement from teaching in 2012, he had published two books, How English Became the Global Language and a third edition of Africa’s Discovery of Europe, 1450-1850. Two early books that had gone out of print, Indentured Labor in the Age of Imperialism and Beyond the Bend in the River, are now available for free in electronic formats.

Reviews

[Francisco · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a Venezuelan studying a Master's degree in global history in China, in Chinese, and I read this book as part of the bibliography of an essay that I wrote. I never write reviews, in fact, this is the first one that I write. The reason that I'm writing now, is that I was surprised to see the low score this book has been given by many.

As a global history student, whose native language is not English and who is living in China at the other side of the globe of "home", I thought this was an extraordinary book written in the scale of global history, well-written and very well-researched.

Quoting the author: “explaining how English became the first global language is an exercise in world history, not just because it includes most parts of the world but even more because the story of the English language’s spread intersects with so many other themes of world history.”

Anyone interested in understanding the spread of English from a historical perspective should read this book.