I assume it’s largely due to stuff such as their stinking rich economy before WW1, first language being english, population size, propaganda etc. but I’ve never seen a succinct explanation as to how the country basically became the absolute cultural giants they are today.
You basically cannot escape the USA and their influence everywhere you go, and in a sense they have overtaken us over here in the UK in terms of cultural relevance. Why isn’t this the case for other English speaking countries such as Australia and Canada?
Edit: Using the term ‘In a sense’ has riled up quite a few people. Yes, the USA is definitely far more culturally relevant than the UK nowadays.
Second Edit: Thank you all for your replies! I’ve learned quite a lot tonight 🙂
In: Other
One other thing that hasn’t really been touched on is software development and technology, and its influence on why the English language has become a secondary language in many parts of the world.
Coding languages are based off a written alphabetical and spelling syntax, so all the words that makes up coding commands need to be based off a written real language. A lot of coding and programming development through the 20th century came from the US, so naturally it’s in English. Other countries looking to use the technology needed to be able to understand the code, so it’s either ask the Americans nicely to translate it for them (lol, lmao even), or learn the language.
It’s not as major as the other causes discussed in the thread, especially both World Wars, but it’s at least interlinked with those.
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