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English is becoming the foreign language of choice throughout the world reports Education Week (April 12, 2006; www.edweek.org):

* In Pusan, South Korea…in the afternoons, many children go from school to English lessons provided by private companies or tutors.... Soon several new English-immersion villages, some sponsored by the government, will open for intensive and extended instruction for middle school students.

* English is hot in Asia, experts say, as China, Japan, Korea, and Thailand promote the language as an essential skill for improving their nation’s competitiveness in the global economy.

* The language is also becoming a greater priority for nations in Africa, the Middle East, South America, and Europe as leaders work to shore up prospects for international commerce and diplomacy.

But this trend is not without its critics who point to “its strong historical connection to imperialism, and the monolingualism to which English-only countries cling to at the risk of losing their share of the world marketplace.”

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