by Keisha Centa Putri
Have you ever wondered why English is the international language? Why not Indonesian, German, or Korean? It turns out there are reasons behind it. There are various reasons why English has become “the world’s default language”, such as its long history of power, trade, and global culture.
An interesting fact that few people realize is that British colonialism, which ruled over many territories from the 17th century to the early 20th century, played a crucial early role in disseminating the language globally. Although not used frequently in everyday life, English was often used in trade and education. This led to the spread of English to various regions, where it began to be used both professionally and in everyday life.
It did not stop with British colonialism, the role of the United States also had a major impact on the use of English globally after World War II. Many of the countries that held political power at the time fell into decline, but not the United States. Because of this, other countries built international relations with the United States and English was used as the dominant lingua franca.
The United States’ global dominance following World War II, combined with British colonialism, fueled the widespread use of English. An example of it is user manuals for technology and consumer goods. This indirectly forced many people to understand and learn English in order to use these goods, making English a “must” common language to master. With that influence, many people come to master the language. As it is considered easy to understand compared to other languages that may have different and niche phonetics, not to mention different alphabets, English has become an international language.
The expansion of English has also been strengthened by international organizations such as the United Nations, which use English as their international language of communication. In global conferences, official documents, reports, and international diplomacy, English serves as a bridge to ensure smooth communication and facilitate the exchange of information internationally.
Ultimately, the use of English as an international language is neither a coincidence nor magic. British colonial expansion, American dominance, and its use in professional and everyday life have made this language widespread and commonly used by a large audience.
Source:
- EF. (2021, March 3). 4 alasan mengapa bahasa Inggris menjadi bahasa internasional. EF. https://www.ef.co.id/englishfirst/adults/blog/gaya-hidup/alasan-bahasa-inggris-menjadi-bahasa-internasional/
- Universitas Nasional Karangturi. (n.d.). Bahasa Inggris jadi bahasa internasional, ini alasan sejarah dan globalisasinya. Universitas Nasional Karangturi. https://unkartur.ac.id/blog/2025/08/06/bahasa-inggris-jadi-bahasa-internasional-ini-alasan-sejarah-dan-globalisasinya/
- Sampoerna Academy. (2024, January 21). 5 alasan kenapa bahasa Inggris menjadi bahasa internasional. Sampoerna Academy. https://www.sampoernaacademy.sch.id/id/news/5-alasan-kenapa-bahasa-inggris-menjadi-bahasa-internasional
