A book for the student, the teacher and the general reader. The English language is today's most important language for international communication, a language that fascinates and affects people all over the world. This book takes the reader on a remarkable language trip in time and space, offering insights into the origins, development, global spread, geographical varieties and the future of the English language. On the way, the book covers key topics such as the English wordstock, communicative competence and language variation.