The world's language system is undergoing rapid change because of demographic trends, new technology, and international communication. These changes will affect both written and spoken communication. English may not be the dominant language of the future, and the need to be multilingual will be enhanced. Although many languages are going extinct, new ones are emerging in cities and extended social groups. We are living through an extraordinary moment of linguistic history. The world's language system, having evolved over centuries, has reached a point of crisis and is now rapidly restructuring. We will experience some decades of rapid, and perhaps disorienting change, after which a new linguistic world order will emerge. Precise predictions may be difficult, but the general shape of things to come is clear.
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