The English can be under no illusion that the language of the same

name is exclusively theirs. The small matters of other nations in the 【M1】__________

British Isles, and of the superpowers across the Atlantic, makes clear 【M2】__________

that it is joint property. But these countries—along with Canada,

Australia and other Anglophone peoples—must at some point come to

terms with the fact that, even collectively, its language no longer 【M3】__________

belongs to them. Of the estimated one billion people speak English, less 【M4】__________

than half live in those core English-speaking countries.

Every day, the proportion of English-speakers born outside the

traditional Anglosphere grew. Perhaps 40% of people in the European 【M5】__________

Union speak English, or about 180 million—vast more than the 【M6】__________

combined population of Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

In India, calculations range from 60 million to 200 million. Most such

estimates make it the second-biggest Anglophone country in the world.

English-speakers pride themselves in the spread of the language, 【M7】__________

and often contribute that to an open, liberal-minded attitude whereby it 【M8】__________

has happily soaked up words from around the world. In the coming

century, though, English will do more than to borrow words. In these 【M9】__________

non-Anglophone countries, it is becoming not just a useful second

language, but a native one. Already it is easy to find children in

northern Europe who speak as though they come from Kansas, the

production of childhoods immersed in subtitled films and television in 【M10】_________

English, along with music, gaming and YouTube.

【M2】