It has been said that there are over 7,000 languages spoken in the world; but for the most part, we so find, that there is only one language that pretty much rules them all, and that is English. There are some significant things that make English, unusual, of which, the first is that there are actually more non-native English speakers than there are that are native born English speakers; which signifies that English, alone amongst every other major language known in the world, is universal in its importance and in its application, worldwide. Secondly, we find that especially in European countries, that those that go on to University, or desire or have a need to write scientific papers, or to be in a diplomatic employment position, or to rise up to a high business position, or desire to be an air traffic controller, are almost always required to be proficient in English or else they will not have the same status or opportunity in comparison to all those that do speak English. In other words, those that are proficient in English, and, in particular, in those foreign lands that are not native English- language based, are by their ability to successfully navigate and to use English proficiently, essentially set apart from all those others of the general population, that have only a rudimentary understanding of English, or are ignorant of such.
Before English became the most important language in the world, we had Latin; and though Latin still exists, it pretty much is not utilized today in any scientific papers so being written, or speeches so being spoken, and really the last dying breath of Latin as some sort of language of import, died, when the Catholic church, no longer required its priests to say mass in Latin. Before that all came about, though, Latin, in its day was most definitely the language of scholars, along with it often being also the language of the advisors to the Latin speaking rich and powerful, of which, these personages so represented the elites of that day. It has to be recognized, that when those that are of the highest power, whether that be secular or of the religious persuasion, or both, are able to communicate readily in a language in which the common people, do not typically understand such, then therefore those that are commoners are by their lack of knowledge of that language, are by default, branded as being of lower status, who will then find themselves hard pressed therefore to build up a coalition that will ever be able to successfully supplant those that are its rulers, or get a seat at the table, with such.
In today’s world, English is the Latin of its day, and those that are ambitious or are desirous of being perceived as having skills that can easily navigate across borders and nations, or through the internet, recognize that the language that they need to know is English, and of which, English will not soon be supplanted in its universal significance by any other language. This so signifies that for foreigners of just about any nation of note, those that do not comprehend English are going to almost invariably be those that are going to fall into the category of being the exploited; whereas, those that do speak English well, are while not necessarily being the exploiters, will certainly be in the pole position to achieve the type of material and credential success, which will often put them in a very satisfying place.