English - world language in many forms
The English language: an introduction
English is a world language and lingua franca par excellence. It has achieved a critical mass in terms of being the most important business language and an essential means of communication around the globe. It is a true melting pot of inputs from both romance and germanic languages with a great deal of
French vocabulary, largely a
German grammar structure together with influences from
Greek,
Arabic and
Dutch as well as many other languages.
Will English always remain as one language? As languages have a habit of doing, it is already developing in different directions in different parts of the world. US English has many different elements of vocabulary and spelling to UK English. 'Pidgin' versions of English are virtually unintelligible to speakers of the more traditional branches. For sure, different versions need to be adopted even now to target the US versus the UK via search marketing.
How many speakers are there of the English language?
Around 375 million people speak English as a mother tongue - but speakers of English as a second language are virtually impossible to count. It can only be said that there are speakers in every corner of the globe.
What English language issues do I need to watch out for?
The major issues are vocabulary and spelling differences between the major English-speaking countries - the US, UK and Australasia.
Which major search engines are important to English speakers?
Which paid search engines target the English-speaking world?
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Google Adwords
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Yahoo Search Marketing
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Microsoft AdCenter
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Mirago
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MIVA
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