Part of it is surely America's dominant cultural and economic position in the past few decades but I don't think that alone is likely enough to explain it. Japan has made major cultural exports in terms of electronics, anime, gaming and sushi but few people adopted Japanese. China has huge industrial and economic influence globally but the Chinese language doesn't spread, even where they are exerting their influence (except perhaps in close geographical regions). The US' influence likely gave English the edge over French, which was the global diplomatic lingua franca, but I think English was already poised for that sort of position due to the expanse and influence of the British Empire. That led to English being used in multiple countries and, through the Commonwealth, as a diplomatic language. Before WWII, America was quite isolationist.
"If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind."
~John Stuart Mill~
Part of it is surely America's dominant cultural and economic position in the past few decades but I don't think that alone is likely enough to explain it. Japan has made major cultural exports in terms of electronics, anime, gaming and sushi but few people adopted Japanese. China has huge industrial and economic influence globally but the Chinese language doesn't spread, even where they are exerting their influence (except perhaps in close geographical regions). The US' influence likely gave English the edge over French, which was the global diplomatic lingua franca, but I think English was already poised for that sort of position due to the expanse and influence of the British Empire. That led to English being used in multiple countries and, through the Commonwealth, as a diplomatic language. Before WWII, America was quite isolationist.
"If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind."
~John Stuart Mill~