[originaltext]The Internet is regarded by many as the flagship of global Englis

The Internet is regarded by many as the flagship of global English. According to a recent survey, English is the medium for more than 80% of the information stored in the world’s computers. In many countries, computers have become extensively networked and the networks themselves linked into the global structure of the Internet. The electronic media, such as the Internet, that bind the world together need a common standard to insure speed and proficiency. So the English language becomes the operating standard for global communication. But is it true that the Internet will remain a major driver of the English language? At present, the language most widely used is English. But this only reflects the fact in the last century, i.e. 90% of the world’s computers connected to the Internet are based in English-speaking countries. I think in the 21 st century, the overall shift in Internet use will be similar to that outlined for the economy and the number of computer hosts in Asia will eventually outstrip those in English-speaking countries. Furthermore, the Internet, which used to be a tool for international communication between a global academic elite, has been increasingly serving local, cultural, commercial and educational purposes. And as the Internet becomes more and more widely used, it is natural to expect that a wider range of languages will be employed.
Nowadays, Internet users may have a choice of "language preference" information when they contact a website. If a page is available in that language, it can be retrieved in preference to one in English. This means, for example, that the Web will appear to be in Spanish to a Spanish speaker and in Chinese to a Chinese speaker, provided, of course, the hosts contacted maintain pages in these languages.