On March 15 we will be launching a new Demos pamphlet As You Like It.  We will be joined for the launch by David Graddol, author of English Next and an expert on Global English, and Simon Anholt, country branding expert and member of the Public Diplomacy Board.

English has come to reflect the changing powers of globalisation.  It has become a global language, and this represents a huge shift in the UK’s relationship to the rest of the world.  As You Like It argues that where the UK once directed the spread of English, we are now just one of many shareholders in the asset that it represents.  As a result, the UK can no longer guarantee returns from the world’s use of our native tongue, and we need to address many of the more outdated opinions that we have of English.

Up to about 1.3 billion people speak and use English in the world today. It is recognised as being the language of innovation, of international relations and of influence.  It is also central to Britain’s political and economic future.  However, non-native English speakers outnumber native speakers by 3 to 1 and, as English is used around the world, so it is changing and new forms are emerging.

The UK needs a policy response that understands this changing context.  As You Like It sets forth the considerations that must shape this.

If you would like to attend, please send us an email at englishlanguage@demos.co.uk.