What is language? A language is a way of communicating, whether it be through the verbal or written form. Language serves 5 main purposes, 1. a means of conveying information, 2. used to maintain social relationships, 3. a marker of groups, 4. an instrument of action, 5. an instrument of cognitive development. English language really started with the arrival of the Anglo-Saxon invaders which consisted of three German tribes during the Fifth century AD in England. These tribes, the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes, crossed the North Sea from what today is Denmark and northern Germany. At the time the inhabitants spoke a Celtic language. Nowadays English is the most widely spoken language in the world, with approximately over 750 million people speaking it as a second language, and around 350 million people have it as their native language. English is now considered the universal language of the world.
History of English in 10 minutes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rexKqvgPVuA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rexKqvgPVuA