Bingo lingo!

For everyone who gathered in MesopotamiaA historical region of the Middle East, mostly centred on modern-day Iraq, Kuwait and parts of Syria and Turkey. The name "Mesopotamia" in Greek means "between rivers" because of the Tigris and Euphrates that run through it. - the whole population of the ancient world - building a city was easy. Because they all spoke the same language, they made quick progress, and started on a tower designed to reach heaven.

But God decided that they were getting above themselves and made them all speak different languages. So the building came to a halt.

This is the biblical tale of the Tower of Babel and how the world's languages were born. But today people are coming together to speak one language: English.

Its rise is amazing. In 1600 it was spoken by around 4 million people. Today 400 million speak it as a first language and 1.6 billion as a second.

Around the world, English is seen as the key to doing well. In almost every country, people who speak it are better paid than people who do not. An English-speaker in Iraq can earn 200% more than a non-English speaker.

In Korea, learning it has been called a "national religion".¹ In China, there are lessons in stadiums for thousands of people.

In an article for The Guardian, Jacob Mikanowski praises English as a language "with a word for almost everything". But he worries that it leads to other languages being used less, and parents not passing on their native language to their children.

At present there are some 6,000 languages in the world. But around 26 vanish each year as the last speakers die out.

Experts warn that up to 90% of the rest could become extinct over the next century. The rise of English will probably be a key factor.

Some see this as a type of imperialismThe practice of growing a country's power through colonisation or force. . For others, though, English today represents liberation.

In countries which used to be French colonies, people often prefer speaking English to speaking French. In South Africa, where Afrikaans was the language of apartheid, people also prefer English.

Yes: It is wonderful that everyone can communicate with each other and exchange ideas, no matter where they come from. It means that there is a greater chance of achieving global harmony than ever before.

No: The languages people speak are vital to their sense of identity and it is tragic that so many are being swallowed up by English. Some have ways of saying things which will be lost for ever.

Or... There are great advantages to speaking more than one language. It helps you to think and see the world in a different way, and according to Rosemary Salone "leads to greater creativity and innovation."