Where do we see evidence of linguistic imperialism in the Anglophone world?

Nowadays, we can clearly see that linguistic imperialism is widespread in the Anglophone world.  The two major forces which spread English throughout the world are British colonialism from the 17th to the 19th and American capitalism in the 20th century. In his book, Linguistic Imperialism (1992), Phillipson describes the spread of English as 'a post-colonial endeavor of core English-speaking countries to maintain dominance over periphery (in many cases developing) countries.' From history, we can see that the dominance of English is asserted and maintained by establishing continuously, 'structural and cultural inequalities between English and other languages.' 

Well-known scholar, Max Weinreich said "A language is a dialect with an army and navy". This is true;, a language has traditionally become and international language for one main reason: the power of its people-especially their political and military power. It can be seen throughout history. It takes military power to establish it but it takes economic power to maintain and expand it. English could operate on a global scale with the introduction of new technology. This helped foster English into mass entertainment, international marketing and advertising, and even pop culture.

Why do we learn English? Individuals want access to scientific and technological information, international organizations, global economic trade and higher education. English makes this all possible. English provides linguistic power.Many countries now see English as key to their economic survival. It has an ideological function of modernity and efficiency. Even among parents, there's been pragmatic realizations that their children's lack in English could mean a marginalization of their children. It would deny them access to extensive resources. The growth of English into a 'lingua franca' certainly increases efficiency as an international medium for communication.

However, despite the advantages of such a universal language, there are damaging impacts on individuals and the community. We associate English with power which makes other languages seem 'unrefined' or 'primitive' in comparison. People who write up their research or scientists who write their reports in languages other than English, will have their worked ignored by the international community. English is now seen as a skill that educated and cultured people must have. This can be seen in many of the education systems we establish today. For example, there is now a standard English Language Testing System. Many students have to take the IELTS or TOEFL to gain acceptance into university or work in a country. Without these qualifications, it is rather difficult to maintain a stable economic lifestyle. 

If you go further, you have to ask yourself, will the emergence of a global language hasten the disappearance of minority languages and cause widespread language death? Well, statistics show that at least 50% of the world's 6,000 or so living languages will die out withing the next century. When a language dies, so much is lost. It is similar to the conservation of the species and the environment. 

Language is a tool of knowledge, it's how we communicate ideas. We see the history and the culture people. We see their identity. Language is a chief means of showing where we belong, and of distinguishing one social group from another. All over the world, we continuously see evidence of linguistic divergence rather than convergence.  

However, in recent times, the rising dominance of English has actually stimulated a stronger response in support of local languages. Movements for language rights have played an immense role in many countries like the Maori in New Zealand or the Aboriginal languages in Australia. This is because of people's need for identity and language provides this.