HOW ENGLISH BECAME THE OPERATING SYSTEM OF THE GLOBAL ECONOMY

This article moves beyond viewing English as a simple communication tool, analyzing it instead as a critical form of infrastructure—a de facto global standard that reduces friction, enables integration, and shapes competitive landscapes. We explore its multifaceted role in facilitating trade, structuring multinational operations, powering the digital marketplace, and defining professional pathways. The evidence suggests that fluency in English now functions as a key economic asset, determining how seamlessly countries, corporations, and individuals plug into the networks of global capitalism