Question

English is the leading language on the Internet ___________. A. because English characters are the only language on computer keyboards. B. but a decreasing share of Internet users speak English. C. because the United Nations agreed in 1998 that all websites would be in English. D. and is growing in its share of users.

Answer 1

Answer:

The correct answer is B. but a decreasing share of Internet users speak English.

Explanation:

According to a 2009 UNESCO report, in 1998 75% of all websites were in English, while by 2005 it was only 45%. Similarly, by 2011, the number of English websites grew 281% over a 10-year period, but this growth was dwarfed by the one experienced by other languages such as Spanish (743%) or Chinese (1,277%). The predominance of English on the early days of the internet can be attributed by the impulse given to it in the United States, which is the first country where the internet became widespread. However, as internet use became more common worldwide, English speakers have increasingly become a smaller share of the total number of internet users. By 2019, English-speaking users represented only around 25% of all users, followed by Chinese speakers (19%) and Spanish speakers (8%).