English spread globally through British colonial expansion between the 17th and 19th centuries, establishing it throughout the British Empire. In the 20th century, the rise of the United States as an economic and political world power accelerated the spread of English through American dominance in international organizations, films, science, and its role as a second language in many countries. English provides opportunities as a neutral tool for understanding but may also displace other languages and limit opportunities for those who do not speak it.