Are your kids at school wondering why English is spoken everywhere? And do you assume that they know the reason(s) why? Think again. Colonialism as a concept seems to be absent from primary education, which is problematic in itself. But learning a bit of history is the key to understanding the many varieties of English, its status as an official language in no less than 56 countries, and the cultural consequences of colonialism. I am never hesitant to speak about history in my classes: social sciences, languages, even science cannot be taught without the historical background. The look of wonder on the faces of some of my pupils originally from South Asia when they understood, for example, why cricket is so popular in their country of origin or why most people in Pakistan and India seem to speak English, was very rewarding. Here is a simple, yet effective method to teach pupils about the rise of English as a global language. Competence aims : explore and use pronuncia...