Causality Chain · Audit Detail

English as Global Lingua Franca

lingua_franca_internet_english · order-4 · AP HuG subtopic 3.6 · status rated

Composite 11.67 / confidence high

Grade A: 3 sources, source_quality_avg=4.67, corroboration=2, claim_strength=3, geo_specific=0, counter_evidence_handled=yes.

The historical event

English as Global Lingua Franca · 1983 · Global

TCP/IP standardization 1983 + WWW 1989 + offshoring 1990s consolidated English as default global business + science language. Phillipson called this 'linguistic imperialism'.

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Causal trigger + effect

Trigger

Card(s): — (threshold-only)

Conditions: —

Threshold: {'global_plays_geq': {'containerization': 2, 'outsourcing_wave': 2}}

Effect

Type: auto_play_card

Payload: {'card_id': 'lingua_franca', 'subtype': 'english'}

Target: all_players

Delay turns: 1

Methodology subscores

Dimension	Score
Source quality (avg)	4.67
Corroboration (independent sources)	2
Causal-claim strength	3
Counter-evidence handling	1
Geographic specificity	0
Temporal scope	1

Primary sources (3)

Crystal, D., 'English as a Global Language', 2nd ed., Cambridge UP 2003

Type: peer_reviewed · Year: 2003 · Geography: Global

Definitive linguistic-geography text on English ascendancy; mapped 1.5B+ speaker population.

Phillipson, R., 'Linguistic Imperialism', Oxford UP 1992

Type: peer_reviewed · Year: 1992 · Geography: Global (UK/US empires)

Critical perspective on English-spread mechanisms; framed as imperial residue.

Graddol, D., 'The Future of English?' British Council Report 1997

Type: gov_dataset · Year: 1997 · Geography: Global

British Council quantitative projection of English use; primary policy document.

Counter-evidence (1)

Mandarin Chinese is expanding faster than English in absolute speakers; Spanish/Arabic also growing

Source: Graddol 1997 · Weight: moderate

Audit metadata

Audit ID: 2255303a8d6d435bbd1fffb6de48db18

Audit date: 2026-05-14T05:54:33.923010+00:00

Protocol version: v1.0

Rater: claude_sprint2_auto

Corroborating independent count: 2

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