I know English isn't the most widely spoken language, but it is ubiquitous. How did it manage to become the language of international communication?
Through British imperialism. Beginning with British colonialism in the 16th century, and especially after the 'New Imperialism' of the 1870s+ Britain established the largest empire the world has ever known. English was imposed through Britain being also the largest economy/trader and it's common law forming the basis of many others. The continuity of English's hegemony was enforced by the replacement as the world's power, of the USA, which also spoke English. Added to this is the large cultural, music, and film contributions to the western world which means English has a permanency that is reproduced culturally.
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