David Graddol

He was perhaps best known for his 1997 book The Future of English?, published by the British Council, in which he offers scenarios for how English as a world language may develop. Most notably, he pointed out that native speakers of English were or would soon be outnumbered by those who speak English as a second or foreign language. In an article that focuses more specifically on this issue, he stated the following: Graddol's views about English as a world language are similar to, though not identical with, those held by his linguist colleague David Crystal. ==Career==

Graddol graduated from the University of York with a BA in Language and Linguistics in 1975, also in Sociology in 1983. He earned his PhD from the Stockholm University. ==Personal life==

He married Margaret Keeton and they had triplet daughters. ==References==

• Graddol, David (1997). The Future of English? A guide to forecasting the popularity of the English language in the 21st century. London: British Council. Available for free from the website of the British Council. • Graddol, David (1999). The decline of the native speaker. In Graddol, David/Meinhof, Ulrike (eds). English in a Changing World. AILA Review 13, 57–68. • Graddol, David (2006). English Next. London: British Council. Available for free from the website of the British Council.