[Cronos]

English is the world’s language because it’s the language of the most powerful nation and because we created the internet. Will it remain? Possibly, but remember that our American English is a much simplified form of British English, and it’s getting simpler still, with reduction in tenses, superfluous letters etc.

[Pharmboy]

Perhaps I should have waited a few years to respond in keeping with the character of this thread, but, although the Internet catalyzed English adoption further, English has been the world language before the Internet due to it's (essentially) global use in science, entertainment and business.