A Journey through language and diversity in the English-speaking community: from its origins to the Colombian case.

This article is meant to be a journey through the English community and its diversity, depicted by a variety of people, accents and dialects existing in several native Englishspeaking countries. It is a brief but meaningful historical background, which starts from the Anglo-Saxon invasion of the British Isles, in the fifth century of our era, and it continues until the spread of English as an international language. A fairly relevant part is also dedicated to the first dispersal of 'Englishes', people who migrated from the south-east of England mostly to North America and Australia, giving birth to new and meaningful linguistic varieties. The impact of English on higher education will be extensively analysed and discussed; this includes the brand-new role of twentiethcentury English teachers, as well as the history of English in Colombia and its influence in culture, education and language policies, from its origins to its current handling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]