Then, it will reorganize into a butterfly and the metamorphosis is complete. In the chrysalis, the caterpillar will liquefy into a soup of living cells. After a few weeks, the caterpillar enters the next stage of its life, the chrysalis stage. As it grows, it sheds it outer skin, or exoskeleton. As a larva, or caterpillar, the future butterfly eats as much as possible. The first stage is the egg stage followed by the larva stage. There are more than seventeen thousand different kinds of butterflies! Butterflies come in all shapes and sizes.īutterflies go through four main stages of life. English is one of six official languages of the United Nations.īutterflies are some of the most interesting insects on the planet Earth. As a result over a billion people speak English at least at a basic level.
On an average school day approximately one billion people are learning English in one form or another.Ī working knowledge of English is required in certain fields, professions, and occupations. Following World War II, the growing economic and cultural influence of the United States has significantly accelerated the spread of the language. The influence of the British Empire is the primary reason for the initial spread of the language far beyond the British Isles. English is the dominant international language in communications, science, business, aviation, entertainment, radio and diplomacy. Modern English is sometimes described as the global lingua franca. It is used extensively as a second language and as an official language throughout the world, especially in Commonwealth countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and South Africa, and in many international organisations. English is a West Germanic language originating in England, and the first language for most people in Australia, Canada, the Commonwealth Caribbean, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States of America (also commonly known as the Anglosphere).