David Crystal, a British expert, estimates that some 350 million people speak English as their first language. Maybe 250-350 million do or can use it as a second languiage; in ex-colonial countries, notably, or in English-majority ones like 30 million recent immigrants to the United States or Canada's 6 million francophone Quebeckers. And elsewhere? That is a heroic guess: 100 million to 1 billion is Mr. Crystal's, depending how you define "can." Let us be bold: In all, 20-25 percent of Earth's 6 billion people can use English; not the English of England, let alone of Dr. Johnson, but English.