International Interfaces NOTES - International Interfaces Challenges of a New Market CGT 256 These numbers are growing The global Internet population

International Interfaces: Challenges of a New Market CGT 256 These numbers are growing: • The global Internet population grew by 4% in 11 major Internet markets during 2002, most notably in Spain, which registered a 22% increase to 17 million users. English as a World Language? •World-wide: 3x as many native Chinese speakers as native speakers of English •Those who use English on the Internet are second-language or foreign- language speakers •Approx. 80% of information on the Internet is in English •However, other languages are growing Language use in the U.S./Canada: Many of the people who access the Internet outside the English language live in the U.S./Canada (when they access it from home). Figures for Americans who spoke other languages at home besides English (2000 U.S. Census figures): Why is this important to know? Globalization: Interdependence of countries on a worldwide level through the increasing volume of cross-border transactions in goods and services and through the widespread diffusion of technology Culture