<P> This is a list of lingua francas . A lingua franca (English plural "lingua francas", although the pseudo-Latin form "linguae francae" is also seen) is a language systematically used to make communication possible between people not sharing a first language, in particular when it is a third language, distinct from both speakers' first languages . </P> <P> Examples of lingua francas are numerous, and exist on every continent . The most obvious modern example is English, which is the current dominant lingua franca of international diplomacy, business, science, technology and aviation, but many other languages serve, or have served at different historical periods, as lingua francas in particular regions, or in special contexts . </P> <P> During apartheid, the South African government aimed to establish Afrikaans as the primary lingua franca in South Africa and South African - controlled South - West Africa (now Namibia), although English was also in common use . Since the end of apartheid, English has been widely adopted as the sole lingua franca . Many institutions that had names in English and Afrikaans have since dropped the Afrikaans names . Notable cases are South African Airways and the South African Broadcasting Corporation . </P>

English is now the lingua franca of global business