This paper looks at policies of linguistic expansion worldwide, in particular at English in the colonial and postcolonial periods. It addresses the issue of whether the expansion of English in continental Europe represents a threat or a blessing. It considers some of the ambiguities in English being promoted, particularly in connection with ESL expertise, as a language serving `international' purposes and simultaneously British and American interests. It considers the attitude of continental European scientists to needing to publish in English and implications for the ecology of languages in Europe.