English is the lingua franca of Europeans as two thirds speak the language which has squeezed out all its rivals

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2436051/English-lingua-franca-Europeans-thirds-speak-language-squeezed-rivals.html

"Two thirds of Europeans have at least working knowledge of English."

This article by Steve Doughty reports the finding of a 2014 EU report - that the English language is now the unrivaled common tongue of Europe, being the most widely learned and understood foreign language in all but five countries - and continues to grow.

Also found was the fact that French is not considered the preferred second language in any country across Europe - notable as French was once the primary language of Diplomacy across the continent and the globe.

The growth of English across Europe is cited as being chiefly responsible for the lack of interest in foreign languages in the British education system.

(Future English) Johnson: Simpler and more foreign

http://www.economist.com/blogs/prospero/2014/07/future-english

"...about two-thirds of English-speakers are not first-language speakers of English."

"Contrary to educated people’s stereotypes, the tiny languages spoken by “stone-age” or isolated tribes tend to be the world’s most complicated, while big ones are less so..."

This article discusses the changes to English that might be seen as it continues its reign as the world's 'global language'. Mentioned is the tendency for 'bigger languages', languages with more speakers, to be relatively simple compared to smaller languages. For example,  modern Mandarin is considered to be a relatively simpler language than other modern Chinese langauges. It is stated that over time, especially as a language becomes more commonly used, certain unnecessary and/or complicated bits of grammar are lost. 

Based on the above trend, it is predicted that English's 'tense-aspect system' will undergo simplification as it is an aspect of the language that many learners find difficult, and an aspect which is not necessarily crucial for understanding. It is also predicted that English will continue to diverge, creating a number of new dialects, adding to the already great number of English pidgins and creoles which can be observed across the globe.

The article concludes with the statement that although the use of English in the future will continue to stray from what is considered 'correct', the language is not undergoing a declination, but a natural evolution. The author believes that worrying about the 'declining state of the language' is foolish, as English would not continue to spread across the world if it were not sufficiently descriptive and expressive. 

Is Texting Killing the English Language?

http://ideas.time.com/2013/04/25/is-texting-killing-the-english-language/

"Texting properly isn’t writing at all — it’s actually more akin to spoken language."

"The argument that texting is “poor writing” is analogous, then, to one that the Rolling Stones is “bad music” because it doesn’t use violas. Texting is developing its own kind of grammar and conventions."

In this short essay, John McWhorter dismisses the notion that texting is killing the English language with a 'lol'. He writes that texting should not be likened to traditional written language with its formality and deliberateness, but with spoken language - rapid, subconscious, and with its own set of conventions.

He believes that texting is a natural evolution of language - a form of communication produced much like traditional writing, but possessing far more features of spoken language - facilitated by new technology that allows for rapid input of a message and instant transmission.

I agree with McWhorter's views on this topic. 

David Crystal - Will English Always Be the Global Language?

"To ask about the future of language is to ask about the future of society."

In this short lecture David Crystal discusses the concept of 'Global English'. He lists the main factors
that led to the rise of English as a global language: the strength of the British Empire, American
Imperialism, the Industrial Revolution and global trade.

Crystal believes that the future of English as a global language is stable in the short-term, so long as the world's most powerful nations continue to speak English, but he is hesitant to make any predictions past the short-term, stating that a number of scenarios could take place which would knock English off its throne.

Crystal goes on to speak briefly about 'accomodation', the process by which speakers adjust their accent to according to the speech style of the other participant. He talks about the way his own speech would change depending on where he found himself.

David Crystal - The Effect of New Technologies on English.

In this lecture David Crystal discusses the influences 'new technologies' have had on the English language. He explains why he believes new technology such as the internet and text messaging do not pose a threat to the English language, citing inventions such as the newspaper and the telephone which were harmless.

He believes that in the roughly twenty years the internet has been around, the English language has not significantly changed apart from the introduction of a few abbreviations such as 'lol'. He mentions that abbreviations only make up 10% of the average text message as per studies he and his colleagues have run.
He does, however, state that the internet may have a greater influence on English and other languages in the future.

Overall, he dismisses the notion that new technology will destroy the English language, calling the idea "rubbish",

I agree with David Crytal.