Do native English-speakers enjoy an unfair advantage in the European Union, which seems to be switching to English at an ever-faster pace? Although there will always be those who will so argue (“Linguistic Follies,” July 21, 2007), the other side of the coin must not be neglected. It is much more important, too. For instance, does not the entire Union enjoy considerable advantage from a lingua franca, regardless of its source? Besides, there are some fine distinctions between early- and latecomers to the English language. Take most of the inhabitants of the British Isles. They may enjoy some advantage from the written language, but most of them can take little advantage from the spoken one. To wit, few people around the world can understand their spoken English. Many of the English-speakers are not far from illiterate, either. All in all, it is likely that the emerging lingua franca benefits many more than the English-speakers within the Union, not to speak about the rest of the world. And this is something your article fails to point out in plain English.