A funny thing about globalization is the way it is propelling the rise of new economic powers in the developing world even as it entrenches a language of the developed world.

English, if anything, is growing more prominent on the world business stage. Yes, the lands of Hindi and Mandarin Chinese are racing ahead economically. But with their expansion comes a greater need for executives and other employees in India and China to develop English-language skills so they can work with colleagues and partners across the globe.

Earlier this year, Newsweek pegged the English-learning industry in India as a $100 million-per-year business, and said there are more Chinese children studying English—about 100 million—than there are Britons. Newsweek said that within a decade, 2 billion people will be studying English and about half the world—some 3 billion people—will speak it. (The magazine was citing a report from the British Council, which works to increase international appreciation of the U.K.’s creative ideas and achievements.)

Another sign that English is waxing rather than waning is the success of an online language instruction firm, GlobalEnglish. The Brisbane, California-based company has seen its revenue grow more than 50 percent over the past two years, thanks to clients including Hewlett-Packard, Procter & Gamble and Unilever.

With an exclusive focus on teaching English, GlobalEnglish aims to provide a better alternative to the networks of classroom-based English-language academies scattered around the globe. Although critics say online learning can leave a lot to be desired when it comes to language instruction, GlobalEnglish officials respond by pointing to some intriguing features. These include the ability of users to hear a variety of accents and dialects, such as English as it is spoken in Massachusetts, South Korea and Poland.

“It’s not just focused on helping them understand the U.S. dialects,” says Danielle Busack Miguez, director of marketing at GlobalEnglish. The idea, she says, is to aid employees of multinationals as they work with counterparts who also are not native speakers of English.

Then there’s the option to log on to the system at any time and take part in “Talk With the Teacher” classes. These audio chats include an instructor and up to eight GlobalEnglish students from around the world.

As GlobalEnglish and its students suggest, English isn’t being left behind by globalization. It is leading the way.