This article examines the role English now plays in international communication and examines a number of implications of this development for the teachers of English to non-English speaking students. In particular, it critiques the teaching of English in the context of our increasingly globalised world. For many scholars, globalisation is the defining idea of our times, and the spread of English as a "world language" is a significant aspect of this phenomenon. Although our focus is on the implications of teaching English as a global "lingua franca," we begin with a brief review of some events that have given rise to the "globalisation" of our world. The purpose of this review is to emphasise the contingent nature of English as a global language. Next, it explores the relationship between language, identity, and power. Specifically, it discusses the way in which language is a manifestation of power within a given "collective identity" and among peoples who have differing identities. Building upon this discussion, it concludes with a focus on the teaching of English as a "code of power," and the ways this approach can help students not only learn the grammar, vocabulary, and syntax of a language, but more importantly, understand the ways teaching of English as a foreign language can become more meaningful and beneficial for our planet and the people who share it.