English has developed into a language that can unite people from across the globe; communication in the same language has created global dialogue and growth. Most people would argue that having a common language creates unity and equality; however, often the opposite occurs. Instead, those who speak English as a first language are seen as a higher status, while those who learned English as a second language or speak it with an accent are of a lower status. David Crystal (1997) suggests that what makes a language global is not as much the sheer size of the global population that uses or adopts use of the language but has "much more to do with who those speakers are." It is important for teachers to be critical of how they present the English language and to build confidence in ELLs for them to know that their voice is just as important as the voice that speaks English as a first language.