International English the sphere of influence of English-speaking countries. Here English may serve as a useful lingua franca between ethnic and language groups. Higher education, the legislature and judiciary, national commerce, and so on, may all be carried out predominantly in English. The "expanding circle" refers to those countries where English has no official role, but is nonetheless important for certain functions, e.g. international business and tourism. By the twenty-first century, non-native English speakers have come to outnumber native speakers by a factor of three, according to the British Council. Darius Degher, a professor at Malmö University in Sweden, uses the term
Italian comics Italian comics Italian comics are known in Italy as "fumetto" , plural form "fumetti" . The most popular Italian comics have been translated into many languages. The term "fumetto" (literally "little puff of smoke") refers to the distinctive word balloons that contain the dialog in comics (also called "nuvoletta" in Italian). The term "fumetti" is often used in English to refer to photo comics, regardless of origin or language. Italian "fumetto" has its roots in periodicals aimed at younger readers and in the satirical publications of the 19th century. These magazines published cartoons and illustrations for educational and propagandist purposes.