Regardless of when the language learning took place, one theme that has remained consistent is the use of language for power. This is seen throughout the Ancient Roman empire, when Ancient Latin was considered the dominant language and learning the language was seen as a way to integrate oneself into the broader society or to be considered an "intellectual" (Romig, 2023). This use of language for power has continued into the modern day. Tu writes that over fifty percent of the global population speaks one or more of twenty-three languages, despite there being over 7,000 languages currently in existence (2023). This practice of power can be seen through the forced learning of English at boarding schools, often by way of violent methods, from the United States government towards Native American people (Romig, 2023). Additionally, Davie (2024) notes that the establishment of the language teaching profession, particularly in the United States, originated with the large increase of migration to the U.S. in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

In modern day, many reasons are given on why someone is learning a language. Some people learn a language as a hobby, other learn a language as part of an immigration requirement, others learn a language to connect to their heritage and family history, some learn a language as a school requirement, others still learn a language because they have been displaced from their homes. This list of reasons is not exhaustive by any means, and the reasons for learning a language can impact how they choose to learn it or how they interact with the language and the people and culture of those who speak it. "The demands of empire and hegemonic power still come into play. Some learners have the luxury of forgetting all about the language they studied in secondary school; some have to use it every day" (Romig, 2023).