Internationalization and globalization have created a global music education community which is not only linked by similar ideas, but also shares a common language. English functions as a global language and facilitates the international discourse in music education. While it is good to have a common language supporting international dialogue, it also has its clear downsides, e. g., in terms of the dominance of Anglo-American terminology and related music education concepts. In order to overcome this hegemony of Anglo-American music education, it is crucial to develop sensitivity towards the diversity of music education and research traditions and the challenges and opportunities of English as a global language in international music education. By using approaches from sociolinguistics and English for academic purposes, this paper argues for linguistic and cultural diversity in international music education research. [This paper was presented at the 9th International Symposium on the Sociology of Music Education (2015).]