"...this process..." (line 6) refers to:...

A

"Looking at the past..." (line 1).

B

"...understanding the future." (line 2).

C

"...how English came to be in the state it is..." (lines 3-4).

D

"...how English came to be (...) spoken by those who speak it." (lines 3-5).

E

"...the spread of English?" (line 5).