Can the Friday khutbah be in English?

Why the language question comes up

The khutbah is the short sermon before the two rakat of Jumu'ah. Its whole purpose is to remind and teach. The Prophet ﷺ spoke so that people felt it: when he gave a sermon his eyes became red and his voice rose (Sahih Muslim 867). A sermon nobody understands can't do that, which is why many converts ask about English.

What the schools say

• Hanafi: Abu Hanifa held that a khutbah in another language is valid, even for an imam who speaks Arabic. His students allowed it when the imam can't speak Arabic.
• Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali: the pillars should be in Arabic: praising Allah, salawat on the Prophet ﷺ, advice to fear Allah, a verse of the Quran, and a dua. Many scholars in these schools still allow the explanation and reminders in the local language.

That's why a typical Western khutbah sounds like a mix: Arabic phrases at the start, the end and between the two parts, with the teaching itself in English. Some mosques give the whole khutbah in Arabic and then hand out a translation or give a talk in English before the adhan. All of these are valid approaches followed by sincere scholars.

If you don't understand Arabic

Your Jumu'ah counts either way. You don't need to understand the Arabic for your prayer to be valid, just as you can pray before you learn Arabic. See Do I need to learn Arabic before I become Muslim? Still sit quietly and listen. Don't use the time to scroll. See Can I use my phone during the Friday sermon? If you have a choice of mosques and the sermon helps your faith more in English, it's fine to go there.

Your own dua doesn't need Arabic either. See Can I make dua in English?

A note on length

The Sunnah is a short sermon and a longer prayer. The Prophet ﷺ said that a long prayer and a short sermon are a sign of a man's understanding (Sahih Muslim 869).