English is the first language for over half of the world’s population. In fact, it is one of the top three languages that are spoken by more than 5% of the world’s population. The most common dialect of English is British, followed by American and Australian English.
Other Countries that Speak English
The English language has approximately 400 million native speakers worldwide, making it the second-most widely spoken language on Earth. 800 million more people speak one of the numerous contact languages based on English, in particular French and Spanish (both 530m) as well as over 130 other tongues, most notably Chinese and Arabic with almost 1 billion speakers each who show remarkable levels of proficiency in their native or learned forms (about 500million fluent speakers between them).
Because there is so much diversity among English-speaking countries around the world, we provide a list of the most prominent English-speaking countries for both learning about and traveling to.
A Brief History of English
Like other European languages, English began as the trade language of people from what is now France and Germany. It was initially used to facilitate communication between groups who spoke different dialects (the locals clearly couldn’t understand anything they were saying). However, by 1200 AD Arabic had established itself around the world through trading routes so French and German speakers decided it would be more efficient to speak in their own tongues rather than confusion themselves trying to make sense of each others’ gibberish.
Foreign Countries Where Everyone Speaks English
English is the official language of the United States, with over 400 million native speakers and nearly as many who speak English “less”. Practically speaking, however (unlike in Spain where people don’t actually master any Spanish because they think it’s a “bad” language) most Americans were raised on two languages; almost 90% can also converse in French or German and a few thousand fluent Arabic speakers may have been born here .
The United States
English is the official language of 1 billion people worldwide. 70% are native speakers, many more speak English “less” and over a million have it as their primary language (Approximately 10-12%). It has been spoken since before any permanent European settlement in America with settlers from England spreading to other colonies.
Canada
Officially English And French But Increasingly Official Interchange Between The Two Languages Cited As A Major Trend For Canada At Present. There are approximately two million native English (and just under 150,000 of each other) and more than three hundred thousand speakers of both languages in Canada.
South Korea
The majority speak some form of Korean but the numbers that score well on their language abilities at least pass intermediate proficiency level is estimated to be around 60%. At the upper end of this range however is a native speaker which equates to nearly 30m speakers, but it is considered uncommon.
India
English Has About One Million Speakers According To The 2011 census and about 14 million fluently speaking English in any form according to some estimates, making for nearly a quarter of South Asia’s language population, but depending on how that number breaks down you either have over 100 m native speakers or over 320m such people who are proficient in the language.
The Federal Republic of Germany (incl West Berlin)
Most Germans speak German – at least theoretically, although a fair number also know good English; and many others can converse but not write it fluently. There is no official ‘official’ language for this country though often one wishes there would be because secondly, nothing much has come from that most awful of political cases – the partition of Germany.
List of countries and territories where English is an official language
The following is a list of countries and territories where English is an official language of government (Europe). The list above does not include the names or title of the head (or heads) nor their places in that order: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba Canada for example like many other countries have more than one official variant. Following different countries have come under state administration over time with varying and extensive degrees of British influence depending on which sides won those struggles.
The following is a list of countries and territories where English is an official language, though not necessarily the only one (1). Countries in bold type are ones that prefer this form over other languages.
Five foreign countries where everyone speaks English (English speaker):
1. Anguilla
2. Antigua and Barbuda
3. Australia
4. Canada
5. West Indies
Countries where you should learn the language
1. United States of America (USA)
2. New Zealand (Great Britain)
This language is taught up to an adult’s level in the public schools and it makes for a more coherent rather than grating culture continuity since its early colonization by Scotland, England, etc.
3- Liberia
This country was essentially founded as an African nation that completely broke away from what we all presumed to be American influence disguised in different ways.It has about 80% of its population hailing from different countries, each sharing certain linguistic traits with others. The capital Monrovia happens to be the 2nd largest city in Africa after Lagos (Nigeria) and is full of expatriates hailing from all over the world but mainly Jamaicans who are now helping out their fellow Africans by teaching them English as a foreign language.
4. Nigeria
English Speaking Countries 2021
1. England (current state)
2. Wales (probably soon – heavily influenced by the Welsh language and cultural practices, but strongly seeking independence )
3. Northern Ireland: There is a movement for English to be its official language, although it will face resistance from separatists. Sporadic violence has been reported toward people who either speak English or are perceived as being supporters of Ulster’s union with Britain; this may be due to unfair rivalry between sections of the British community in Northern Ireland and Ulster-Scots.
4. Scotland: This may increase significantly, as a notable trend was for English-speaking countries such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, etc.. have their educational systems revamp themselves into teaching mainly English only rather than children being bilingual simultaneously from an early age. There have been problems with this occurring over recent decades, however; there are several of these ( for example New Zealand).
5. US: It is estimated that 50% of the population speak English as a first language, with 20 – 30 million second-language speakers (with some understanding), and 15 % having it as their native tongue. Many European countries also have significant shares aside from these roughly total populations in foreign states who converse mostly in English due to more being employed there.
In conclusion, English is the most widely spoken language in the world, and English-speaking countries have increased their populations due to globalization. However, it is likely that the majority of people will continue to speak English in these countries as they become more prosperous.