Which continents speak English? Language barrier: where in Europe they speak English

Hello friends. English is considered an official language in 67 different countries and 27 non-sovereign entities. In addition, it is one of the main languages of business communication, as well as the official language of a number of the world's most important organizations, including the UN, NATO and the European Union.

Why are you learning English? For work, education, travel... It all comes down to communication, right? People who speak English feel confident not only at home, but also abroad. Especially in those countries where English is used not by tourists, but by the local population. Moreover, the English-speaking countries of the world have much in common not only in the language of communication, but also in culture as a whole.

At the same time, English-speaking countries often have a second or even a third official language. Tourists don’t need to know it, but imagine how much it will expand the boundaries of perception! After all, this is why we go on trips. Therefore, let's find out which countries use English as the main language, and what the Anglosphere is.

Major English-speaking countries

English is perhaps most often associated with the United States and Great Britain, the two largest English-speaking countries. The US is thought to have around 230 million native speakers, making it the largest English-speaking country, while the UK has around 60 million native speakers.

Despite having two official languages, Canada has the third largest English-speaking population, with around 20 million native speakers, followed by Australia with around 17 million.

Other notable countries in the world where English is the main language include Ireland, South Africa and New Zealand. Together, these three countries are home to approximately 13 million people whose first language is English.

Let's remember which countries are officially English-speaking, that is, English remains the main state language for them:

India (pop. 1,129,866,154)
USA (population 300,007,997)
Pakistan (pop. 162,419,946)
Nigeria (pop. 128,771,988)
Philippines (pop. 87,857,473)
United Kingdom (population 60,441,457)
South Africa (pop. 44,344,136)
Tanzania (pop. 38,860,170)
Sudan (pop. 36,992,490)
Kenya (pop. 33,829,590)
Canada (population 32,300,000)
Uganda (pop. 27,269,482)
Ghana (pop. 25,199,609)
Australia (pop. 23,130,931)
Cameroon (pop. 16,380,005)
Zimbabwe (pop. 12,746,990)
Sierra Leone (pop. 6,017,643)
Papua New Guinea (population 5,545,268)
Singapore (pop. 4,425,720)
Ireland (pop. 4,130,700)
New Zealand (pop. 4,108,561)
Jamaica (pop. 2,731,832)
Fiji (pop. 893,354)
Seychelles (pop. 81,188)
Marshall Islands (pop. 59,071).

This list does not contain the names of all, but the largest and/or most interesting for travelers countries in which English is the official language. However, be careful when using the term “official language.” Because each state, despite belonging to the imaginary “Anglosphere,” manages things in its own way. For example, the vast majority of Australians speak English, including government agencies that use it for work, but Australia simply does not have an official language.

But India, Ireland, New Zealand, Canada and the Philippines, which have large and multinational populations, consider English the official language, but not the only one - other official languages are used along with it.

Other countries where English is spoken

The map of the Anglosphere is motley and diverse. It is impossible to unite all English-speaking countries with common bridges and/or roads; they are too scattered around the world. But you can trace the spread of the English language around the planet. It originated in Great Britain, and its policies in the 18th and 19th centuries contributed to the spread of the English language throughout the world. Many of the countries where English is the official language are former British colonies. And even today, not all of them have become sovereign states. Here are the non-sovereign English-speaking countries of the world:

Hong Kong (pop. 6,898,686)
Puerto Rico (pop. 3,912,054)
Guam (pop. 108,708)
US Virgin Islands (pop. 108,708)
Jersey (pop. 88,200)
Bermuda (pop. 65,365)
Cayman Islands (pop. 44,270)
Gibraltar (pop. 27,884)
British Virgin Islands (pop. 22,643)
Falkland Islands (pop. 2,969)

These territories, and even the British Indian Ocean Territory with its population of 2,800 people, are not sovereign states. Their residents speak mainly English. Simply put, English-speaking people are called Anglophones (from the Greek “anglos” - English and “phonos” - sound). This collective term conventionally unites the entire English-speaking population of the Earth. And this, for a moment, is 510 million people.

Moreover, only 380 million have English as their native language, and another 130 million speak English fluently, but it is a second language for them, that is, they have learned it. Studying English in courses and/or on our own, we strive to join them, right? :)

Information for the curious

Most English words begin with the letter "S".
English is the official language in world aviation. On international flights and airports, pilots conduct all negotiations with air traffic controllers in English.
According to British Council data, approximately one billion people around the world are learning English.
About 90% of all electronic information in the world is stored in English.
The words that appear most often in English are “the” and “be”.
The most common English adjective is "Good".
The first English dictionary dates back to 1755.
The word “happy” is used 3 times more often than its antonym “sad”, so English can be called one of the most positive and optimistic languages.
An interesting word is “Queueing”, meaning to stand in line - the only word in English containing 5 vowels that follow each other.

Countries and nationalities in English

How many English-speaking countries are there currently on Earth? Find out in this article!

Countries where English is spoken.

Hello friends! Indeed, when you come to completely different countries located in opposite directions of the world, you hear English spoken everywhere. English has become an international means of communication; everyone, young and old, is trying to learn it; its knowledge has come to be considered the standard of a literate, competent person. However, English is not considered the most widely spoken language in the world. It is in 2nd place and inferior to the Chinese language, or rather its dialect “Mandarin”. But we can still say with confidence that the victorious march of the English language across the planet is marching at a solemn pace and is not yet going to get tired or stop.

English-speaking countries in the world.

It all started with those countries that later began to be called English-speaking. This is the name given to a country where English is recognized as the official state language. There are more than 80 of them in the world. Surprisingly, these countries cover the entire geography of the globe. Where are the countries where English is spoken?

They are in Asia. The largest English-speaking countries there are India, Pakistan, the Philippines and others.
In Africa. These are Tanzania, Nigeria, Sudan, Kenya and many other countries.
In Europe. English-speaking Malta, Jersey, etc. are located here.
In America. English is spoken in Jamaica, Grenada, Barbados and other countries.
In Oceania. Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands and others are considered English-speaking.

This is, of course, a very short list. But did you notice the peculiarity? An observant person who knows and loves history will immediately understand what is going on. Most of the countries listed are former colonies of Great Britain and the United Kingdom. After all, starting from the 18th century, England tried to develop its influence on all the conquered countries. And this influence was not only economic or military, but also cultural and scientific.

Despite the fact that in most countries English is considered the official language, only a small number of people know and speak it compared to the entire population of the country. Typically, these are people who live in large cities and have received a fairly good education or are associated with the tourism business.

And yet, English is rightfully considered the most common language. This is due, first of all, to the fact that it is considered the most taught in the world. Every day it is taught by a huge number of people, and not only in English-speaking countries. English is a true leader among other languages in the world of big politics and business. It has become a means of international communication on the Internet, and it is in this language that most of the world's information is stored.

In modern world knowledge of English becomes an urgent need. Today you can hardly meet at least one person on earth who does not know a single word of English. Without exaggeration, we can say that the entire modern world speaks English. However, only a few countries can be called English-speaking. Among them, of course, are Great Britain, the USA, Canada (with the exception of the French province of Quebec), New Zealand, Australia, and Ireland. At the same time, in many countries English is an official language, along with others, such as in India, the Philippines, Nigeria, and several other countries.

As we have said more than once, the best way to learn a foreign language is the method of immersion in the language environment. And here it should be noted that the language environment is not just a place where English is spoken. This is history, traditions, customs, culture, and, of course, the sights of these countries. When you come to any English-speaking country to study the language, won’t you spend all your time poring over grammar and vocabulary? Surely, you will want to wander around the city, appreciate the beauty of the architecture, wander through the parks, visit theaters, shops, shopping centers and test your knowledge in practice.

It is precisely in order to help you with this that we are opening a section - English-speaking countries. We will tell you about all the attractions of these countries, where it is better to go to learn English, which places to visit first and more.

And we will start, of course, with the good old one - the ancestor of the English language.

So, for your attention English-speaking countries:

One of the major obstacles to moving to the country is the language barrier. One way or another, you will have to speak the local language and interact with the population.

However, at first, in most countries of the world, knowledge of English comes to the rescue. Selfmadetrip presents to your attention the Education First English Proficiency Index, which named the countries where this language is spoken as a native language.

Main conclusions

More than 750 thousand adults from 63 countries took part in the testing. Based on the results of the 2014 rating, the following conclusions were made:

All over the world, the level of English proficiency among adults is increasing, but this statement does not apply to all countries and peoples;
women master the language better than men, which directly affects their work activity;
Europe leads in terms of English mastery;
in most cases, countries in Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa demonstrate low levels of English proficiency;
Among Asian countries, the level of language acquisition is extremely heterogeneous: in some places it is very high, and in others there is complete stagnation;
there is a clear relationship between the degree of English mastery and quality of life, income level, business involvement, and Internet use and duration of schooling.

In general, European countries lead the overall ranking in terms of language proficiency index:

Denmark - 69.30
Netherlands - 68, 98
Sweden - 67, 80
Finland - 64.39
Norway - 64.32
Poland -64.26
Austria - 63.21
Estonia - 61.39
Belgium - 61.20
Germany - 60.88

Russia

Our country ranks 36th in the world and 22nd among European countries. Russians demonstrate a fairly low level of language proficiency: 50.43. At the same time, in federal cities it is much higher. Women's English proficiency is higher than that of men, and English proficiency among young people aged 18 to 24 is comparable to the global average. Information on indexing of all regions of the Russian Federation can be obtained. Thus, residents of Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk and Vladivostok demonstrate the highest level.

English language and business

An increasing number of companies conduct their business in English. Those who resist this become uncompetitive. Companies such as Nokia, Rakuten, Renault and Samsung have made English their corporate language. There are several reasons why you should follow their example:

successful promotion in the global market;
minimizing losses due to misunderstandings;
increasing company profits.

English language and quality of life

In many developing countries, knowing English is seen as a luxury. It is taught at the proper level only in private schools and universities. This is largely because language proficiency plays a central role in future employment and professional success. Given the growing importance of English in the world, in 15 years, knowledge of English will be considered a mandatory requirement for job seekers. At the moment, the countries that are leading in the overall ranking of 2014 are also leading in the Human Development Index and the Economic Prosperity Index.