Countries where English is a major language
English is the primary language in
Anguilla,
Antigua and Barbuda,
Australia, the
Bahamas,
Barbados,
Belize,
Bermuda, the
British Indian Ocean Territory, the
British Virgin Islands,
Canada, the
Cayman Islands,
Dominica, the
Falkland Islands,
Gibraltar,
Grenada,
Guam,
Guernsey,
Guyana,
Ireland , The
Isle of Man,
Jamaica,
Jersey,
Montserrat,
Nauru,
New Zealand,
Pitcairn Islands,
Saint Helena,
Saint Kitts and Nevis,
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,
Singapore,
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands,
Trinidad and Tobago,
the Turks and Caicos Islands, the
United Kingdom and the
United States.
In some countries where English is not the most spoken language, it is an official language; these countries include
Botswana,
Cameroon, the
Federated States of Micronesia,
Fiji,
Gambia,
Ghana,
India,
Kenya,
Kiribati,
Lesotho,
Liberia,
Madagascar,
Malta, the
Marshall Islands,
Mauritius,
Namibia,
Nigeria,
Pakistan,
Palau,
Papua New Guinea, the
Philippines (
Philippine English),
Rwanda,
Saint Lucia,
Samoa,
Seychelles,
Sierra Leone, the
Solomon Islands,
Sri Lanka, the
Sudan,
Swaziland,
Tanzania,
Uganda,
Zambia, and
Zimbabwe.
It is also one of the 11 official languages that are given equal status in South Africa (
South African English). English is also the official language in current
dependent territories of Australia (
Norfolk Island,
Christmas Island and
Cocos Island) and of the United States (
American Samoa,
Guam,
Northern Mariana Islands,
Puerto Rico, and the
US Virgin Islands),<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-58">
[59]</sup> and the former British colony of
Hong Kong. (See
List of countries where English is an official language for more details.)
English is not an official language in either the United States or the United Kingdom.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-59">
[60]</sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-60">
[61]</sup> Although the United States federal government has no official languages, English has been given official status by 30 of the 50 state governments.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-61">
[62]</sup> Although falling short of official status, English is also an important language in several former colonies and
protectorates of the United Kingdom, such as
Bahrain,
Bangladesh,
Brunei,
Cyprus,
Malaysia, and the
United Arab Emirates. English is not an official language of Israel, but is taken as a required second language at all schools and therefore widely spoken.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-62">
[63]</sup>
[edit] English as a global language
See also:
English in computing,
International English, and
World language
Because English is so widely spoken, it has often been referred to as a "
world language", the
lingua franca of the modern era,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Graddol_20-2">
[21]</sup> and while it is not an official language in most countries, it is currently the language most often taught as a
foreign language. Some linguists believe that it is no longer the exclusive cultural property of "native English speakers", but is rather a language that is absorbing aspects of cultures worldwide as it continues to grow.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Graddol_20-3">
[21]</sup> It is, by international treaty, the official language for aerial and maritime communications.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-63">
[64]</sup> English is an official language of the
United Nations and many other international organisations, including the
International Olympic Committee.
English is the language most often studied as a foreign language in the European Union, by 89% of schoolchildren, ahead of French at 32%, while the perception of the usefulness of foreign languages amongst Europeans is 68% in favour of English ahead of 25% for French.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-srv06_64-0">
[65]</sup> Among some non-English speaking EU countries, a large percentage of the adult population can converse in English — in particular: 85% in Sweden, 83% in Denmark, 79% in the Netherlands, 66% in Luxembourg and over 50% in Finland, Slovenia, Austria, Belgium, and Germany.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-65">
[66]</sup>
Books, magazines, and newspapers written in English are available in many countries around the world, and English is the most commonly used language in the sciences<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Graddol_20-4">
[21]</sup> with
Science Citation Index reporting as early as 1997 that 95% of its articles were written in English, even though only half of them came from authors in English-speaking countries.
This increasing use of the English language globally has had a large impact on many other languages, leading to
language shift and even
language death,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-66">
[67]</sup> and to claims of
linguistic imperialism.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-one_67-0">
[68]</sup> English itself is now open to
language shift as multiple
regional varieties feed back into the language as a whole.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-one_67-1">
[68]</sup> For this reason, the 'English language is forever evolving'.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-68">
[69]</sup>
and she has a aunt living there. I have came across an ex singaporean who seek refuge in the 70s and he is happily settle down in Sydney. My next question will bring out the trolls again but I still want to ask. 
