Today, English is not just a prerequisite for obtaining a prestigious job or education abroad. In terms of its prevalence, this language takes only 2nd place, giving way to the Mandarin Chinese dialect. In total, about 430 million people speak English all over the globe. But, in addition to the UK, this language is official for several more countries.
Why do Australia speak English?
But in the eastern hemisphere , English- speaking countries include not only European states. To understand why this happened, you need to learn something from the history of Oz. Australia was discovered by seafarer Willem Janszon in 1606. The land to which his ship docked, a native of the Netherlands, called "New Holland".
Immediately they were declared possession of the Netherlands. By the beginning of the second half of the 17th century. as a result of the discoveries of many sailors, the contours of the new continent were already quite clearly drawn. However, Australia was never mastered either by the Dutch or by representatives of other peoples. That was until the moment when the ship of James Cook moored to its shores for the first time. He bore the proud name “Endeavor”, which in translation means “attempt, zeal”. The first British colony in Australia began on January 26, 1788.
How many languages were in Australia before?
The first settlers on the Australian coast were exiled convicts. The language they spoke was a dialect of English. It was filled with various jargon, which had its origin in England, Scotland and Ireland. However, many of these words have not become part of official English.
Those who are interested in which countries speak English are unlikely to suspect what kind of competition in Australia he was represented by other dialects. It is believed that during the landing of the first convicts in Australia, there were about 250 languages and 600 dialects. In the first century, about 80 new words came into English from here. Some of them belonged to the Aboriginal language, for example, boomerang (boomerang), Dingo (wild dingo dog), Koala (koala).
But Australia has not acquired the status of a country with official English. Australia does not have an official language, but Australian English is the most common . This dialect is called "straight." The written rules of the English language in Australia correspond to those adopted in its British version.
English in Canada
In which countries do they speak English besides Australia? Another country that has always attracted foreigners as a place to learn English is Canada. Not so long ago, the expression "Canadian English" appeared. Initially, North America was inhabited by Aborigines - Eskimos and Indians. In 1622, when the English colony was first founded here, English was delivered for the first time.
In the early 17th century, the English language is becoming increasingly widespread. In Canada, there are more colonies and trading companies. The oldest of them - Hudson`s Bay Company - exists to this day. Its main office is located in the city of Toronto, and it was founded back in 1670.
Why is Canadian English the easiest to learn?
Canadian English combines the features of both British and American versions. Many people are interested in which countries they speak English to attend specialized linguistic courses. In Canada, it is believed that English is least affected by other languages. Many linguistic experts believe that it is in Canada that learning English is the easiest. After all, the local version of English is most easily perceived by foreigners by ear. Canadian pronunciation is very different from American, and especially from South American. Indeed, in American pronunciation, the endings of words are “swallowed”, the speech is filled with hypertrophic sounds “r” and “a”, which makes it very difficult to understand the person you are talking to.
Languages of india
For those who are interested in which countries speak English, the list goes on to India. This is the second country in terms of population, and on its territory there are 845 languages and dialects. Hindi and English are recognized as state languages. English came to India as a result of the colonization of land by the British conquerors. India was an English colony for almost 200 years - until 1947.
Why did English become official in India?
After gaining independence, it was decided to include English in the school curriculum. This was necessary so that there were no communication problems between individual regions and states. In commercial educational institutions, English is not just one of the disciplines - many other subjects are taught in it.
Many people wonder in which countries they speak English for the purpose of moving or just traveling. Therefore, for those who would like to visit India, knowledge of Hindi will be optional. But at the same time, it will be an advantage - after all, not everyone here knows English perfectly. Indians do not expect guests from their country that they will communicate with them in any particular language - be it Hindi, English, or one of the dialects. In this they differ, for example, from the French, who expect from their interlocutors communication only in French.
Other countries where English is the official language
In addition to those listed, which countries speak English? The list, except Australia, India and Canada, includes many other countries. These are the Bahamas, Botswana, The Gambia, India, New Zealand, Singapore, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Cameroon, the Philippines, the Republic of South Africa and many others. Despite the prevalence of English, researchers do not believe that it can supplant native languages in these countries. The Philippines can serve as an example of the countries in which English is spoken, and the national language does not lose its position. For a hundred years, English has never been able to supplant the native Philippine language here, despite the widespread teaching and emigration of local residents.