Just 8 countries speak English as their first language (including the UK and the US), and 28 countries speak English as a second language.
Countries with the highest % of English speakers:
Ireland 98%
United Kingdom 93%
Netherlands 89%
Norway 83%
United States 77%
Australia 74%
Israel 72%
Canada 56%
Switzerland 54%
Vietnam 54%
Germany 54%
Greece 53%
37 countries have populations with less than 50% English speakers, and 10 countries (including China, Cuba, and Morocco) do not include English in their top three spoken languages.
The 5 most popular languages spoken:
Spanish (and variations)
English
Arabic (and variations)
Portuguese
German
Why should you learn another language?
Firstly, learning any new skill can be fun, exciting and give you a boost of motivation and energy. Languages are an especially important skill to have, however, as they can come in handy in many practical situations.
If you are planning to travel at any point in the future, having a second language under your belt will make your visit much simpler and more fun. Being able to greet and thank people in their native language tends to earn you much friendlier service and also removes the risk of mistakes and miscommunication.
Adding a second language to your CV will immediately give you a head start in many professions, especially if they are client facing or working with the public. Being able to handle conversations and transactions in multiple languages can really open new doors for you.
It’s also a fantastic way to make friends! Joining group language classes can be an excellent way to meet new people who share your interests. Telling people that you’re learning a new language sparks great conversations about fun catch phrases and greetings. Offer to teach people some of the most useful phrases that you have learnt and see how much fun you can have!
How do you start learning?
Luckily, we live in a world filled with various ways to learn new languages. Firstly, decide whether you would like to learn from a tutor, or teach yourself.
If you want to join a class or find a tutor, check your local area for private lessons. It’s likely that whatever language you are looking to learn will have a class nearby that you can attend.
For more serious endeavors, you can take a free Open University language course with Open Learn.
Teaching yourself is also a good way to start off, especially if you’re unsure about signing up for a class straight away. There are plenty of free and paid at-home courses that you can choose - the easiest is the Duolingo app.
You can sign up for a free trial to test if it works for you, and you have the option to pay for a more in-depth subscription.
The Rosetta Stone app is also a fantastic way to teach yourself a language, with help from experts. This is only available as a paid subscription, but can be a much cheaper option depending on the courses available in your area.
