Mandarin Chinese, not English, holds the title of the world's most spoken first language , with approximately 1.1 billion speakers compared to English's 400 million native speakers. Despite this, English is widely recognised as the world's second language due to its widespread use by non-native speakers. While there's no universally accepted definition of a 'second language speaker', the British linguistics professor David Crystal estimates that around 1.6 billion people speak English as a second language, representing almost a quarter of the world's population and growing. English is used in many different ways across the globe, creating plenty of opportunities but also bringing many challenges to individuals and countries.
Most people on the planet are bilingual or multilingual, meaning they speak more than one language. In this module you'll be introduced to five people from different parts of the world who use English as their second language. You'll find out how many languages they speak, how they integrate English into their daily lives and how it is linked to their sense of identity.
Here are seven maps representing different regions of the world: Europe, Africa, North America, South America, Asia, Middle East and Oceania. To find out more about the number of English speakers in specific countries within these regions, simply click on the (+) symbol. All the data presented here is derived from the second and third editions of The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of the English Language, written by David Crystal.
Legend: L1 speakers = native speakers L2 speakers = speakers of English as a Second Language * English has official status + English is used de facto as the primary language although it is not an official language (c) The number includes speakers of a pidgin/creole variety of English (as a second language)
2
Find at least 3 countries (from different regions) in which more than 40% of the total population are L2 speakers of English. Compare your list with with a classmate.
Were you surprised by your findings? Why?
3
The countries in the picture below show countries for which we have data from 2001 and 2017. Select four of these countries and compare the total population as well as the L2 speakers in both 2001 and 2017.
In various nations, a unique language known as Creole or Pidgin has emerged, spoken by a significant number of people. These languages are a fusion of English and one or more local languages. Countries where this phenomenon occurs are denoted with (c).
Your task is to identify at least one country from each of the following geographical regions where a creole or pidgin language is spoken:
North America
South America
Africa
Oceania.
Next, conduct an online search by entering the name of the country along with the term „Creole“ into a search engine. This will help you discover the specific name of the language and provide you with some examples.
5
Discuss
Why are different colours used in the maps? What could they mean?
The spread of the English language was one result of the British Empire's reckless colonial conquest around the globe.
The global expansion of the English language can be attributed to the historical influences of British and American imperialism. Even today, in numerous former colonies (or regions referred to as 'territories' by colonial powers starting in 1914), English continues to hold significant importance.
Braj Kachru, a Indian linguist, has created a model to show how English has spread around the world using three concentric circles. To understand this model and why some linguists want to change the name of the last circle, please navigate through the slides below.
