We live in a globalized world where people speak multiple languages. We cannot learn all the languages. So, which is the universal language to communicate fearlessly around the world? It is the English language. People usually migrate to other countries to pursue higher education or get high job opportunities. Do you want to migrate to one of the European countries and are afraid of linguistic diversity? Worry not. Out of the total 7.8 million population of the world, 1.35 billion people speak English. When we talk about Europe, approximately 450 million people speak the English language. English is a liberating force.
Therefore, it helps English speakers to be competitive in the job market, get higher education overseas, and help to build networking in the digital world. If for some reason, you are not able to communicate in English then, you can take the assistance of any professional translation company. They will make your stay in English-speaking countries in Europe comfortable and successful.
Before getting into the details of these countries, let’s have a look at the history of this amazing language.
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History Of the English Language
English is a West Germanic language. It is from the group of Indo-European languages which is closely related to German, Frisian, and Dutch languages such as Flemish and Belgium. It originated in England and is one of the dominant languages of the world. This is why people called it lingua Franca.
As English belongs to the Indo-European family of languages, it is related to many other languages that people speak in Europe. Proto-Indo-European was the parent tongue of English. Nomads spoke it for 5,000 years when they roamed the southeast plains of Europe. The Germanic group originated from the ancient languages and is divided into three regional groups. Even though how many people speak English in Europe has always been a great question. There are comparisons made with other European languages. English is much more popular among the people who like to learn new languages.
North group consists of languages like Faroese, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, and Icelandic. The West group contains languages like English, Frisian, Dutch, and German whereas the East group consists of languages like Vandal, Gothic, and Burgundian.
German is a conservative language however it is related to English because it has a system of inflections. On the other hand, the Frisian language that people speak in the Dutch province and the islands off the west coast of Schleswig is closely related to modern English.
Icelandic is the other language that has changed over the thousand years. It is one of the existing languages that are mutually intelligible with old English in grammatical structure.
Proto-Indo-European languages are inflected and synthetic whereas modern English is analytic. The English language has taken many loanwords over the time of thousands of years from inflected languages like Greek, Latin, Sanskrit, Vietnamese, and Chinese.
Which European Countries Speak English?
English is an Indo-European language itself, as we all know. Also, it has great ties with Europe. There are great European poets and writers who have contributed to the English language immensely. William Shakespeare is one such example. Leo Tolstoy a multiple times Nobel prize winner came from Russia. Sophocles, one of the greatest Greek tragedians made a great contribution to the English language with his work translated into English. These contributions speak for the significance and importance that this language has enjoyed immensely in the European continent. The list of European countries that speak English is quite long and has been mentioned below.
English Speaking Countries In Europe
The list of English speaking European countries is quite long. English is the dominant language of the world. It can open doors to great opportunities for you. Let us have a look at English-speaking countries in Europe.
1. UK
The English language is the official language of the UK. The interesting thing about the English of the UK is that people of different areas speak English in different dialects. People living in Yorkshire speak a different dialect from the people of Surrey.
People recognize each other from the accents and the words they speak. Cockney, Scouse, and Geordie are the main dialects spoken in Tyneside, Liverpool, and London.
2. Cyprus
As the official language of Cyprus, English holds great importance in this country. The people of Cyprus speak English with great proficiency. According to a report from Eurobarometer, 73% of the people can speak English.
You can witness street signs, public notices, and advertisements in English all over Cyprus. English was the official language of Cyprus during colonial British rule. Moreover, till 1960 it was the lingua franca of the country.
3. Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a small beautiful territory that is located on the Southern tip of Spain. Did you know, that the majority of Gibraltar speaks the English language? It is its official language. Therefore, all governmental, educational, and administrative tasks are done in the English language.
Gibraltar is a tourist spot because of its beautiful weather. Therefore, if you know English then you can visit Gibraltar without any communication barrier. For English speakers, it is the best place to visit.
4. Malta
English is a co-official language of Malta. 90% of the population of Malta speaks the English language. British colonialism has impacted the use of English in Malta. All governmental and educational activities are operated in the English language.
In all the schools, English is taught as a compulsory subject. The people of Malta speak English which is greatly influenced by the Italian language. Around 61% of the population of Malta prefers reading and writing in English.
5. Norway
Norway is one of the Scandinavian countries. All Norwegians can speak English up to a basic level or at a high proficiency level. If you have to go to Norway for some reason then you will not face any problems in communication.
According to one survey, Norway is the fourth-best country in the world in terms of the English proficiency of the general population. So they taught English to children from their childhood. Therefore, they become proficient in English when they reach adulthood.
6. Sweden
Do you know that 90% of the Swedish population speaks English fluently? Therefore, you will not face problems in conversing with people in Stockholm or Gothenburg. According to the Eurobarometer, the number of people who can speak English is 86% of the population and it is increasing exponentially.
Sweden is ranked high on English proficiency around the world among the Scandinavian countries. Moreover, people under the age of 60 can speak English well.
7. Denmark
The people of Denmark speak English widely. The entire population of Denmark speaks it fluently with a high proficiency rate. English is taught to children from an early age so they are exposed to English culture and language. Therefore, they become competent in English with their age.
According to the Danish Ministry of Higher Education, the students who want to apply for admission to MSc programs have to provide documentation of English language proficiency from a Danish upper-secondary school.
8. Finland
Finland is a Scandinavian country with a unique culture and introverted people. People of Finland speak English widely however it is not much prevalent in Finland as compared to other Scandinavian countries. According to three-quarters of Finn’s report, a large number of people speak English fluently as compared to the countries outside the Scandinavian countries.
If you get a chance to visit Finland then you will not come across any problems in a conversation with people under the age of 60. Thus, don’t worry about learning Finnish.
9. Netherland
The population of the Netherlands is 16.8 million. Out of this whooping population, 15.3 million people which is 91% of the population speak the English language. If you get a chance to visit the Netherlands then you will be amazed to see that each Dutch speaks the English language. However, people who don’t speak English live in the countryside.
They are not educated and are poor. The main reason for high English proficiency in the Netherlands is the small country size. Moreover, Dutch proximity to the English language is also one of the reasons.
10. German
If you want to migrate to Germany then, you have to learn German. But if you are still in the process of learning the German language then what to do? Worry not. You can speak the English language. English is one of the foreign languages that the people of Germany speak. Germany is an important English speaking Europe country.
As Germany is known as a country of immigrants and immigrants, people from around the world came to reside there. Moreover, they bring with them their culture and dialect.
Thus, in Germany, people speak English with different dialects. It is estimated that 56% of the German population speaks the English language. This percentage is high compared to other European countries.
11. Belgium
English is not the official language of Belgium however people speak it widely. They speak three official languages: Flemish, Dutch, and French. Along with these languages, 38-55% of the Belgium population speak English as a second language.
The people of Belgium give great importance to English in higher education. English proficiency in Belgium is 61.5. Therefore it is one of the top English-speaking countries in Europe.
12. Poland
The people of Poland speak English moderately. It is estimated that only one-third of Poles speak English to some extent. However, in large cities and at destination spots, you will find many people speaking English.
According to one of the statistics, 37% of Poles speak English as their second language. They teach English in schools and Poles have to select two extra languages in secondary school. Therefore, many people opt for English.
13. Austria
The Population of Austria is around 8.4 million. Out of this whopping population, 6.2 million people speak English. This is a large chunk of people. These people live in urban areas and the tourist spots of the country. They teach English in schools all over the country. Therefore, people learn it easily because it is mutually intelligible with German languages.
14. Luxembourg
Luxembourg is a landlocked country like Austria. The people of Luxembourg speak three official languages: French, German, and Luxembourgish. Moreover, Other English-speaking countries in Europe have influenced them so half of the adult population in Luxembourg is proficient in English.
Wrapping Up
Are you planning to visit European countries? If you are planning to visit a European country with less English proficiency. Don’t worry. CCJK is here for you. We have a team of native translators. They provide you with impeccable English translation services at a fast turnaround time and economical rates. For further details, Contact us.
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