| English as a First or Official Language | | | | If you though only Spanish is spoken "south of the |
| Often, when I teach or speak before of group of | | | | border", you'd be wrong. These countries use English |
| English language teachers, I like to ask the question, | | | | as a first or official language.o Guyanao Belizeo |
| "How many countries are there which have English as | | | | Curacao |
| a FIRST or OFFICIAL language?" A few minutes then | | | | In Asia |
| pass as I wait for the group to "sweat it out". | | | | Another great polyglot melting pot of the world with |
| By the way, how many of these countries can YOU | | | | hundreds upon hundreds of languages dotting the |
| name? | | | | nations that comprise the majority of the earth's |
| Then, mercifully, I offer a response after taking an | | | | population, English is claimed as an official or first |
| assortment of guesses ranging from half a dozen or | | | | language in these locations:o Singaporeo Hong Kongo |
| so to fifteen or fifty. The following countries each have | | | | Indiao Philippineso Malaysia |
| English either as an official or first language. | | | | In Africa |
| In North America | | | | With more than a thousand languages covering the |
| The North American continent, home to only three | | | | African continent, it seems nearly impossible to have |
| countries, has two of them with English as a first or | | | | any language emerge as a dominant one. English has |
| official language.o United Stateso Canada (for the | | | | however, broken through as a "Lingua Franca" in |
| record, French is also an official language in Canada) | | | | several populous nations across the continent. Here |
| In Europe | | | | are some to date:o Sierra Leoneo Liberiao Ghanao |
| In Europe, one of the world's great melting pots, | | | | Zimbabweo South Africao Seychelleso Nigeriao |
| several countries claim English as a first or official | | | | Kenya |
| language.o Irelando Scotlando England | | | | In the South Pacific |
| In the West Indies | | | | Itself a continent, Australia heads up a short though |
| In the West Indies or Caribbean, formerly a virtual | | | | impressive list of English-speaking countries in the |
| hotbed of colonization, several island nations have a | | | | South Pacific. G'day, mate!o Australiao Falkland |
| form of spoken English.o St. Luciao Cayman Islandso | | | | Islandso New Zealando Samoa |
| St. Vincento Grenadineso Bahamaso Bermudao | | | | Why Learn English? |
| Grenadao St. Nevis / St. Kittso Jamaicao Trinidad | | | | So when your English as a foreign language learners |
| & Tobagoo Barbadoso U.S. Virgin Islandso British | | | | ask, "Why should I learn English?" you'll have some |
| Virgin Islands | | | | new ammunition with which to respond to them as an |
| In Central & South America | | | | English language teaching professional. |