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Country name Language Dialects Note

American Samoa Official language 15,050 mainly second language speakers.

Anguilla Official language

Antigua and Barbuda Official language

Aruba Aruba English. Aruba English.


Australian Standard English,
Aboriginal English, Neo- Minor regional dialect differences. Neo-Nyungar is the community
Australia The de facto national language
Nyungar (Noonga, Noongar, dialect of the Nyungar people.
Noogar).
Bahamas, The Official language

Barbados National language


55,998 second language speakers in Belize (1991 census). Education,
Belize Official language
government, commerce.
Colloquial English may not be a creole but a regional variety of
Bermuda Official language Bermudan English.
uncreolized English.
International trade, the medium of western influences, language of
Botswana Official language Sekgoa instruction from fifth grade, written language, official purposes.
Taught from the beginning of primary school as a required subject.
The indigenous population no longer resides in the islands. Current
residents include members of the USA military, a small detachment
British Indian Ocean Territory Official language
of British officials, and support staff, mainly of Mauritian and
Philippine origin.
British Virgin Islands Official language
Government, education, and by the educated as L1 or second
Brunei National language
language.
Language of wider
Cambodia Replacing French as second language, especially in Phnom Penh.
communication.
Cameroon Official language

Canada Official language Newfoundland English.


Colloquial English seemingly borrowed creole features similar to
Jamaica and Central America without undergoing creolization (John
Cayman Islands National language Cayman Islands English.
Holm 1989:479–480). Structurally similar to a creole language. May
be similar to Belize Kriol [bzj]. Agriculturalists: cotton.
Cook Islands Official language

Dominica Official language Dominican English.


A community of descendants of ex-USA slaves settled in 1824. It is
reported that there was a settlement of African slaves here in the early
Dominican Republic English Samaná English.
1500s. There are features of creolization and archaic Black English.
Also use Spanish or Haitia.
Country name Language Dialects Note

Eritrea National language Language of higher education and many technical fields.
169,726 second language users. Language of higher education, many
Ethiopia Official language
technical fields, and international communication.
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) National language
Also used by many urban Chinese (4,652 in 1976), Rotuman,
occasionally by Indians, rarely by Fijians (P. Geraghty 1981).
Fiji Official language
Reportedly a Fijian Pidgin English. Main language of commerce,
education, government.
Gambia, The Official language
1,000,000 second language speakers in Ghana (Voegelin and
Ghana Official language
Voegelin 1977).
Yanito is spoken by most Gibraltarians among themselves. A variety
Gibraltar Official language Yanito. of English with a strong Spanish influence, with over 500 words
coming from Genoese (Ligurian) and Hebrew.
Grenada Official language Grenadian English. Post-creole English with French Creole influences (M. Alleyne).
Gustavia English (St. Barth
Guadeloupe English English with some creole influence. Also use French.
English).
Guam National language USA military and dependents.

Guyana National language Spoken as L1 by some Blacks and some Hindustanis.

Hong Kong Official language

Honduras English Bay Islands English. Some creole influence.


Neither British nor American English but a distinct Indian dialect
India The subsidiary official language Distinct Indian dialect with its own unique vocabulary and style. 11,021,610 second
language speakers
South Hiberno English, North
Ireland National language
Hiberno English.
Isle of Man Official language

Israel Auxiliary official language English most commonly used foreign language

Jamaica National language English patois

Jersey Official language


Taught in primary and secondary schools. GIDS 1. Official language
Kenya Official language in most transactions. All ages. Positive attitude. Mainly second
language speakers in Kenya.
Kiribati Official language
Used to some extent since American University of Beirut founding in
Language of wider
Lebanon 1866. Many English language publications. Not spoken on the street
communication.
or in Lebanese homes.
Lesotho Official language
Country name Language Dialects Note

Liberia Official language Liberian Standard English.

Madagascar Official language

Malawi Official language


Language of wider Taught in primary and secondary schools. Nearly all domains. All
Malaysia
communication. ages. Positive attitude.
Malta Official language

Marshall Islands Official language

Mauritius Official language Taught in secondary schools. Not widely known. Courts, road signs.

Micronesia, Federated States of Official language

Montserrat National language

Namibia Official language Not understood or spoken by everyone.

Nauru National language 7,254 including second language users (1979 Government figures).
Post-creole English is dialect
Netherlands Antilles Gaining importance.
used.
New Zealand Official language
second language speakers in Nigeria: 1,000,000 (Voegelin and
Nigeria Official language
Voegelin 1977). Used in government and education.
Niue National language 2,082 second language speakers in Niue.

Norfolk Island Official language

Northern Mariana Islands National language

Pakistan Official language Mainly second language speakers in Pakistan.

Palau Official language

Papua New Guinea Official language Taught in primary schools.


Language of wider communication. 52% of the population said they
Philippines Official language
could speak it as second language (1980 census).
Pitcairn Islands Official language

Puerto Rico National language 376,371 second language users (1970 census).
Mainly second language speakers in Rwanda. There may be more
Rwanda Official language
users of English than of French.
Saint Helena National language

Saint Kitts and Nevis National language


Saint Lucia Official language Saint Lucian English. An emerging English vernacular on Saint Lucia in a rural area is
significantly restructured, heavily French Creole [acf] influenced,
Country name Language Dialects Note

English lexicon (1998 P. Garrett).


Saint Pierre and Miquelon English

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines National language

Samoa Official language

Seychelles Official language Principal language of the schools.

Sierra Leone Official language Used in administration, law, education, commerce.


second language users (literate in English) are 71% of population
(2000 census). Ethnic groups which use English: Chinese 154,000,
Singapore Official language
68%; European and Eurasian 34,000, 15%; Indian 32,000, 14%;
Malay 6,000, 3%. Chinese varieties and Tamil also used at home.
Solomon Islands National language

Somalia Official language Mostly north.


The main means of communication in urban areas. Many second-
South Africa Official language generation people from India, Portugal, Germany, and Greece speak
English as L1.
Sudan Official language
Language of wider
Sri Lanka Used in government.
communication.
Swaziland Official language Taught in all government and private schools.
Taught in primary schools. Medium of instruction in secondary
schools and universities. second language speakers in Tanzania:
Tanzania Official language
1,500,000 (1977 Voegelin and Voegelin). Used by some Asian
residents as L1.
Tokelau National language Used in schools.

Tonga Official language

Trinidad and Tobago Official language

Turks and Caicos Islands Official language Shifting toward a variety of Standard Caribbean English.
Language of wider
Tuvalu
communication.
second language speakers: 1,000,000 in Uganda (Voegelin and
Uganda Official language
Voegelin 1977). Used in primary and secondary schools, law courts.
United Kingdom Official language
African American Vernacular
United States The de facto national language Many regional and social dialects.
English (AAVE).
British Virgin Islands Official language

Vanuatu Official language L1 speakers are from the United Kingdom.


Zambia Official language Taught in primary and secondary schools. Spoken as L1 mostly by
Country name Language Dialects Note

Europeans. A small minority of Zambian Africans speak it as a L1.


Used as second language. Language of Parliament. Home, education,
business. All ages. Positive attitude.
Spoken by most Europeans and an increasing number of Africans.
Zimbabwe Official language
Used in all or most education.

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