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Schriftverkehr rund um die Welt
Writing around the world

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We have taken a look at writing conventions in the UK and the USA, now this month we move to places where English is used for business but where it may not necessarily be the most widely-spoken language.

Which countries use English?

English is the language of globalisation and business, even if it is not the most widelyspoken language in the world - that prize goes to Mandarin Chinese. Apart from the two obvious contenders, Britain and the USA, there are many other countries in which English is also the first language: Canada, Jamaica, the Republic of Ireland, Australia and New Zealand probably spring to most people´s minds as examples. However, there are also other countries that are home to substantial populations of native English-speakers and where English is formally accepted for legal, administrative and business purposes. These include India, South Africa and the Philippines. In other countries English is recognised as a necessity for international contact but this does not necessarily mean that people´s general command of the language will be good enough to participate easily in a conference call or to make a presentation, for example.

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