May I shade a little bit this viewpoint with a few thoughts? At first, the UK is a target country of migration mainly from continental Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America, as it is the USA in its continent and from others as well. Springing from this fact, the USA probably has the same strange percentage as the UK has or even higher than shown in this chart above.
Secondly, as the motherland of the English language, the UK has a long historical period of English language use, and during that long period of improvement, the local aristocratic, intellectual, and scientific society settled a highly sophisticated usage of English in style, accent, mood, manner, and so on, which remained and is now a kind of etalon in the eyes of the intellectual population today there. It can be experienced clearly when one compares the British, upper-house, and Oxford-polished politicians’ or commentators’ language to the use, style, and accent of the non-British ones.
So, if I am on the right logical lane, the Americans adopted a less aristocratic and decorated but more practical and simply usable kind of language use, fitting it to the modern non-feudalistic, industrialized area of their life and necessities at the time feeling aversion against, or opposing the British colonial heritages.
Referring back to my above-written opinion, I forgot to stress, that (1) 5% of non-English speaker people in the UK and also x % in the USA are probably not native ones, and also (2) grabbing a perfect command of brit English can cause a bit more time and devotion than to be a perfect American-Canadian English speaker considering not other than just only the language-learning problematics itself.
Géza
9 months ago
And as an additional thought, as a Hungarian, I am disappointed very much, that Hungary is at the end of this list, and on top of that, the present nationalist government gives no importance at all to obtaining at least one middle, or upper-level English, German, or other language preparedness for getting the bachelor, and the master diplomas/degrees of our upper educational institutions, as it was required until now, or even before the year of 2010 when this government came to power.
Jutta Posch
9 months ago
Mhh….Austrians are confident in their language….but I mean original’s- born in Austria, school and education and so on….
Mare
9 months ago
Good to know
Kalle Riepulk
9 months ago
In the other way, there a big problem in my country, English language killing the native language. Sometimes young people can not say what they means by native language and will say it by English language.
In my country, in Poland started to be the same and it is annoying sometimes for me…
far
9 months ago
i think more people speaks English.
Evamaria
9 months ago
Hungarian speak English better than the statistic mean. There are a lot of young people using English quaite all days, using the internet.Hungarian people say to speak an forein langewich only when it speak correct.
I speak Russen and Italian very well, my German and English is very simple. I already can speak in English when it is neccesery, but I can’t say ” I speak English”
So I mean, that 40% Hungarians speak English in my level.
michal
8 months ago
I wonder what is the percentage of people in my country (Israel) that are able of speaking fluently English. As far as the government t is concerned in general to my opinion they prefer we speak English but not too good because if they were interested we knew English fluently we would have had English speaking from the age of 3 when children go to the nursery school. In Israel there are some nursery school they speak with the kids English and Hebrew but these schools are very expensive because they are total private schools.
Käthe
8 months ago
I think the problem to hold a conversation in ones own language is not only a problem for the Brits. Try small talk with a finn and you get nothing but hmm.
Have a nice weekend!
I don’t speak very well English language..
But if I want something I say to the other…
Wow.
All this makes me hopeful for my future in English conversation!
30% of Poles still can’t hold interesting conversation in their own language
I think that even more there is nothing to talk about logically with our (Polish) government ;(
Have a good weekend
You’are right , when I worked in UK it was difficult to understanding the British and I thought that’ is my fault.
Have a nice weekend !
HI !
Very îngereșting !
Haven a Nice weekend !
Very interesting evidence. A good base for thinking…for English of course.
I dont speak very well english.
Sorry
Wrong conclusion! It refers to the percentage of POPULATION…
So, the remaining 5% is not necesserily about Brits, but could refer to immigrants…
Thanks for encouragement! Have a great Weekend!
It is a big surprise to me. I considered the situation with English in Europe is better
Interesting
Hey,
Just watch this
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=3826379147374763
I really enjoy Mr Vig’s letters.
Thanks, dear Mr Vig !!
May I shade a little bit this viewpoint with a few thoughts? At first, the UK is a target country of migration mainly from continental Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America, as it is the USA in its continent and from others as well. Springing from this fact, the USA probably has the same strange percentage as the UK has or even higher than shown in this chart above.
Secondly, as the motherland of the English language, the UK has a long historical period of English language use, and during that long period of improvement, the local aristocratic, intellectual, and scientific society settled a highly sophisticated usage of English in style, accent, mood, manner, and so on, which remained and is now a kind of etalon in the eyes of the intellectual population today there. It can be experienced clearly when one compares the British, upper-house, and Oxford-polished politicians’ or commentators’ language to the use, style, and accent of the non-British ones.
So, if I am on the right logical lane, the Americans adopted a less aristocratic and decorated but more practical and simply usable kind of language use, fitting it to the modern non-feudalistic, industrialized area of their life and necessities at the time feeling aversion against, or opposing the British colonial heritages.
Referring back to my above-written opinion, I forgot to stress, that (1) 5% of non-English speaker people in the UK and also x % in the USA are probably not native ones, and also (2) grabbing a perfect command of brit English can cause a bit more time and devotion than to be a perfect American-Canadian English speaker considering not other than just only the language-learning problematics itself.
And as an additional thought, as a Hungarian, I am disappointed very much, that Hungary is at the end of this list, and on top of that, the present nationalist government gives no importance at all to obtaining at least one middle, or upper-level English, German, or other language preparedness for getting the bachelor, and the master diplomas/degrees of our upper educational institutions, as it was required until now, or even before the year of 2010 when this government came to power.
Mhh….Austrians are confident in their language….but I mean original’s- born in Austria, school and education and so on….
Good to know
In the other way, there a big problem in my country, English language killing the native language. Sometimes young people can not say what they means by native language and will say it by English language.
In my country, in Poland started to be the same and it is annoying sometimes for me…
i think more people speaks English.
Hungarian speak English better than the statistic mean. There are a lot of young people using English quaite all days, using the internet.Hungarian people say to speak an forein langewich only when it speak correct.
I speak Russen and Italian very well, my German and English is very simple. I already can speak in English when it is neccesery, but I can’t say ” I speak English”
So I mean, that 40% Hungarians speak English in my level.
I wonder what is the percentage of people in my country (Israel) that are able of speaking fluently English. As far as the government t is concerned in general to my opinion they prefer we speak English but not too good because if they were interested we knew English fluently we would have had English speaking from the age of 3 when children go to the nursery school. In Israel there are some nursery school they speak with the kids English and Hebrew but these schools are very expensive because they are total private schools.
I think the problem to hold a conversation in ones own language is not only a problem for the Brits. Try small talk with a finn and you get nothing but hmm.
I dont believe it. Really its dreadful