English survives dramatic changes

<a href="http://phpweby.com/hostgator_coupon.php">hostgator coupon</a>

English is said to be a living language. For 16 centuries, it has adapted to change, accepting coinages, foreign loan words and new words or phrases. In the process, it has remained to be a stimulating, enriching language.

    True, English is the lingua franca, one that is used in almost every major sphere of life – from science and literature to diplomacy and education. It is the official language for aerial and maritime communications, computer technology and international business. 

   One startling fact comes to mind. English is not the official language in the US, the UK or Australia although it is the most widely spoken language in these countries. Nevertheless, it is the official language in 53 countries, including Botswana, Fiji, Ireland, India and the Philippines.

   The United Nations, European Union, Commonwealth of Nations and International Olympic Committee accept English as their official language. 

   Another surprise is that there are more English-speaking people in the US (251 million), India (125 million) and Nigeria (79 million) than in the UK (59 million). About 750 million people speak English worldwide. English is spoken as a native language by about 350 people and as a second language by nearly 375 million.

   Although English is an international language, it is not the most popular spoken language in the world. According to statistics, the leading first languages spoken worldwide are:

1. Mandarin	1.1 billion speakers	11. Javanese	75.5 million
2. Spanish	358 million	12. Korean	75 million
3. English	350 million	13. French	72 million
4. Arabic	206 million	14. Turkish	69 million
5. Hindi	181 million	15. Vietnamese	67 million
6. Portuguese	171 million	16. Telugu	66 million
7. Bengali	173 million	17. Marathi	64 million
8. Russian	146 million	18. Tamil	63 million
9. Japanese	128 million	19. Italian	59 million
10. German	96 million	20. Urdu	58 million