After Chinese, English is the second most widely spoken language on the planet. About 372 million native speakers and a billion non-native speakers are able to speak the language. In addition, English is undoubtedly a global language. People who can communicate in English have no trouble engaging with the people.
Similarly, people in Asia want their children to be able to communicate in English. As a result, parents enroll their children in English-language schools. English holds the distinction of being the most widely spoken language on the planet. Moreover, English is spoken by about 1.2 billion people worldwide.
Although there are few native English speakers in Asia, English is widely spoken as a second or third language. Let’s take a look at some of the top English speaking countries in Asia.
1. Singapore
The mother tongue of Singapore is Malay, and the four official languages are English, Malay, Mandarin Chinese, and Tamil. In addition, English is the most frequently used language (especially among people under 50) and the language of lessons in school. Based on British English, English is also the language of government and business in Singapore.
Since English has been the primary language of teaching in Singaporean schools since the 1970, English-speaking tourists will too, in most situations. There is, however, Singlish. It is a mixture of English and Singaporean.
Moreover, Singlish is also a social and academic marker. Singaporeans with a high degree of English education are expected to code-switch effortlessly between Singlish in informal contexts and English in official ones, whilst those with a lower level of English education may exclusively speak Singlish.
2. Philippines
State, academia, media, journalism, and business all utilize Filipino and English. Filipino is spoken, while English is utilized mostly in publications and the media. In addition, given the fact that not all Filipinos can communicate in their native tongue.
The vast majority of the people are good at English (maybe except for the older generation working on farms) If you listen to Filipinos speak to each other, you’ll notice that they utilize at least 20-30% English terms, with the remainder being a mix of Filipino and their own dialect.
Moreover, even the highly popular television soap operas are nearly entirely in English.
3. Malaysia
Malaysia is a diverse and fast developing country in Southeast Asia, with a tropical environment and a variety of tourist attractions. In Malaysia, English is widely spoken, with about 50-60% of the people speaking the language to some degree.
English is widely spoken in Kuala Lumpur and other large towns, although it is less so in rural regions and along the country’s east coast. Furthermore, around half of Malaysians can communicate in English at some level; however, this is a relatively outdated reference from the early 2000.
Since then, the Malaysian government has made English a requirement in schools in an effort to improve the talents and opportunities of future generations.
4. Hong Kong
Hong Kong was a British colony until recently, with China gaining complete sovereignty of the region in 1997. Even though Hong Kong is a former British colony, English proficiency is remarkably low, with just 46% of the population being able to communicate in the language. In addition, many individuals in Hong Kong are fluent in English.
Moreover, one of the primary languages is English. People in Hong Kong speak English in the authorities, courts, restaurants, businesses, and stores, and many schools are English-speaking institutions.
5. India
Since India was a British colony for hundreds of years, it should come as no surprise that some English is spoken there, but how widespread is English in India? English is commonly spoken in major cities like Bangalore, Pune , Madras, and others, but it is less so in rural and northern areas, where Hindi and different regional languages dominate.
Meanwhile, in India, the number of English speakers is still relatively large. In reality, due to the sheer magnitude of India’s population, which is already well over a billion individuals, there are about double as many English speakers in India as there are in the UK, considering the low percentage of individuals who are fluent in English.
6. South Korea
South Korea is another major tourist destination in the far east, with over 10 million visitors every year, including more than half a million Americans.
In addition, In general, English is not commonly spoken in South Korea, but you’ll have a better chance in the city, Seoul, where there are more English speakers in the key tourist destinations. Numerous English-speaking visitors will visit Seoul, which is a good thing because this is where the most English speakers can be found.
Moreover, employees at all the major hotels, as well as some younger individuals you meet on the street, will speak good English. Some South Koreans, like the Japanese, are terrified of being approached and request to speak English.
7. Taiwan
Taiwan is a unique East Asian country noted for its thriving economy, talented workforce, tropical environment, good food, and accepting people. English is the most widely spoken language in Taiwan.
English, becoming the unchallenged language of international business, has a growing number of native speakers in the country. In addition, English is a frequently spoken foreign language, and several big private schools provide English classes. Once kids begin primary school, English is required in their curriculum. Taiwanese students are required to take English as a subject in school.
Moreover, the Taiwanese Education ministry has been seeking to declare English the country’s official language since 2018.
8. China
In modern China, over 400 million individuals are studying English, accounting for almost one-third of the total population. The importance of English in China has shifted dramatically during the last several decades. The dominating position of Russia was supplanted by English as a result of this transition.
As a result of the Chinese government’s official strategy in the national education system, the importance of English has steadily risen. Because of English’s high official standing, many Chinese, particularly Chinese parents, are confident as a result of the government’s promotion of the language. Due to the one-child policy in China, parents place a high value on their children.
As a result, parents will do all possible to provide their own children with the greatest educational materials.
9. Macau
The English language, which is one of the world’s most commonly used languages, does not have an institutional position in Macau, although its use inside government agencies and throughout many areas of society appears to be increasing. It’s also no surprise that many individuals utilize English to engage with government officials and do business.
Moreover, although the presence of government information in English implies that the material is of higher quality or that the delivery of information is more professional, it does not imply that the information supplied in English is better.
Moreover, the quantity of government material supplied in their official languages and in English varies greatly in Macau, as it does in many other nations.
10. Vietnam
Vietnam is an unusual, attractive, and inexpensive tourist destination with numerous advantages and disadvantages, such as frequent rip-offs and frauds. Vietnam is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula, located in Southeast Asia. Vietnamese people have only learned English.
In addition, approximately half of the Vietnamese population is believed to communicate in English, with many of them concentrated in areas where tourists are most likely to travel. Thus, travelers should be okay with using English in Vietnam if they are visiting the regular tourist destinations.
To conclude, there are few native English speakers in Asia, English is spoken by a substantial portion of the population as a second or third language. English is recognized as an official language in China, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Singapore.
Do you that 70 percent of the Finnish population speak English? In order to get more insights, check out this list of top English speaking countries in Europe.
