If you’re planning to Study Abroad, deciding on the country you want to live in is extremely important. Many college students want to learn a new language, so they select a country that predominately speaks the language they want to learn. My daughter wanted to improve her Spanish skills so she elected to Study Abroad in Spain. But some students, especially from the United States are more interested in living and studying in a country that predominately speaks English, or at least has a population with a high percentage of English speakers.
As a Study Abroad Student, you may ask the question, “In what countries do its citizens speak English?” There are more than 60 countries in the world where 50% or more of its citizens speak English.
Countries Where Citizens Are More Likely to Speak English
Countries With 90% + English Speaking Citizens Gibraltar Isle of Man Barbados Republic of Ireland Marshall Islands United Kingdom New Zealand Jamaica Bermuda Nauru U.S. Virgin Islands Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Dominica Australia United States Palau Anguilla Guam Grenada Netherlands Guyana Norway
Countries With 80% + English Speaking Citizens Sweden Malta Trinidad and Tobago Bahamas Suriname British Virgin Islands Nigeria Denmark Israel Vanuatu Sierra Leone Northern Mariana Islands Singapore Canada Liberia Zimbabwe Belize American Samoa Antigua and Barbuda
Popular Countries Where Less Than 75% Of It's Citizens Speak English Austria Finland Switzerland Belgium Germany Hong Kong France Italy Spain Hungary Japan Mexico India Russia
Summary
As Americans, it’s easy to assume that English is prevalent in most countries around the world, but it is not necessarily the case. Although most tourist destinations provide English-speaking employees to help out as much as possible, once you travel outside the initial tourist spot, it may be harder to communicate if you don’t speak the host country’s dominant language. This article touches on the subject, but it would be wise to research the country or countries you are considering to study abroad and prepare yourself as much as possible so that you enjoy a truly positive experience.