New Delhi:
The influence of English on the whole world is increasing rapidly. On 1 March 2025, US President Donald Trump signed a historic order and declared English as the official language of the United States. This is the first time the US has given this status to English at the federal level in its 250 -year democratic history. While this move of Trump is being described as a symbol of national unity in the US, critics say that it can marginalize non-English speaking communities.
The number of people speaking English as the second language of English is increasing rapidly. For example, more than 125 million people in India speak English, while in China this number is more than 200 million.
What was the situation in America before?
There was no official language in the United States so far. English has been the most widely spoken language in the country, but it was never officially declared at the federal level. According to data from the 2019 US Census Bureau, more than 330 languages are spoken in the country, about 78% of the people speak only English at home. Despite this, Spanish, Chinese, Tagog and many original American languages have also been widely spoken.
How much secret of English in the world?
The English is ranked first with 1520 million (1.52 billion) speakers. This figure shows its global impact, which extends from countries like America, UK, India to education and trade. According to the latest data, English is not only as the original language, but also as a second language.
Second place is Mandarin Chinese, which is called 1140 million (1.14 billion) people. This language is dominated by China, Taiwan and Singapore, but in global reach it is behind English. There is Hindi at number three, with 609 million speakers. With a strong hold in India, Nepal and migrant communities, Hindi overtook Spanish. Spanish ranks fourth with 560 million speakers, spoken in Spain, Latin America and America.
The fifth place is French, which is called 321 million people. It has an impact in France, Africa and Canada, but lags behind Arabic, which ranks sixth with 422 million speakers. At number seven is Bengali (273 million), which is popular in Bangladesh and West Bengal. Just behind this, Portuguese (264 million) are eighth and Russian (255 million) are ranked ninth. The tenth place is Urdu, which is called 232 million people, mainly in Pakistan and India.
Where is the English official language in the world?
English is recognized as an official language in more than 180 countries in the world, although its use and importance is different everywhere. In many countries it is used as a working language. At the same time for business in some places.
- America: Now after the order of President Trump, English has been officially recognized.
- United Kingdom: The birthplace of English is considered to be this country, where it is the only official language.
- Nigeria: Despite more than 500 local languages, English is the official language of administration and education.
- South Africa: One of the 11 official languages, but the most influential.
- Singapore: English with Malay, Mandarin and Tamil is one of the four official languages.
- Philippines: English is the official language with taglog.
- Australia and New Zealand: English is the main and official language in both countries.
- Canada: Both English and French are official languages.
- India: There is English co-official language with Hindi.
Many small nations and regions, such as Jamaica, Bahamas, and Fiji, also use English as an official language. According to the 2023 report by the World Economic Forum, English often becomes a means of unity and global contact in multilingual countries.
What is the condition of English in India?
The issue of official language in India has been controversial. According to Article 343 (1) of the Constitution, “The official language of the Sangh will be Hindi and script Devanagari.” This provision came into force on 26 January 1950, when India became the Republic. However, in the same article it has also been said that the use of English for the next 15 years (ie 1965) will continue for all the official functions of the Sangh.
The official language act passed in 1963 (Official Languages Act, 1963) further clarified this system. According to this, even after 1965, English was allowed to be used as a co-official language, especially in areas where Hindi was not widely accepted. Section 3 (2) of this Act says that English can be used with Hindi in the documents and communications of the central government. To date, English is widely used in Parliament, Courts, and Central Administration.
Papua New Guinea is spoken in most languages
Papua New Guinea ranks first in terms of linguistic diversity in the world, where 840 languages are spoken. According to the data of the World Economic Forum, it is at the forefront of the number of small island languages. In this list, Indonesia ranks second with 711 languages. At number three is Nigeria, where 517 languages are spoken, which reflects its multilingual identity in the continent of Africa.
India ranks fourth in this list with 456 languages. The cultural and regional prosperity of the country makes it a stronghold of languages, including major languages like Hindi, Bengali, Tamil. The fifth place is America, where 328 languages are spoken. Australia ranks sixth with 312 languages, including many natives.
China is at number seven, where 309 languages have been recorded. This figure shows the diversity of its vast territory and ethnic groups. Mexico ranks eighth with 292 languages, which is famous for its indigenous culture. The ninth place in the list is from Brazil, where 221 languages are spoken, which are spread from Amazon’s forests to urban areas.
There have been protests against English in India
The influence of English language in India has increased rapidly in the last few decades, but along with it, there have been agitations against it from time to time. Recently, some regional organizations and linguistic groups had raised the demand to limit its use by terming the increasing domination of English as “cultural slavery”. On the other hand, the acceptance of English has become the basis of India’s identity on education, employment and global platform today.
The first major movement against English in India was seen during the freedom struggle. In the non -cooperation movement, which started in 1920, Mahatma Gandhi described English education and its dominance as a symbol of British rule. He advocated promoting Hindi and regional languages. Even after independence, this debate continued. In the 1960s, the movement against the imposition of Hindi, especially in South India, especially in Tamil Nadu, established English as a neutral alternative, but also intensified the fight for linguistic identity.
According to UNESCO, 197 languages of India are in danger, and the increasing use of English can speed up it. Secondly, English in employment and education makes inequality in opportunities for the youth of rural and small cities.
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