English is an international language. One thousand million people speak English in the world. It is the first language of 400 million people. It is the second language of about 600 million people. Four fifths of the world's computers use program in English. Three quarters of all international correspondendce is in English. Does English have the most speakers? No, it doesn't surprisingly. Twice as many people speak Chinese as their first language

1)How many people speak English in the world?

2) Is it the first language of 400 million people?

3) Does English have the most speakers?

4) Which language has the most speakers?

True or False

Today,when English is one of the major languages in the world, it requires an effort of the imagination to realize that this is relatively recent thing-that in Shakespeare's time,for example,only a few million people spoke,and the language was not thought to be very important by the other nations of Europe,and was unknown to the rest of the world.

English has become a world language because of its establishment as a mother tongue outside England,in all the continents of the world. This exporting of English began in the seventeenth century,with the first settlements in the United States,assisted by massive immigration in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries,that has given the English language its present standing in the world.

1. English was spoken by a few million people in Shakespeare's time.......

2. It is considered as a mother language outside England.......

3. English was spoken in North America in the seventeenth century.........

4. Most of the immigration in the USA do not speak English.............

III. Read the following passage and then answer the questions below it.

In the world today there are 5,000 to 6,000 living languages, of which English is the most widely used. As a mother tongue, it ranks second only to Chinese, which is little used outside China.

English is the most international of languages. It is used as the language of aviation, international sport and pop music. Sixty percent of the world’s radio stations broadcast in English, and more than half of the world’s scientific papers are printed in English.

It is true that a great number of people are involved in the use of English. To people in Africa, Asia, and South America, English is an important foreign language to master. In most countries in the world, the English language is used as the language of business, commerce, and technology. English is now an effective medium of international communication. However, it is the written English which is not systematically phonetic, that causes difficulties to non-native speakers.

1. Which language is used as the language of aviation, international sport and pop music?

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2. Why is English an important foreign language used in many countries?

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3. What difficulties may learners of English be confronted with? Why?

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4. Name three countries in which English is spoken as a first language.

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5. As a mother tongue, why does English rank second only to Chinese?

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There are least 2,000 different languages in the world. Of all these languages, English is the most (1)........................... used. It is used by business people, airline pilots and sea captains all over the world. It is also the first language (2)............................. sports and science. So it is very (3).................................. to learn English. Chinese is also an important language because it has the (4).............................. numbers of speakers. There are not only one billion people living in China today, but also many Chinese people (5)......................... outside China. Chinese is widely (6)............................. in many parts of Asia and Africa. Russian is spoken in both Europe and Asia. French is widely (7).......................... in Europe and in parts of Canada, Africa and Asia. From more than 2,000 languages, the United Nations has (8)............................ six of them for business. They are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.

Read the following passage and then answer the questions below it.

In the world today there are 5,000 to 6,000 living languages, of which English is the most widely used. As a mother tongue, it ranks second only to Chinese, which is little used outside China.

English is the most international of languages. It is used as the language of aviation, international sport and pop music. Sixty percent of the world‟s radio stations broadcast in English, and more than half of the world‟s scientific papers are printed in English.

It is true that a great number of people are involved in the use of English. To people in Africa, Asia, and South America, English is an important foreign language to master. In most countries in the world, the English language is used as the language of business, commerce,

and technology. English is now an effective medium of international communication. However, it is the written English which is not systematically phonetic, that causes difficulties to non-native speakers.

1. Which language is used as the language of aviation, international sport and pop music?

_______________________________________________________________

2. Why is English an important foreign language used in many countries?

_______________________________________________________________

3. What difficulties may learners of English be confronted with? Why?

_______________________________________________________________

4. Name three countries in which English is spoken as a first language.

_______________________________________________________________

5. As a mother tongue, why does English rank second only to Chinese?

_______________________________________________________________

I. Read the passage and fill in the blanks with the suitable words.

The English language is the most widely spoken language in the world. It is used as either first or second language .................... (1) many countries.

During the 16^th century, only about two million people spoke English. All .................... (2) them lived in what is now the United Kingdom. Over the centuries, as a result of various historical events, English has spread throughout .................... (3) world. Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native .................... (4). Most of them live in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, .................... (5) the Unites States.

About 100 million people, chiefly living in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and in many African .................... (6), speak English in addition to their own language. An additional 200 million people in the world probably know .................... (7) least some English. English is really an international language.

The English language is the most widely spoken language in the world. It is used as either first or second language .................... (1) many countries.

During the 16^th century, only about two million people spoke English. All .................... (2) them lived in what is now the United Kingdom. Over the centuries, as a result of various historical events, English has spread throughout .................... (3) world. Today, about 400 million people speak English as their native .................... (4). Most of them live in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, .................... (5) the Unites States.

About 100 million people, chiefly living in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and in many African .................... (6), speak English in addition to their own language. An additional 200 million people in the world probably know .................... (7) least some English. English is really an international language.

Approximately 350 million people speak English as their first ___(1)___ . About the same number use it ___(2)___ a second language. It is the language ___(3)___ aviation, international sport and world trade. 75% of the world's mail is in English, 60% of the world's radio stations broadcast in English, and more than half of the world's newspapers are ___(4)___ in English. It is an official language in 44 countries. In ___(5)___ others, it is the language of business, commerce and technology. There are many varieties of English, but Scottish, Australian, Indian and Jamaican speakers of English, in spite of the differences in pronunciation, structure and vocabulary, would recognize that they are all speaking the same basic language.