Who is Considered as Native (NS) and Non-Native (NNS) English Speakers?
English, without a doubt, is the lingua franca of the world, which is a result of the colonization of the British empire. The ones that can easily be identified as native English-speaking countries are the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
The definition of native vs. non-native English speaker often gets very controversial as it gets tricky when you start to look into the countries that have English as an official language, but the majority of the population does not speak English, or a great number of the citizens are speaking English in a country but co-exist with their native tongue in additional languages.
As a reference, the UK government classifies the following countries as the majority of native English speakers.
Antigua and Barbuda
Australia
The Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Canada
Dominica
Grenada
Guyana
Ireland
Jamaica
New Zealand
St Kitts and Nevis
St Lucia
St Vincent and the Grenadines
Trinidad and Tobago
United Kingdom
United States of America
However, things get trickier because the list above is the majority of the population are native English speakers, which is different from countries where English is not necessarily the most spoken language but is an official (or co-official) language. Including the following: Botswana, Cameroon, the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liberia, Malta, the Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, the Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Sudan, South Africa, South Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Surprisingly, English is actually not an official language of the United States, because the US has no official languages.
Central America and Africa have a long history of European colonization that greatly influences their language usage.
History of English in the Caribbean
Due to prior colonization, several European languages such as English, Spanish, French, and Dutch are widely spoken or used as an official languages in various regions today. In the 16th century, British colonization established English as the most prominent language in the Caribbean region, which continued to be dominant after the 20th-century independence.
Today, English is not only the official language of many Caribbean countries, but it also serves as the language of tourism in popular destinations such as Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Turks and Caicos Islands. See details.
History of English in Africa
The history of English in Africa can be traced back to the 16th century when the British established trade and missionary outposts on the continent’s west coast. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the British expanded their colonial presence and established a formal administration, with English serving as the language of governance, education, and trade.
As a result of this colonial legacy, English remains a dominant language in many African countries, particularly in former British colonies. Today, English is an official language in many African countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, among others. Over 23 African countries list English as one of their official languages, while 26 use French. Swahili is the most spoken on the continent among African languages, with over 100 million speakers, followed by Amharic and Yoruba, respectively, according to this article.
The use of English in Africa has not been without controversy, however. Many African countries have sought to promote indigenous languages and resist the imposition of English as a dominant language. Additionally, the legacy of colonialism has created linguistic and cultural divides between English-speaking and non-English-speaking Africans, which can still be felt in many parts of the continent today.
