h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Don't forget that India is an English speaking country, andhas a population of around 1,000,000,000.

http://www.ego4u.com/en/read-on/countries/india

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/english-usage/ice/iceind.htm

Okay, going by that estimate, 4-20% of the population, there are (generously, assuming there are 1 billion people in India) 40,000,000 to 200,000,000 English speakers in India. On the other hand, according to the CIA factbook, the USA has 82% English speakers (and I believe that data comes from the US Census, which counts languages spoken at home, and doesn't include secondary languages), and with a population of over 300 million people, that multiplies out to 246 million.

Also, according to https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/in.html#People Hindi is spoken by 30% of the population in India. I don't know how you call a country 'English-speaking' when more people speak another language. The US is the largest English speaking country in terms of population. I really do research these things before I put them in my entries, WG.

<< I don't know how you call a country 'English-speaking' when more people speak another language.>>

Well, some people would list Canada among French-speaking countries, wouldn't they? Wales is a Welsh-speaking country, although a minority of the inhabitants speak Welsh. And India has even produced a Nobel Prize-winning English language author (Rushdie).

I'm not criticising your whole article. You know more than I do about your topic.


"Friday November 19, 2004
Guardian Weekly

India currently has a special place in the English language record books - as the country with the largest English-speaking population in the world. Ten years ago that record was held by the US. Not any more."

http://education.guardian.co.uk/tefl/story/0,,1355064,00.html

I remember it in the news when India passed the billion population landmark a few years ago now.

"The population of India passed a billion a couple of years ago, and is increasing at the rate of 3% per annum. In 1997 an India Today survey suggested that about a third of the population had the ability to carry on a conversation in English. This was an amazing increase over the estimates of the 1980s, when only about 4%-5% of the population were thought to use the language. And given the steady increase in English learning since 1997 in schools and among the upwardly mobile, we must today be talking about at least 350 million. This is more than the combined English-speaking populations of Britain and the US."

That article is relying heavily on statistics of people using English as a secondary language. I still contend that India is not necessarily to be called "English speaking" because still, a supermajority of its citizens don't speak English. However, I'll ask Rich (the sub editor) to qualify the phrase so that it only refers to people who speak English as their primary language.

<< a supermajority of its citizens don't speak English.>>

Perhaps not like in the US, granted, but they do speak it.
This is evident from Bollywood movies, which are sprinkled with English, and the fact that most UK companies now seem to base their call centres in India. If you want to call to ask about train times or credit card issues, you'll most likely be put through to someone in India.

English is one of two official national languages in India. All the laws are written first in English, then translated into Hindi.

<>

Don't think I can argue with that.

Alternatively you could modify it thus:

"America's dominant language is English, and it is, after India, the most populous English speaking country in the world."

Or if you don't like that:

"America's dominant language is English, and it is the second most populous English speaking country in the world assuming you include India."

What's going on in India?

The author of this link sees Indian English moving towards the situation we see in South Africa, and suggests that "the non-elite has taken charge of the situation by laying claim to the language associated in India with a middle class existence. They are ready to turn India into a vast English-speaking country".

http://www.india-seminar.com/2005/545/545%20peggy%20mohan1.htm

He says that because the elite insisted on keeping English after the British left India, what has happened is the masses have started adopting the language as their own.

Sorry, that should probably be 'she'

This link sheds a bit more light on the importance of English.

"Officially English has a status of assistant language, but in fact it is the most important language of India. After Hindi it is the most commonly spoken language in India and probably the most read and written language in India."

http://adaniel.tripod.com/Languages3.htm

I can't remember who it was who said the English language is a great river with many tributaries. Of course, UK English and US English are major tributaries of this river, but I think some of the most exciting developments in the language are going to be seen in the subcontinent.

Yes, iv'e already been "excited" by these developments by phoning my bank/utility company/ISP and being connected to someone called "John" in Bangalore. Please don't excite me any more - i cannot take any more!

glen