20 years ago children began studying foreign languages at 10-11 years old, whereas today in virtually all EU countries they begin at 6-8 years old,” explains Baïdak. Prior to moving to a new place, the number one fear faced by expatsis… the language barrier. I know this all too well, having lived and worked in many new countries in my life. The latest studies by Eurydice – the European network for information on teaching, designed to provide member states with up to date and reliable information on which to base education policies – also bring to mind the necessity of ad hoc approaches, in such a rich, complex mosaic as Europe. South Africa, for example, has 11 different official languages, and even more languages and dialects are spoken in the country. Besides, it has stunning landscapes and delicious delicacies, which attracts thousands of tourists from across the globe. Some countries have even more than one national language. According to Nathalie Baïdak, coordinator of analysis and research for EACEA, the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency leading programs and activities on behalf of the European Commission, the reality is a complex mosaic. List of English Speaking Countries. Netherlands 38.46%. Most Vietnamese speak English. Malta 62.39%. A similar picture emerges from the international PISA study (Programme for International Student Assessment), where pupils in northern Italy earn results higher than the OECD average, while results gradually drop and eventually fall below the OECD average as we move further south. A look at the first comparative study of language competence among European pupils, published in June 2012, reveals drastic differences. ; Non-sovereign entities are not included: German 63.7%, French 19.2%, Italian 7.6%, Romansch 0.6%, Welsh (about 26% of the population of Wales), “On the one hand we’re seeing an encouraging drop in the age at which language learning begins. With 15 million English Speakers, about 90 percent of the entire population in the Netherlands speak English. Finland 45.25%. Some countries, including Italy, don’t appear in the study (they are set to appear in the next study in the coming years). In 1951, back in the days of the European Coal and Steel Community, the six founding nations – Italy, France, West Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg – recognised four official languages: Italian, French, German and Dutch. While the continent is home to some budget-busting destinations like France, Ireland and Norway, there are also some culture-filled, cheap European countries that can be visited on $50 / day or less. For example, 82 per cent of Swedish pupils have mastered spoken English, whereas the same can only be said of 27 per cent of Spanish pupils, and 29 per cent of Polish pupils. There are about 76 million native French speakers and 274 million fluent French speakers worldwide. This makes sense since communism only fell about 20 years ago. List of official, national and spoken Languages of Europe. According to research, it is one of the best and the cheapest countries to live and travel. In May 2019, the Official Journal of the European Union published the “Council Recommendation on a comprehensive approach to the teaching and learning of languages ”. Though English is listed as an official language in these countries, many people may not speak English. What really makes the difference is the effectiveness of language teaching and exposure to foreign languages. India is hands down the cheapest English speaking country to live in, to travel, or to retire, and it claims to be the world’s second largest English speaking country. Albanian (Shqip, Tosk (Toskë) is the official dialect), Shqip-Gheg dialect (Gegë), Greek, Italian, German, Slovene (official in Carinthia), Croatian and Hungarian For example, nearly every country in Europe, from France and Germany to Moldova and San Marino, has a massive number of proficient English speakers. English language skills are well-established as an important (business) skill, and English is by far the most widely-spoken foreign language in the EU. And although I can speak Spanish and communicate well enough in Russian, there is nothing like the feeling of seclusion that comes with not being to understand the news, the sho… ___ Official and Spoken Languages of European Countries. “Among these the Erasmus+ programme stands out, and all the other incentives for transnational student mobility (for both secondary school pupils and university students) made available by the European Union,” explains Baggiani. ), broader exposure to the languages needs to be encouraged – for example, showing foreign films that are subtitled instead of dubbed, as they do in northern countries. United Kingdom 94.45%. Are you an ambitious language learner who wants to travel to places where you won't be able to use English as a crutch? are official regionally. However, as in the rest of Europe, language learning in Italy varies from region to region. Currently, getting European citizens to learn more languages is still just a project on paper. 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