This means that it has structures that are similar to languages like German, Dutch, and Swedish, but many languages and cultures have contributed to the English we know today! English has a lot of vocabulary that came from French and Latin, so even if the grammar is different, many words will look familiar to speakers of Romance languages.Įnglish is the official language of more than 50 countries. But there are a few surprises about English that new learners should know! Where did English come from?Įnglish is a Germanic language. Hello! Greetings! Howdy! Welcome to a celebration of English, the language of Venus and Serena Williams, The Beatles, Michelle Yeoh, Idris Elba, and Priyanka Chopra-a global language with global appeal! You'll find English while online shopping, scrolling through TikTok, and in hostels around the world, so naturally learners have many reasons to explore and study the wide world of English.Īnd wide it is! Much wider than the British Isles and North America-English is a beautiful, dynamic language, and its popularity (spoken by more than 1.5 billion people around the world) might make you think you know everything about the language already.

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