English has become a world language . People from different countries and parts of the world use it to communicate with each other . English is one of the languages of the United Nations and the European Union . It is the language of computers , science , industry , business , education , medicine , music , film , sport , travel and tourism . So you will need English in your life and work . You will need it when you meet people from other countries or to understand the latest hits and computer games and you will need it if you want to become a rock star , a computerexpert , a shop assistant , a pilot , a tourist guide , an engineer , a taxi driver , a businesswoman , an actor , an athlete , a teacher , a scientist , a footballer , a doctor , a waitress or a ship captain . The language that has the greatest number of people who speak it as their mother tongue is Chinese . English is number two . It is the mother tongue of 400 million people in the United Kingdom , the United States , Canada , Australia , New Zealand , Ireland and parts of the Caribbean . But this is not the whole story . If we put together the number of native speakers of English and those who speak it as their second language in countries like India , Pakistan or South Africa , for example , as well as those who learn it at school and speak it as a foreign language all over the world , English is a clear winner . Over one billion people in the world or 20 % of the world population speak English . You are one of them . ()
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English has become a world language . People from different countries and parts of the world use it to communicate with each other . English is one of the languages of the United Nations and the Europ...