Top 41 How Many Chinese Know English The 106 Correct Answer

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According to some estimates, fewer than 10 million Chinese, or less than 1% of the population, speak English.There are estimated to be around 400 million Chinese people learning English, larger than the entire population of the United States.Yet despite this growth, studies estimate that less than 30 percent of Japanese speak English at any level at all. Less than 8 percent and possibly as little as 2 percent speak English fluently.

Ethnologue (2022, 25th edition)
Language Family First language (L1) speakers
English Indo-European 372.9 million
Mandarin Chinese (incl. Standard Chinese, but excl. other varieties) Sino-Tibetan 929.0 million
Hindi (excl. Urdu) Indo-European 343.9 million
Spanish Indo-European 474.7 million

How many Chinese learn English?

There are estimated to be around 400 million Chinese people learning English, larger than the entire population of the United States.

How many Mandarin speakers also speak English?

Ethnologue (2022, 25th edition)
Language Family First language (L1) speakers
English Indo-European 372.9 million
Mandarin Chinese (incl. Standard Chinese, but excl. other varieties) Sino-Tibetan 929.0 million
Hindi (excl. Urdu) Indo-European 343.9 million
Spanish Indo-European 474.7 million

How many Japanese speak English?

Yet despite this growth, studies estimate that less than 30 percent of Japanese speak English at any level at all. Less than 8 percent and possibly as little as 2 percent speak English fluently.

Is English popular in China?

According to some estimates, fewer than 10 million Chinese, or less than 1% of the population, speak English. In Hong Kong, a special administrative region, English is an official language; about 50% of the population speak it, though most in that category would not consider themselves fluent.

Are Chinese good at English?

Overall, there are many Chinese people who speak very good English, although some are a bit shy in actually using their language skills. But whether you encounter those English speaking locals really depends on the specific location.

What is the top 3 three languages of the world?

So keep reading to find out what the most spoken languages are.
  1. English (1,132 million speakers) …
  2. Mandarin (1,117 million speakers) …
  3. Hindi (615 million speakers) …
  4. Spanish (534 million speakers) …
  5. French (280 million speakers) …
  6. Arabic (274 million speakers) …
  7. Bengali (265 million speakers) …
  8. Russian (258 million speakers)

Is English taught in China?

English has become a compulsory subject from Primary Three in China since 2003 and is gradually being introduced even earlier into the curriculum in many schools. This highlights the official importance of English in both primary school education and society.

Does Hong Kong speak English?

English is one of two official languages in Hong Kong – the other being Chinese (Cantonese), and is used in academia, business and the courts, as well as in most Government materials. Major businesses routinely issue important material in both Chinese and English, and all road and government signs are bilingual.

How many Korean know English?

To be clear, Korea’s official language is Korean but English language is being taught in schools so about 58% Koreans can speak English. Some of the citizens can speak Chinese due to the influence and relationship Korea and China have had in the past.

How many Indian know English?

List
Country Eligible population Total English speakers
%
India 1,210,854,977 10.62
Pakistan 220,892,331 58
Philippines 110,000,000 58.2

Does South Korea speak English?

English is not very widely spoken in South Korea overall, although you will have better luck in the capital Seoul, where there will be more English speakers in the main tourist areas.

What percentage of the Chinese population speak English?

List
Country Eligible population Total English speakers
%
Brazil 205,000,000 5
Spain 47,190,000 22
China 1,432,035,200 0.9

Is it hard for Chinese to learn English?

But, despite all the time, money, and effort, China just can’t seem to produce very many competent ESL speakers. The flip side is no different; Chinese is consistently ranked among the very hardest languages to learn for native English speakers.

Is English taught in China?

English has become a compulsory subject from Primary Three in China since 2003 and is gradually being introduced even earlier into the curriculum in many schools. This highlights the official importance of English in both primary school education and society.

How long does it take a Chinese person to learn English?

“It takes eight months to a year to learn it if you listen to proper English speakers,” he says. Ling’s older son, who was eight when they arrived from China, is a different story. “After three months here he could speak very well.” Arriving at a young age gives him a “big advantage” over her, she believes.


Are Chinese People Really Bad At English? | ASIAN BOSS
Are Chinese People Really Bad At English? | ASIAN BOSS


English Levels in China: How Good is China’s English?

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  • Table of Contents:

How Good is China’s English

A Brief History of English in China

English in Chinese Schools

China’s English Proficiency Vs Nearby Countries

Level of Spoken English and Signage in China

Transportation Signage in China

Menus in China

English on Products and Packaging in China

Helpful Communication Tools You Can Use in China

Take the Guesswork Out of Communication and See China with Us

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English education in China: An evolutionary perspective – People’s Daily Online

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English education in China An evolutionary perspective

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List of languages by total number of speakers – Wikipedia

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Contents

Top languages by population[edit]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

Navigation menu

List of languages by total number of speakers - Wikipedia
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Why Japan Doesn’t Learn English

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Do People Speak English in China? – Polyglot Geek

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English Use in Major Cities in China

What Languages are Spoken in China

Is English necessary in China

English vs Mandarin

Basic Phrases in Mandarin

Final Thoughts

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English Levels in China: How Good is China’s English?

English in China may leave you wondering what the meaning is supposed to be. English in China may leave you wondering what the meaning is supposed to be.

Find out all about English usage in China here: the quality of English in China, where English is spoken, how good the signage is, English education in China, and apps and tips to help you overcome the language barrier.

How Good is China’s English?

Despite English being taught in the Chinese school system for many years, few Chinese could be considered fluent in English.

There are hundreds of millions of people in China studying English, but less than 1% of Mainland Chinese are conversational, according to some estimates. Not surprisingly, more English is spoken in China’s large cities than in the smaller towns.

Don’t panic! You should encounter few problems at the airport, at 4- and 5-star hotels, popular restaurants, major shops, and banks. Chinese staff at these places are generally competent in communicating with native English speakers.

A Brief History of English in China

The first schools to teach English were missionary schools in Macau in the early 17th century. English was gradually integrated into China’s education system in the 1960s, when Russian fell out of favor.

After a short period of denunciation during the Cultural Revolution, English language education was revived in the early 1970s and thrived under the economic reform policies of the Deng Xiaoping government.

Since the 1990s, English has become popular especially with those working in tourism and trade.

English loanwords in China include:

kāfēi (/kaa-fay/ ‘coffee’)

shālā (/shaa-laa/ ‘salad’)

shāfā (/shaa-faa/ ‘sofa’)

qiǎokèlì (/chyaow-ker-lee/ ‘chocolate’)

English in Chinese Schools

Many people in China, especially young adults and a growing number of children, can speak basic English words and phrases like “hello”, “OK”, “thank you”, and “how are you?” But by no means are most Chinese conversational in English.

The language can be incredibly difficult for Chinese people to learn. Imagine trying to adjust to the rules, quirks, and sometimes seemingly arbitrary constructions of English when your native tongue has no articles, verb conjugations, and plurals!

Many children start learning English in kindergarten. English is mandatory in Chinese schools, starting from at grade one and continuing through junior and senior high school.

Quality of education depends largely if the student lives in a city or a rural area. Students from cities generally have access to superior teachers, materials, and classrooms than do their rural counterparts. While the school curriculum includes an English-language component, the reality is that only Chinese is taught in many rural schools.

Because costs are high to attend senior high schools, most students from rural areas choose to attend vocational schools in order to find employment quickly after graduating. This effectively ends their English-language education.

Despite all of the effort that goes into promoting, teaching, and learning English, some Chinese view it as having limited usefulness within their country. At the same time, English is recognized as the universal language of business, and there are thousands of private English-language schools in China, including web-based ones. Hundreds of thousands of Chinese students are studying online with English-language teachers in China and around the world.

Learn more about education in China

China’s English Proficiency Vs Nearby Countries

According to some estimates, fewer than 10 million Chinese, or less than 1% of the population, speak English.

In Hong Kong, a special administrative region, English is an official language; about 50% of the population speak it, though most in that category would not consider themselves fluent.

In nearby Macau (also a special administrative region) the situation is similar: About 28% of residents can speak at least basic English.

EF’s English Proficiency Index 2018 ranks China at Low Proficiency. How does that compare to other countries in the region?

Singapore — Very High Proficiency

Philippines — High Proficiency

Hong Kong — Moderate Proficiency

India — Moderate Proficiency

Vietnam — Moderate Proficiency

South Korea — Moderate Proficiency

Bangladesh — Low Proficiency

Thailand — Low Proficiency

Japan — Low Proficiency

China 1% — Low Proficiency

Myanmar — Very Low Proficiency

Level of Spoken English and Signage in China

Generally, you’ll find more and better English speakers and signage in China’s well-known, big urban areas in the north, east, and south (think Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong). You should have few problems communicating in basic English at sights that see a lot of foreign travelers.

It’s possible that Shanghai has the most English speakers of any big city in Mainland China. And Hong Kong, according to the EF English Proficiency Index 2018, ranked at Moderate Proficiency.

In rural areas you’ll see and hear less English. This is also true if you decide to explore the more local neighborhoods of cities. Keep in mind that many Chinese are hesitant to speak even basic English for fear of making mistakes.

Further west, and in remote areas of China, it’s possible English will be nonexistent. In Urumqi, a city of several million in Xinjiang Autonomous Region, English levels are quite low all around. Even staff at major hotels may not be competent in basic English.

The quality of English translations at landmarks, temples, museums, theme parks, and galleries varies. Sometimes you’ll glean information that helps you do something or enhances your experience, other times you’ll be left scratching your head. Or there might not be any English signage at all.

If you decide to tour China with us, our guides and drivers will ensure smooth and accurate communication the whole way, from transportation and restaurants to sightseeing.

Transportation Signage in China

Limited English is displayed in train stations in China. Limited English is displayed in train stations in China.

You’ll find English signage at all of China’s major airports. There is some English at train stations. Ticketing agents will usually have a good grasp of English, especially at major airline counters.

Subway systems in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Xi’an, Chengdu, and Chongqing have English signage, and ticketing machines have an English interface. Most of these systems announce stops in English.

With taxis, it’s probably best to assume that drivers will not speak or understand English — even in Hong Kong. Bring a business card or have your destination written down in Chinese characters.

Buses in Beijing are tricky to use if you don’t speak or read Mandarin. Drivers and staff speak little English and few stops are announced in English. This contrasts with Shanghai, where stops are announced, and Hong Kong, where most buses announce and display stops in English. In Xi’an some buses that run to the more popular sites have English displays. Buses in Chengdu and Urumqi do not have English signage.

It may not always be easy to get directions in English, depending on where you are and who you ask. If you’re at The Bund in Shanghai, or a similarly busy tourist area, chances are good that you’ll find a local who can help you.

Nearly all road traffic signs in Beijing and Shanghai have English on them. In Hong Kong, traffic signage must have English by law.

Menus in China

Most premium restaurants will have an English menu. You’ll also find English menus at tourist restaurants in the major cities and at some popular sights. At small street-side restaurants and outside of the big cities, English menus can be few and far between.

What’s written on the menu and what you get on your plate might not be the same thing, and translations can be flawed — often with unintentionally humorous or even shocking results!

Some menus lack pictures, compounding the frustration. The staff’s English skills will vary depending on the type of restaurant; is it mostly locals or packed with tourists? If it’s the latter then you can expect a basic level of English, though some snack vendors at touristy spots might know a few common English words or numbers.

Menus are usually divided into sections according to food type. This might be somewhat helpful if you’re able to decipher at least one dish….

Apps like Google Translate can translate speech and text in images, but don’t expect them to be perfect. (Read more below in the section Apps.)

Chinese Restaurant Menus and How to Use Them

English on Products and Packaging in China

English slogans on products should perhaps be seen as a designer’s effort to appear “internationally-minded” rather than as a genuine attempt at meaningful communication.

Wording is often nonsensical … and sometimes inadvertently offensive!

You might come across bewildering English printed on everything from t-shirts and coffee cups to advertisements, no matter where you are traveling in China. These can make for funny souvenirs for friends back home.

Helpful Communication Tools You Can Use in China

The Effective Language Learning Center says Mandarin and Cantonese are among the most difficult languages for a native English user to learn. It is no doubt equally difficult for Chinese speakers to learn and use English. Thankfully, there are other ways to communicate besides speaking and listening.

Body Language and Gestures

Body language and hand signs share similar meanings to those in the West, and can be an effective communication tool while in China.

Charades and gestures can be particularly effective at restaurants and when asking for directions.

Remember: Point at something or someone with your entire hand; pointing with only a finger is considered rude.

Learn more about useful hand signs in China

Apps

Translation apps work more or less the same way, share the same basic features, and can be used offline if you download language packs. What follows is by no means an exhaustive list.

WeChat: Online, Android, iOS, Mac OS, Windows

WeChat is the most popular all-round digital communication tool in China; more people use it than don’t. You can download an international version, which has a translation function.

Key feature: does just about everything

Google Translate: Online and app (Android and iOS)

Key feature: real-time speech and text image translation

Important: Google, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp, and other similar web products from the West are blocked in Mainland China. You could set up a VPN (virtual private network) before your trip. This would allow you to access all of these blocked products while in China. Keep in mind that, sometimes, even access to the VPN is blocked. For email, you could get a Yahoo! or Hotmail account and then delete it when you get home.

iTranslate: Android, iOS, Mac OS, Windows

Key feature: Converts Chinese characters into pinyin (Latin letters)

Microsoft Translator: Online, Windows desktop, Android, iOS

Key feature: Translates voice and text in real time

TripLingo: Android, iOS

Key feature: There is a function to speak to a live human translator

China’s top telecommunication companies, China Telecom, China Unicom, and China Mobile, offer customer services in English.

The Top 15 Apps for China Travelers

New to VPNs? Read about the best virtual private networks for China.

Pen and Paper

Write a word or phrase in English and chances are good it can be scanned by someone’s phone and almost instantly translated to Chinese.

In the event that you can’t write Chinese characters or pinyin, you’ll most likely be able to get your hotel’s reception, tour guide, or even restaurant staff to do it for you, if the restaurant sees a lot of Western tourists.

Business cards can be lifesavers. Pick up and stash your hotel’s card so that you’ll have it when you need to reference it. Many business cards in China have both Chinese and English printed on them.

Take the Guesswork Out of Communication and See China with Us

Our guides will take care of you in China and their English skills will help you get far more out of your China trip. Our guides will take care of you in China and their English skills will help you get far more out of your China trip.

Dreaming of your first trip to China but worried about language issues? Our tours remove the communication barrier. We do the planning, driving, and guiding; you relax and enjoy your trip.

Consider these popular itineraries:

We can even tailor-make your tour. Just tell us the things you’re most interested in seeing and we’ll take it from there.

English education in China: An evolutionary perspective

In today’s globalised world, English has become the language of international communication, and has played an increasingly important role in driving China’s economic growth and social development. For emerging economies like China, which is playing a growing role in world affairs, the English language is of special significance. Good English proficiency opens doors to greater opportunities and strengthens China’s overall international competitiveness.

“Foreign language learning is not simply about learning a second language,” said Shi Minghui, a former staff member at the Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in Toronto and part of China’s first generation of English learners after its reform and opening up.

“Ultimately, it is also about learning a fresh pattern of thinking. It is a way for you to discover an entirely new world. You can get a deeper understanding of the nation, the culture and the people by learning the language. English is a powerful tool for you to connect to the outside world.”

China and its people understand the critical role the English language plays in being competitive on the global stage, as well as on a personal level.

Coming a long way

English language education in China has come a long way over the past four decades.

1978 was a historic year for the field, as it was made one of the test subjects in China’s national college entrance exam. The language has become increasingly important ever since.

In the late 1980s, the College English Test Band 4 and Band 6 were initiated, while the 1990s saw a large number of Chinese students flocking to take tests such as the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) as well as the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

During the 2000s, private language education brand New Oriental became an industry giant, indicating the growing popularity of English and the massive market for English language education in China.

“China has the biggest English education market in the world,” said Zou Yimin, a former staff member at China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and founding editor of China’s English newspaper China Daily, who became engaged in English language education after retirement.

“Although Chinese people are proud of their own culture and language, they are generally willing to learn about Western cultures and languages.”

Starting young

English is a compulsory subject in China’s standard national curriculum. Many Chinese students begin learning English at an early age, some even in kindergarten. In general, they receive their first English lessons in the third grade in primary school.

There are estimated to be around 400 million Chinese people learning English, larger than the entire population of the United States. In 2018, the number of TOEFL test takers reached 300,000, ranking first in the world, according to a China.org.cn article on December 28, 2019.

“Chinese students are getting younger, and preschoolers are one of the biggest submarkets for English language education,” said Zou.

Many English education chain brands are designed specifically to cater to Chinese children.

While adults find it hard to see clear progress in a short period of time and are often too tired to learn English after work, children do not have these problems. Furthermore, parents are willing to invest a great deal in their offspring’s language education and also to supervise them along the way. Chinese parents are willing to pay twice the price for a foreign face to teach their kids than for a seasoned Chinese teacher.

There has also been a clear increase in China’s public school international programs that offer English-language AP, IB, and A-Level tracks for Chinese students hoping for overseas education, making TOEFL, IELTS, SAT, GRE and ACT a big submarket.

“A large number of quality native-speaking English teachers are needed in China,” said Zou.

Due to this trend, many expats in China are shifting to language tutoring positions, and thousands of foreigners have left their home countries to come to China in search of career opportunities.

With a huge population base, enthusiasm for the English language and decent economic growth, China’s English education market will remain the largest in the world and continue to expand.

China’s vast English language education market is also a positive contributor to the global economy, creating more job opportunities for people in the English-speaking world while promoting mutual understanding, friendship and cultural exchanges between the Chinese people and those in the English-speaking community.

Remaining problems

Although English language education in China has developed considerably and a large number of Chinese people’s English proficiency has improved greatly over the past decades, the English language education industry in China still faces some challenges.

For example, as the market grows and the number of native-speaking English tutors increases, it is getting harder to monitor their quality. Tutors vary in their capabilities and experience. The good and the bad are intermingled. A standard qualification or requirement for English tutors is lacking.

Moreover, as there are many different English testing systems in China, the syllabus is not consistent. Major English testing systems in China include the Public English Test System, College English Test, Test for English Majors, Business English Certificate and English exam for promotion. There is no national benchmark to evaluate the test takers’ performance against uniform standards.

Meanwhile, Chinese policymakers have taken measures to address some of the thorny issues plaguing the English language education industry.

For instance, in December 2019, China’s Standards of English Language Ability (CSE) was successfully linked to the TOEFL iBT. This arrangement indicates China’s ambition to innovate its English language education system, and is designed to enhance the opening and development of English language education in China.

English proficiency has improved substantially in China since the country’s reform and opening up over 40 years ago, but more efforts are still needed in the field if China expects to keep pace with the international community, thus creating more opportunities for native-speaking English tutors.

List of languages by total number of speakers

List of languages by number of speakers

This is a list of languages by total number of speakers.

It is difficult to define what constitutes a language as opposed to a dialect. Some languages, such as Chinese and Arabic, cover several mutually unintelligible varieties and are sometimes considered single languages and sometimes language families. Conversely, colloquial registers of Hindi and Urdu are almost completely mutually intelligible, and are sometimes classified as one language, Hindustani, instead of two separate languages. Such rankings should be used with caution, because it is not possible to devise a coherent set of linguistic criteria for distinguishing languages in a dialect continuum.[1]

There is no single criterion for how much knowledge is sufficient to be counted as a second-language speaker. For example, English has about 370 million native speakers but, depending on the criterion chosen, can be said to have as many as 2 billion speakers.[2]

There are also difficulties in obtaining reliable counts of speakers, which vary over time because of population change and language shift. In some areas, there is no reliable census data, the data is not current, or the census may not record languages spoken, or record them ambiguously. Sometimes speaker populations are exaggerated for political reasons, or speakers of minority languages may be under-reported in favor of a national language.[3]

Top languages by population [ edit ]

Ethnologue (2022, 25th edition) [ edit ]

The following languages are listed as having 40 million or more total speakers in the 2022 edition of Ethnologue.[4] Entries identified by Ethnologue as macrolanguages (such as Arabic, Persian, Malay, Pashto, and Chinese, encompassing all their respective varieties) are not included in this section.

CIA, 2020 [ edit ]

According to the CIA, the 10 most-spoken languages (L1 + L2) in 2020 were:[50]

See also [ edit ]

Notes [ edit ]

^ [10] Modern Standard Arabic is not an L1. ^ Ethnologue considers that Filipino is a standardized variety of the Tagalog language with no speakers. Tagalog and Filipino are defined as two different languages in the ISO 639 standard.considers that Filipino is a standardized variety of the Tagalog language with no speakers.

References [ edit ]

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