

Some border areas, however, managed to hold onto their Celtic languages (such as Welsh inCornwall and Wales, and Gaelic in Ireland and the Scottish Highlands). The Germanic influence proved so great that there were but few traces of Celtic or Latin left in the language in the main part of the country. when Germanic tribes invaded Britain-then inhabited by Celts and still part of the Roman Empire. The history of English began around the fifth century A.D. A New Zealander can communicate with a Canadian just as well as a Scot can speak with a Kenyan. There are, of course, many differences in accent and vocabulary in the many versions of the language, but they are rarely so extreme that people cannot understand one another. And it is considered an “associate official language” of India. It is also the official language of many countries in Africa and the Caribbean, and of islands in the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Whether you are in an airport in Ankara, a train in Transylvania, a hotel in Honduras, at a restaurant in Togo or at a business meeting in Burma, there is a good chance that you will hear English spoken at some point.Įnglish has become the unofficial language of the world community and the principal language of the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
