David Graddol , a language researcher and lecturer at the Open University in Britain , said that

David Graddol , a language researcher and lecturer at the Open University in Britain , said that , on the one hand , English is becoming a language of everyday usage in some countries in Northern Europe. "Something like 70%

of the Dutch population claim now that they can hold a conversation in English quite comfortably ," Mr. Graddol said. "For them , it is not a textbook-based foreign exercise. They are already exposed to English in the environment. People have learned a little bit of it before they get to school , and they can see immediately that it has some use in their lives. In countries like the Netherlands , Sweden or Denmark you need English to complete your education. "

"In other countries , however , English is more truly a foreign language ," said Mr. Graddol , whose consulting firm , The English Council produced a worldwide report titled "The Future of English" for the British Council a few years ago. "In some countries , like China , there is not very much English in the environment and people may be learning it from teachers who may not speak English very well themselves."

In a third group of countries , like India and Nigeria where English has been used a long time , distinct local varieties of the language are emerging , complete with their own

dictionaries , textbooks and literature.

"English is so important in these countries that people use it in part to create their own social and even national identity ," Mr. Craddol said. "When that happens , the language starts going its own way. The variety of English that proficient speakers in such countries are learning may not be terribly useful in an international context. "

"Thus , the very reason for the rise of English - its guarantee of mutual intelligibility among people of different cultures - could dissolve if the language continues to split up into a variety of ‘ Englishes’."

21. 30 % of the Dutch population claim they can communicate in English very freely. ()

22. People in the Netherlands , Sweden or Denmark use English to complete their education. ()

23. According to the English Council , in some countries like China there is not very much English in the environment and English is more truly a foreign language. ()

24. In countries where distinct local varieties of English are emerging like India , people no longer use their native language. ()

25. According to the speaker , English is so popular in some European countries that it has started going its own way because people use it in part to create their own social and even national identity. ()