How many people speak english

Raimundo   Sun Dec 11, 2005 9:48 pm GMT
I read an article by the British Council that said by the year 2015 3 billion people would be speaking English fluently on Earth. But how many people today speak it fluently on Earth in 2006.. Also, we all learn English because of the immense power of the US in the world today. Within the US, the only standard form of the language can be heard on NPR. Is this the way all speakers of English should aspire to sound like... Thankx
Uriel   Sun Dec 11, 2005 11:30 pm GMT
There are actually quite a few different regional American accents on NPR. No, I don't think everyone "should" aspire to one standard or another.
Guest   Mon Dec 12, 2005 1:13 am GMT
Is there even a "standard" form of American English? If so, would that be a dialect from the West, the Midwest, the Northwest, the Great Lakes, western New England, etc? I suppose you could leave out the South, NYC area, Eastern New England, etc.
Kirk   Mon Dec 12, 2005 4:28 am GMT
There is no rigidly defined standard American English. As Uriel commented, there are quite a few different regional accents on NPR--I was just listening to NPR earlier today. In fact, in terms of national programs on NPR, I'm used to hearing accents which sound different than mine. Of course on local NPR programs, people sound like they're from here (California).
Double-wood   Mon Dec 12, 2005 8:12 am GMT
owo!
tim   Mon Dec 12, 2005 10:26 am GMT
i speak it
triple decker   Mon Dec 12, 2005 10:33 am GMT
count me in +1
Cro Magnon   Mon Dec 12, 2005 3:36 pm GMT
I don't know how many speak it in 2006. Ask me in a few weeks. :)
Guest   Mon Dec 12, 2005 9:28 pm GMT
>>I read an article by the British Council that said by the year 2015 3 billion people would be speaking English fluently on Earth. But how many people today speak it fluently on Earth in 2006.. <<

Statistics sometimes lie.