Which countries require a second language?
In France, Romania, Austria, Norway, Malta, Luxembourg, and Liechtenstein, every student must learn another language.
Most European nations have national requirements for students to learn at least one foreign language — and sometimes two, such as in Austria, Norway and France.
- Spanish (405 million native speakers) ...
- Mandarin Chinese (955 million native speakers) ...
- German (95 million native speakers) ...
- French (75 million native speakers) ...
- Arabic (295 million native speakers)
Rank | Country | Mandatory or Optional subject |
---|---|---|
1 | Germany | Mandatory |
2 | Spain | Mandatory |
3 | Netherlands | Mandatory |
4 | Italy | Mandatory |
Bangladesh is the only nation in the world to have fought for and won its independence on the basis of preserving the right to speak its own language, and this day has a special emotional significance across the country.
- Belize. 82%
- Singapore. 83%
- Israel. 85%
- Sweden. 86%
- Denmark. 86%
- Bahamas. 87%
- Trinidad and Tobago. 87%
- Malta. 89%
Currently, English is mandatory in all Mexican schools from seventh through ninth grade, although many private schools start as early as preschool. The result is a growing divide between rich and poor.
The government has repeatedly tried to use policy to improve English teaching. For example, English is now mandatory at elementary schools. As a fifth-grader, my son had to study the language for about 70 hours a year.
The United States has never had a legal policy proclaiming an official national language. However, at some times and places, there have been various moves to promote or require the use of English, such as in Native American boarding schools.
Across multiple sources, Mandarin Chinese is the number one language listed as the most challenging to learn. The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center puts Mandarin in Category IV, which is the list of the most difficult languages to learn for English speakers.
What is the easiest second language?
- Norwegian. This may come as a surprise, but we have ranked Norwegian as the easiest language to learn for English speakers. ...
- Swedish. ...
- Spanish. ...
- Dutch. ...
- Portuguese. ...
- Indonesian. ...
- Italian. ...
- French.
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.

Learning a foreign language is compulsory throughout Germany in secondary schools and English is one of the more popular choices. Students at certain Gymnasium are required to learn Latin as their first foreign language and choose a second foreign language.
All pupils must learn English in 13 countries or regions within the European Union, as well as Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Republic of Macedonia and Norway. In most cases, English is the first language that pupils have to learn.
There probably will never be an official language of the United States. Since the 1780s hundreds of constitutional amendments have been written to make English the official language of the US. None of the amendments have ever passed. Most Americans don't think about the official language often enough to force a change.
English is by far the most prominent spoken language in the U.S., with over 239 million English-speaking people across the country.
Hawaii is the only US state to have two official languages, yet they are far from equal – and the one that was there first gets the worst deal. Forty years ago this year, Olelo Hawai'i (the native Hawaiian language) was officially incorporated into the state constitution as the state language, alongside English.
New Zealand is the Most Peaceful English-speaking Country - Languages International.
- United Kingdom. Investment For Foreigners.
- Grenada. Living expenses:
- South Africa. Living Expenses:
- Antigua and Barbuda. Living Expenses:
- Belize. Living Cost:
- The Philippines. Living Cost:
- India. Living cost:
- Guyana. Cost of living:
The Netherlands has emerged as the nation with the highest English language proficiency, according to the EF English Proficiency Index, with a score of 72.
Can I go to Mexico without knowing Spanish?
While those who visit on vacation can enjoy Mexico without needing to speak any Spanish, when you're living here and doing everyday tasks like shopping at the market, paying your bills, getting your car repaired, and arranging for a plumber to fix a leaking pipe, most conversations you encounter will need to be ...
French schools are required to teach a foreign language to students, and instruction should begin the second year of primary school. While that language does not have to be English, the goal is that by the end of middle school, students should have an A2 level in a foreign language.
In Mexico, basic education is normally divided in three steps: primary school (primaria), comprising grades 1–6; junior high school (secundaria), comprising grades 7–9; and high school (preparatoria), comprising grades 10–12.
Most top colleges will require students to demonstrate proficiency in a second language by graduation. Some universities, like Northwestern, encourage students to fulfill their foreign language requirements before classes even start.
Language Requirements
You need to have the required level of at least two EU official languages for the selection procedure for which you are applying.
English remains an official EU language, despite the United Kingdom having left the EU. It remains an official and working language of the EU institutions as long as it is listed as such in Regulation No 1. English is also one of Ireland's and Malta's official languages.
Meanwhile, the U.S. does not have a nationwide foreign-language mandate at any level of education. Many states allow individual school districts to set language requirements for high school graduation, and primary schools have very low rates of even offering foreign-language course work.
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