Problem
You want to make life easy for yourself or one of your group. After a stressful time in a country where you could not read the language, could not understand the taxi driver, and needed to pay for the transport and food and daily rate for an interpreter, you want an English speaking country.
Here are countries with English as a first language:
UK
Signs are in English.
A London accent with received pronunciation should in theory be the language in London. In peak seasons such as Easter and the summer holidays (July and August) London is full of tourists. If you are wondering what Brexit is all about, you might understand when you observe the huge numbers of Londoners who are second generation, or adults who speak a foreign language and use their children as interpreters.
If you have already been to London and the UK, consider a trip including Wales, Scotland, Ireland, The Channel Islands, The Isle of Man.
In Scotland you will be more easily understood in Edinburgh than in Glasgow.
In Wales signs are bilingual in Welsh and English.
USA
English is the first language with an American accent.
New York is hot in summer, cold in winter, great in the shoulder seasons, the Spring and the autumn (known to Americans as The Fall). Watch out for words which mean different things, momentarily, make a right, and pants.
English is spoken with an accent but slowly in the south.
If you have Spanish as a second language you will also see signs in Spanish.
CANADA
Toronto will be better for speakers of English than French speaking Montreal.
Ottawa is the capital where you will find bilingual speakers.
South Africa
English with a South African accent.
Australia
Apart from g'day and sheilas you will understand everything. Watch out for thongs. Except for the national song Waltzing Mathilda.
New Zealand
It is little England, like England in a delightful time warp. See lamb in the fields and on the restaurant menus. Enjoy empty roads.
India
English is used as a second language.
You might also consider: Gibraltar, Jersey, largest of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_territorial_entities_where_English_is_an_official_language
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, teacher of English. See my posts on Americanisms. Please share links to your favourite posts.
You want to make life easy for yourself or one of your group. After a stressful time in a country where you could not read the language, could not understand the taxi driver, and needed to pay for the transport and food and daily rate for an interpreter, you want an English speaking country.
Here are countries with English as a first language:
UK
Signs are in English.
A London accent with received pronunciation should in theory be the language in London. In peak seasons such as Easter and the summer holidays (July and August) London is full of tourists. If you are wondering what Brexit is all about, you might understand when you observe the huge numbers of Londoners who are second generation, or adults who speak a foreign language and use their children as interpreters.
If you have already been to London and the UK, consider a trip including Wales, Scotland, Ireland, The Channel Islands, The Isle of Man.
In Scotland you will be more easily understood in Edinburgh than in Glasgow.
In Wales signs are bilingual in Welsh and English.
USA
English is the first language with an American accent.
New York is hot in summer, cold in winter, great in the shoulder seasons, the Spring and the autumn (known to Americans as The Fall). Watch out for words which mean different things, momentarily, make a right, and pants.
English is spoken with an accent but slowly in the south.
If you have Spanish as a second language you will also see signs in Spanish.
CANADA
Toronto will be better for speakers of English than French speaking Montreal.
Ottawa is the capital where you will find bilingual speakers.
South Africa
English with a South African accent.
Australia
Apart from g'day and sheilas you will understand everything. Watch out for thongs. Except for the national song Waltzing Mathilda.
New Zealand
It is little England, like England in a delightful time warp. See lamb in the fields and on the restaurant menus. Enjoy empty roads.
India
English is used as a second language.
You might also consider: Gibraltar, Jersey, largest of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_territorial_entities_where_English_is_an_official_language
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, teacher of English. See my posts on Americanisms. Please share links to your favourite posts.
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