{"id":1218,"date":"2024-03-12T12:39:05","date_gmt":"2024-03-12T12:39:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thehistoryofenglish.com\/?p=1218"},"modified":"2024-03-12T12:39:08","modified_gmt":"2024-03-12T12:39:08","slug":"how-many-people-in-norway-speak-english","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thehistoryofenglish.com\/how-many-people-in-norway-speak-english","title":{"rendered":"How Many People in Norway Speak English?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Norway is a small Scandinavian country with a great reputation. Year after year, Norway consistently stands out as one of the richest, happiest, and most egalitarian countries in the world. Unsurprisingly, Norwegians are also known as some of the best English language speakers, a fact often attributed to Norway’s high standard of education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to 2022 estimates, up to 90% of Norway\u2019s population speaks English at least at a basic level. Moreover, according to English proficiency test scores, Norway ranks #5 globally for its high English fluency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While we don\u2019t know the exact number of English speakers in Norway, most estimates are impressive. Data from 2013 put the total number of English speakers at around 4.5 million, 88% of the population at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If we go by the 90% estimate in 2022, while accounting for the population increase from 2013 to 2022, the total number of English speakers in Norway today is likely around 4.9 million. It\u2019s safe to assume that the average person in Norway speaks English at least at a basic level, though many likely speak English fluently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Curious to find out more about English in Norway? Keep reading to learn about Norway\u2019s linguistic culture and demographics!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Norwegians are often said to be among the best English speakers in the world. This is likely more than just a stereotype. Here are the stats to prove it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to these numbers, roughly 9 in 10 Norwegian people speak English, a rate similar to other Scandinavian countries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Norway has an average proficiency level of C1 on the CEFR scale, a language level which implies:<\/p>\n\n\n\n This widespread level of very high English fluency in the Norwegian population is impressive. However, we must still remember that these are averages and, according to the EF website, the English Proficiency Index is not perfectly representative of a country\u2019s proficiency in foreign languages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even in Norway, people might occasionally encounter a language barrier. Nevertheless, we can be quite confident in assuming most Norwegians speak English very well. All the data points in the same direction, and Norway has consistently ranked in the top 10 most proficient countries since the introduction of the EPI in 2011.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sources: <\/strong>Oxford Dictionaries<\/strong><\/a>, <\/strong>Wikipedia<\/strong><\/a>, <\/strong>Macrotrends<\/strong><\/a>, <\/strong>Education First<\/strong><\/a>, <\/strong>British Council<\/strong><\/a>, <\/strong>Council of Europe<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Norwegians are very good at speaking English, more so than many other European countries. English is the most widely spoken language in the country besides Norwegian. All numbers tell a similar story. There are a few linguistic, cultural, economic, and political factors that contribute to this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n English has been a mandatory school subject in Norway for decades now. Originally, the English language became mandatory in the 60\u2019s starting with secondary education, roughly at the age of 13.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since 1998, with the implementation of The Education Act, English was introduced as a mandatory subject in primary schools, starting at the age of 6. <\/p>\n\n\n\n All Norwegian generations born after WWII have received mandatory English education, and those currently aged 30 and under started learning English very early on. As per the Norwegian school curriculum, education is compulsory from years 1 through 10. During this time, Norwegian students receive a total of 588 hours of English language instruction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the Cambridge English website, it takes roughly 500-600 cumulative hours of study to reach a B2 level in English. So, by the end of grade 10, English students in Norway are expected to use the language at an upper-intermediate level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The vast majority of students in Norway continue learning English throughout upper secondary education, amassing over 700 cumulative hours of English instruction. This is the approximate number of study hours to reach a C1 (advanced) level in English, according to the same Cambridge website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Learning a foreign language similar to your native language gives you an easier start, compared to learning everything new from scratch. Such is the case for English learners who already speak other Scandinavian languages like Norwegian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Norwegian and English share a similar origin and history. For starters, both are Germanic languages, so they’re bound to have many similarities in terms of vocabulary and, to a lesser extent, grammar and pronunciation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The two languages are also related from a historical perspective. Old Norse, a precursor to Modern Norwegian, has left a massive impact on Old English during the three-century Viking Age in England. Unsurprisingly, the close relationship between Old English and Old Norse contributed to the similar evolution of the two languages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Furthermore, the role of English as the lingua franca of the world after WW2 has further contributed<\/a> to this mutual linguistic influence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The result is that the two languages share a lot of common words, which makes vocabulary acquisition and recall a lot easier for Norwegians learning English. Here are a few examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\nNumber of English Speakers in Norway (General Stats)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Why Do People in Norway Speak English so Well?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Norwegians start learning English at a very early age<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Norwegian and English are very similar<\/h3>\n\n\n\n