Surprising Fact: More English Speakers in India Than US

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In summary, there are more English-speaking people in India, than in the US. However, competence and fluency are more problematic for people from the US. Americans can hear a difference in pronunciation of the words "either" and "ether", but rarely recognize that they could just as well pronounce them the same, and nobody would notice.
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Ivan Seeking
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There are more English-speaking people in India, than in the US.
 
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  • #2
Marshmellows are the modern form of a medicinal confection made from Althaea officinalis, the marshmallow plant.
 
  • #3
Humans will never invent a device that can lift 6.02 x 10^23 items of anything large enough for a human to see - even with a microscope.

And, for those that don't recognize it, 6.02 x 10^23 is Avogadro's number - the number of molecules in a mole.

A glass of water has a little less than 14 moles of water, or about 8 x 10^24 molecules of water. That's more molecules in a glass of water than there are glasses of water in the ocean (about 5 x 10^21 cups of water in the ocean).

I was kind of shocked by the 5 x 10^21 cups of water in the ocean. Who filled up all those cups and whose going to clean them out?
 
  • #4
We already have one similar thread, it is called random thoughts.
 
  • #5
Ivan Seeking said:
There are more English-speaking people in India, than in the US.
Competence and fluency are a bit more problematic. I spend 2 hours on the phone today trying to get air-time added to my wife's TracFone after the automated process failed. Not fun. The help-desk guy couldn't reliably repeat the SN, PIN, etc needed to get those minutes into the phone, and he was impossible to understand. I had to ask him to repeat everything.
 
  • #6
Borek said:
We already have one similar thread, it is called random thoughts.

Uh, no. That thread is loaded with nonsense and minor daily thoughts. This is supposed to be fact based.
 
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Let's try... spinach is not iron rich.
 
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Potatoes have twice as much potassium as bananas.
 
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The normally rare "woolly Earth'star", trichaster melanocephalum, can be found in abundance at the old airport Fornebu outside Oslo:
[PLAIN]http://admin.soppognyttevekster.no/media/manedensBilde/2010/Trichaster.JPG [Broken]
 
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  • #10
Bell peppers have twice as much vitamin C than oranges, by weight.
 
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Tarantula bites are not deadly to humans.
 
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Deep fried tarantulas taste like soft shelled crabs...with fur.
 
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Americans can hear a difference in pronunciation of the words "either" and "ether", but rarely recognize that they could just as well pronounce them the same, and nobody would notice.
 
  • #14
stevenb said:
Americans can hear a difference in pronunciation of the words "either" and "ether", but rarely recognize that they could just as well pronounce them the same, and nobody would notice.
I would notice. I don't just hear a difference, there really is a difference.
 
  • #15
stevenb said:
Americans can hear a difference in pronunciation of the words "either" and "ether", but rarely recognize that they could just as well pronounce them the same, and nobody would notice.
You mean if the person I spoke to didn't know what ether was?
 
  • #16
Evo said:
You mean if the person I spoke to didn't know what ether was?
What if you didn't know, ether? :tongue:
 
  • #17
When speaking about ether you better know what you are talking about, either you get banned.
 
  • #18
The skins of canned tangerine parts are removed by soaking them in HCl.
 
  • #19
Jimmy Snyder said:
I would notice. I don't just hear a difference, there really is a difference.

Are there any other Americans who wish to prove my "surprising fact"? :rofl:
 
  • #20
George Bush is the only U.S. President to have earned an MBA.
 
  • #21
jobyts said:
George Bush is the only U.S. President to have [STRIKE]earned an[/STRIKE] been granted an MBA.
All fixed for you.
 
  • #22
Ivan Seeking said:
There are more English-speaking people in India, than in the US.

There are more English-speaking people in US, than in the UK.
 
  • #23
waht said:
There are more English-speaking people in US, than in the UK.
There are more English-speaking people in the UK than in England. :tongue2:
 
  • #24
Honey is the only human food that never spoils. Honey dating back several thousand years is still edible.
 
  • #25
There are only one species of birds which can see in the color range we call blue: Owls.
 
  • #26
mugaliens said:
Honey is the only human food that never spoils. Honey dating back several thousand years is still edible.

That's amazing. Why doesn't it spoil?
 
  • #27
lisab said:
Bell peppers have twice as much vitamin C than oranges, by weight.

Sure, but who wants to drink bell-pepper juice for breakfast! :biggrin:

It is more likely that you will be killed by a pig than a shark.

Wow. You are more likely to die by your own hand than by someone else's [as a victim of violence].
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_causes_of_death_by_rate
 
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  • #28
For most parts of the world, you're much more likely to die of the flu than be killed by a terrorist. In the US, more people are killed by bath-tubs than by terrorists.
 
  • #29
stevenb said:
Are there any other Americans who wish to prove my "surprising fact"? :rofl:

Your fact is neither proved, nor is it true. In the "Middle American" accent at least, the two sounds indicated by "th" are very distinct, and as different as "t" is to "d." You cannot randomly flip-flop phonemes and expect people to understand what you're saying. Putting the "thorn" sound into "either" would sound like a speech impediment. It is much like pronouncing the "wh" in Cool Whip. If any grade school student said "ether" in place of "either," that would be fodder for some endless teasing.
 
  • #30
BobG said:
Humans will never invent a device that can lift 6.02 x 10^23 items of anything large enough for a human to see - even with a microscope.

Check my math, but it looks to me like this statement is wrong.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taisun is capable of lifting 20000 metric tons. That means 2x107kg, or 6.02x1023 objects weighting about 3.3x10-17kg. Assuming water density of 1000kg/m3, this means sphere with diameter around 400nm, while practical resolution limit for an optical microscope is around 200nm.
 
  • #31
Gokul43201 said:
For most parts of the world, you're much more likely to die of the flu than be killed by a terrorist. In the US, more people are killed by bath-tubs than by terrorists.

You would think a person could find at least one instance of a person being crushed by a bathtub in a Home Depot or Lowes, but the closest I could find was a 3-year-old girl being crushed by over 2,000 lbs of kitchen counter tops.

I wonder if they stack things so high at Home Depots in California. I think that would be a scary place to be in an earthquake.
 
  • #32
Chi Meson said:
Your fact is neither proved, nor is it true.

Thank you for providing another data point. Any more?
 
  • #33
stevenb said:
Thank you for providing another data point. Any more?
What are you rambling on about?
 
  • #34
Evo said:
What are you rambling on about?

Actually, I'm doing my best to not ramble on and spoil the fun of the thread. But, it's clear that I'm about to do that, which is not my intent. Please either ignore my posts in this thread, or delete them as you see fit.

I could clarify and support my original statement with references, but what is the point of that, if people are getting all bent out of shape.

Please accept my apologies, and carry on in good spirits.
 
  • #35
stevenb said:
I could clarify and support my original statement with references, but what is the point of that, if people are getting all bent out of shape.

Please accept my apologies, and carry on in good spirits.
I'm not bent out of shape, but I am curious. Please support your original statement by all means.
 
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<h2>1. How is it possible that there are more English speakers in India than the US?</h2><p>This is due to the fact that India has a much larger population than the US, with over 1.3 billion people compared to the US's population of approximately 328 million. Even though English is not the primary language in India, it is widely spoken and taught in schools, making it the second most spoken language in the country.</p><h2>2. Is English the official language of India?</h2><p>No, English is not the official language of India. The country has two official languages, Hindi and English. However, English is widely used in government, education, and business, making it an important language in India.</p><h2>3. What is the history behind English becoming a widely spoken language in India?</h2><p>English was introduced to India during British colonial rule in the 17th century. It was initially used as a means of communication between the British and the local population. Over time, it became the language of education and administration, and after India gained independence in 1947, English continued to be used in these areas.</p><h2>4. Are there any regional variations in the English spoken in India?</h2><p>Yes, there are regional variations in the English spoken in India, just like any other country. Each state in India has its own regional languages, and the way English is spoken may be influenced by these languages. For example, English spoken in the southern state of Tamil Nadu may have more influence from the Tamil language compared to English spoken in the northern state of Punjab.</p><h2>5. How does the number of English speakers in India impact the global use of the language?</h2><p>The large number of English speakers in India definitely has a significant impact on the global use of the language. India is a major player in the global economy, and many Indian companies have a global presence. The proficiency of English among the Indian population makes it easier for these companies to communicate and do business with other English-speaking countries. Additionally, the growing number of English speakers in India contributes to the overall growth and influence of the language worldwide.</p>

1. How is it possible that there are more English speakers in India than the US?

This is due to the fact that India has a much larger population than the US, with over 1.3 billion people compared to the US's population of approximately 328 million. Even though English is not the primary language in India, it is widely spoken and taught in schools, making it the second most spoken language in the country.

2. Is English the official language of India?

No, English is not the official language of India. The country has two official languages, Hindi and English. However, English is widely used in government, education, and business, making it an important language in India.

3. What is the history behind English becoming a widely spoken language in India?

English was introduced to India during British colonial rule in the 17th century. It was initially used as a means of communication between the British and the local population. Over time, it became the language of education and administration, and after India gained independence in 1947, English continued to be used in these areas.

4. Are there any regional variations in the English spoken in India?

Yes, there are regional variations in the English spoken in India, just like any other country. Each state in India has its own regional languages, and the way English is spoken may be influenced by these languages. For example, English spoken in the southern state of Tamil Nadu may have more influence from the Tamil language compared to English spoken in the northern state of Punjab.

5. How does the number of English speakers in India impact the global use of the language?

The large number of English speakers in India definitely has a significant impact on the global use of the language. India is a major player in the global economy, and many Indian companies have a global presence. The proficiency of English among the Indian population makes it easier for these companies to communicate and do business with other English-speaking countries. Additionally, the growing number of English speakers in India contributes to the overall growth and influence of the language worldwide.

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