In which country is English more widely known: Sweden or Malaysia?

[Trimac20]

Originally Posted by bamba_boy

Been to both for several months each. Sweden without a doubt better English and greater % of country. Not to say Malaysia isn't pretty darned proficient. In Sweden nearly all professionals speak nearly perfectly fluid English ... some with very polished English (from England) accents to my American ears. You have to get deep into the rural north and usually with people in their 70's and older to get people that are totally lacking in English.

In Malaysia it's the reverse. Nearly all the late Middle Aged and elderly have pretty good (maybe not totally fluid) English that were kids in school during the 50's and before (Brit colonial). However, in more recent years a government policy favoring Malay pride/nationalism has been focussing on Bohassa Malay harder in the schools to the detriment of English capability. As a result you are more apt to find young people with rudimentary and older people with good or very good. Also, you'll see a difference in ethnicity. Even longterm Malaysians of Chinese and Indian ancestry tend to have made a greater effort to learn English. My theory is that they are descriminated in the job market for not being Malay so they try to gain an advantage with their language capability. Also, they are more likely to be plugged into a worldwide diaspora business network and need English for communicating to their longtime Canadian, American, or British cousins for "wheeling and dealing".

I don't know, I know plenty of older Malaysians who don't speak English well and many younger ones who do. Many of my dad's friends, who are in the 60s, of all ethnicities do speak English better though.

[BigSwede]

Originally Posted by bamba_boy

Been to both for several months each. Sweden without a doubt better English and greater % of country. Not to say Malaysia isn't pretty darned proficient. In Sweden nearly all professionals speak nearly perfectly fluid English ... some with very polished English (from England) accents to my American ears. You have to get deep into the rural north and usually with people in their 70's and older to get people that are totally lacking in English.

Did you hear an american accent among the younger people?
Older swedes tends to speak in a british "school english" style, while the younger are heavily influenced of what they hear in tv and movies.
some are even more americanised than americans themselves.

[rojerpeter]

I know Malaysia is more widely known English.I am sharing a link that is very helpful to you to know about English speaking population.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_English-speaking_population
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http://www.totalservicemanager.com/