English Speaking Union
The English-Speaking Union (ESU) is an international educational charity that promotes "international understanding and friendship through the use of the English language."
It was founded at the end of the First World War by Sir Evelyn Wrench with the aim of promoting closer ties between the English-speaking peoples. One of its first Chairmen was Sir Winston Churchill.
Since then the Union has grown into a world wide organisation operating in more than 50 countries creating international understanding through the use of the English language.
With almost 40 branches in the UK, and over 50 overseas ESUs in countries in every part of the world, the ESU reaches out to young people world wide from every social background encouraging them to use English well to realise their own potential.
It partners and is supported by many of the world’s most famous companies and it deploys information technology to advance international understanding in every way possible.
Did You Know?
- English has official or special status in at least seventy five countries with a total population of over two billion.
- English is spoken as a second language by around 375 million speakers in the world.
- Around 750 million people are believed to speak English as a foreign language.
- One out of four of the world's population speak English to some level of competence.
See Also
Grammar for English Language Teachers & How English Works both winners of the English Speaking Union's Duke of Edinburgh Book Competition.
