English-speaking countries To begin with, it needs to be noticed that the world of English is not homogeneous. It comprises highly educated, best-perfoming countries with rich national heritage, such as Great Britain or U.S., a great number of less developed states in Africa, Oceania and Caribbean region. English we mean, when speaking of a global language, is Standard British English – the most neutral and orderly variant of English. This English has become a universal means of communication which is used now worldwide in business, science, politics, etc. Nevertheless, there are many other regional variants of English with their own specific pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar. As all the English-speaking countries can not be covered in this essay, the attention will be focused on the two major ones – Great Britain and the U.S.A. For British people English is a kind of national heritage which they used to own before, but now it belongs to the international community. However, Britain remains the motherland of Shakespeare and other outstanding personalities, monarchy, prestigious universities and, what is more, English humour, which has developed gradually into some kind of national feature. It is often spoken about englishness – a trait, which is divided by the population of the British Isles but which can not be so easily defined. According to Kate Fox, a social anthropologist, the author of the book Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour, what is so specific about englishness is the sense of humour. Summing up, all the English-speaking countries have their own national features which can be studied with the help of their culture. Having international language as their mother tongue helps their residents to gain more success in the global world we live in.