Islands where English is spoken offer the familiarity of home and make adjusting to life there much easier, especially for those who only speak English. Knowing you’ll be able to talk to local people and integrate in the local community is a great benefit. For those who want to learn other languages as well, many of these islands speak more than one language. You can learn a new language with the comfort of knowing that you can always switch back to English. Below, you’ll find some islands where you should be able to comfortably communicate in English.
Islands of Belize
The only English-speaking nation in Central America, Belize and its islands are known as Cayes and there are over 450 islands. The tiny islands are a great place to go fishing and enjoy the warm ocean. The island that is the largest and most developed is Ambergris Caye. The official language here is English while the native language is Kriol. The locals always appreciate attempts to learn Kriol, but English is widely spoken here. The weather is hot year-round and the average temperature is 29 degrees Celsius. Mainland Belize is one of the least densely populated places in the world, but the islands are more populous.
Barbados
This is a location that is quite popular amongst the tourists, which is understandable considering it is one of those turquoise water and white sand locations. Barbados has been an English speaking islands for a long time. Warm and sunny year-round, the climate here is very on the warmer side with an average temperature of 30 degrees Celsius. The light sea breeze makes the humidity bearable and make for some great wind surfing.
St. Kitts and Nevis
The smallest sovereign state in the Western Hemisphere, this island is English-speaking. The island has beautiful white sand beaches and black volcanic beaches. It is a very attractive destination for tax purposes, but jobs are not easy to find. This island might be more ideal for retirement or for those living off of their savings.
Islands of Malaysia
Although English is not an official language in Malaysia, it is still very widely spoken. Many people speak ‘Manglish’ here, which is a combination of vocabulary from different languages. The climate here is hot and humid year round, and the average temperature is 27 degrees Celsius. If you’re an expat that is thinking about moving to Malaysia, you should experience the late supper tradition which is an important part of their culture.
Malta
Malta is right in the central Mediterranean and it is an English-speaking island with a rich history. The 2 official languages in Malta are Maltese and English. All the locals speak Maltese and most of them also speak English. The official documents in Malta and business transactions are always done in English. Since Malta is so close to Italy, the language here has an Italian accent, actually many people also speak Italian. Meeting new people is never a big problem in Malta, thanks to most people’s ability to speak English.
