how many people use english now a days

[shahnawaz]

hai

Would any body like to tell me how many people are using
english now a days.

shah

[**C@RL$$**]

i am not quite sure but a lot
mostly of the countries spoke english

[Tdol]

As a first language or second?
As a first languager, estimates go up to about half a billion, but it is hard to define. As a second language, the numbers would be much bigger, but again, how much English would they need to know to be classified as a speaker?