The English language belongs to the Anglo-Frisian group of languages, which are members of the West Germanic language family. It is the third most spoken language in the world after Chinese and Spanish. English is spoken in Britain, Ireland, America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the English-speaking Caribbean. It is also used as a second or official language in the member states of the European Union, the Commonwealth of Nations, as well as in many international organizations such as the UN and NATO.