The English language belongs to the group of Anglo-Frisian 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, and many international organizations such as the UN and NATO.