People who are non-English speakers have plenty of reasons to learn the English language in a formal manner. In fact, many speakers of English should also learn the proper way to speak (and write) English. If you scan comments and posts on social media sites, you are bound to find many grammatical errors, such as using ”were” instead of ”where” and the like.
Although English is the most common language used by speakers of foreign languages, it is a language that is difficult to learn. Because English is a world language, it is important to learn it. Likewise, you are going to realize the many benefits when you learn English.
Why English?
Set aside the fact that English is difficult language to learn and think how learning the language will turn you into a bilingual person and increase your opportunities to gain employment in several countries around the world.
Increased opportunities
In the modern world, learning English becomes more important. The main motivation of people learning the English language is the increased opportunity to find employment in many parts of the world. Businesses around the world use English for communication. Knowing English improves the chances of many people to immigrate to English speaking countries. It is also required if you want to enter a foreign university or school. Despite the popularity of other major languages, English speakers still gain higher understanding, acceptance and respect from others.
What do MIT, Harvard, Cambridge and Oxford have in common? They are all English-speaking universities offering higher education. They are famous and illustrious universities that require students to speak fluent English. These schools require you to pass an English test to prove that you will be able to cope with the demands of the university’s academic environment.
In the United States, the ability to speak excellent English opens up many opportunities despite your background, color and ethnicity. You are likely to earn more, which leads to a better standard of living.
English may not be an official language in some countries, but it may be their lingua franca, meaning it is an everyday or common language. This increases the number of people with whom you can converse with when you travel. Some locals look highly on people who are able to speak English and want to help them with the local language in exchange for the traveler helping them with their English.
If you are looking towards a career in tourism, aviation and film, it is a good choice to learn English. Employers in these sectors are always looking for people who have a high level of proficiency in the English language.
More countries have adopted English
Several countries speak English because Great Britain expanded its territories in many parts of the world. Various island nations, India, Africa, Canada, New Zealand and Australia use the English language as either their official language or one of their recognized languages. As an adopted language, English is used in the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Germany. When you speak English, you’ll understand these countries and learn their cultures better.
English is the third most-widely spoken language in the world after Mandarin and Spanish. About two billion people around the world are able to speak English in different levels of proficiency, which means communication will be easier. The British Council says that there are more non-native speakers of English compared to native speakers today. It gives you a competitive edge over many individuals if you’re an English speaker.
It is the language of diplomacy and international business
Out of the 196 countries in the world, about 60 recognize English as their official language. English is an official language of the European Union, the European Free
You will be added to the 1.12 billion people who already speak English around the world. Furthermore, about one billion people worldwide are learning the language, which goes to show that learning English is important to the global community.
Moreover, the United States leads in economic development and technical innovation despite the entry of China into these fields. Aside from that, the language of science is English and it you want to excel in this field, you must learn to speak the language that is also used in aviation, film, tourism, diplomacy and computers. It is a major language used on the Internet, media and international communication.
Competitive edge
Attaining a competitive edge is very appealing for job seekers and those who want to move further in their chosen career. The large number of English speakers, which is not confined to particular countries like other languages make international companies, especially those whose countries of origin do not use English as their main language hire English-speaking people. Hiring people with excellent English language skills help them communicate easier and faster and make their companies operate efficiently.
In emerging markets in South America and Asia and in some low-income countries that are trying to be develop economically, priority is placed in providing their growing youth population with upward mobility and economic opportunities. They view the study of the English language as the best program to provide the opportunities.
Learning English provides you the chance to have pleasant and meaningful conversations with other English speakers. Travelers will have the confidence to visit other countries knowing that they would be understood. They would be more willing to understand another country’s culture as well.
Cognitive and health benefits
Learning another language such as English provides many cognitive benefits. It makes a person a better listener. Medical research indicated that being bilingual commands the brain to distinguish and accurately identify two different sets of classifiable sounds.
If you are able to speak two or more languages, you learn to focus. You avoid getting distracted because you are able to actively suppress the other languages that you know.
It also helps you to be good at multitasking. If you are bilingual, it is second nature to you to quickly switch from one language to another, which extends to efficiently and quickly switching between several tasks.
Health wise, learning English or any other foreign language improves the cognitive abilities of people, which is particularly useful in later life. Speaking another language slows the aging process of the brain and has the potential to delay the onset of age-related illnesses, such as Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Researchers have found that speaking other languages can help people recover from a stroke better than monolingual speakers. Dr. Thomas Bak from the University of Edinburgh said that speaking different languages trains the brain constantly, which is a factor that helps stroke patients to recover better.
Other studies done by different groups, such as those conducted at Milan’s Vita-Salute San Raffaele University in Milan by psychology professor Dr. Daniela Perani and University of Montréal’s Professor Ana Inés Ansaldo showed that the brains of bilingual persons are more efficient and stronger than monolingual speakers.
Wider reach
Although the global business community encourages language learners to study different languages, learning the English language provides you with a wider reach. Mandarin, which is the world’s most widely spoken language, is due more to the sheer number of the Chinese population. Statistically, Chinese is spoken in 38 countries only. The second most spoken language, Spanish is spoken in 31 countries.
Compare these figures to English, which is spoken in 118 countries. The only other languages that come close to English are Arabic, used in 58 countries and French, which is spoken in 53 countries. Still, the number of countries is just about half of the total countries where English is spoken. Aside from the intellectual challenge, learning English will give you a better return for the money, time and effort you invest in learning another language, which may guarantee more opportunities to use what you have learned.
Thus, if you are a non-English speaker who is looking for another language to study, it is better to learn English. Learning English formally is also recommended for English speakers who want to increase and improve their knowledge of the English language, either to start a new career direction or advance in their current job.
It is impressive to be a bilingual, but it is equally impressive when you add English to your résumé. It shows that you were motivated to learn a difficult language. As many countries speak English, you’ll have better opportunities in the future to apply for local and overseas positions.
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