8 Reasons Why English is Important
Since childhood, many of us have been judged by our level of English fluency. If we could not speak English well, people called us dull, weak, etc. irrespective of how talented and intelligent we were.
As students, our parents and teachers encouraged us to speak or learn to speak English, and we felt the burden. We always asked ourselves – why is it so important?
If you are from an Asian country (sorry, Asia!), you were measured by whether or not you were able to speak English. We always felt proud if we spoke better than our neighbours! đ
But, if we could not, we thought about how to learn English? We always thought about why many people can speak well. We felt inferior if we couldnât speak English properly. The most common thought non-native English speakers have is âHow to improve English?â But do you know why English is crucial? If you are unaware of the reasons, please read on.
In this article, I will walk you through the 8 reasons stating the importance of the English language.
(1) English is the International Language
- Whether we believe it or not, English is the language in the entire world. The following statistics, according to a study prove the point:
- English is the official language of 53 countries
- It is the native language of 400 million people
- It is spoken by 1-1.5 billion people around the world
- It is the 2nd most common language in the world
- Letâs say you live in a city with a population of 100,000. Out of them, 75,000 people speak your mother tongue. This reduces your horizon to 75% of people. However, if you look at a global level, the current population of the world â at the time of writing – is 7.8 billion (source: World Population), which means you are reducing yourself to 0.00096% of the people.
- If you learn English you will be able to understand and communicate with a majority of the worldâs population.
- So, if you want to be someone who wants to have friends or opportunities around the world, English is the language.
(2) You Can Travel Anywhere in the World
- If you are someone who wishes to improve English speaking skills, pronunciation, vocabulary, etc. let me tell you that you have made a great decision. Many of us love traveling! If you could speak English, you can travel to any country in the world and the chances are if they donât speak your language, they probably speak English.
- English is spoken as the first or second language in many countries. It is easy to find English speakers and in many places â hotels, restaurants, etc. â you will find information written in English.
- In other countries, some of your best conversations will be with the people on the streets. English will bridge the communication gap and as an added bonus, you will know people from other countries, be friends with them and also learn their culture.
(3) You Learn About Other Cultures
- When you know English, you will understand how people in other countries live, think and work. A major problem knowing English will solve is you do not misunderstand what people are saying.
- Not only phrases, idioms and vocabulary, you should know other things, such as body language, facial expressions, hand movements and other non-verbal cues. If you know words or expressions which are acceptable and unacceptable, a lot of cultural misunderstanding between you and your friends from other countries will be prevented.
- Furthermore, good knowledge of English will let you understand movies, TV shows, music and literature of many countries. Many books are translated into English, hence, you will know about the history, geography, economics, etc. of other countries.
(4) You Have More Career Opportunities
- This is important for you, so, please read carefully. English is the business language. Almost every business communication in the world takes place in English. Hence, if you have to be a part of any global organization, speaking English is a must!
- Due to its importance to business, employers expect their employees to be fluent in English. Name any global giant, they communicate in English. Google, Facebook, AirBNB, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, you name them, all have made English mandatory as their corporate language.
- So, if you speak English well, your chances of getting hired in any organization are way higher than those who donât. Many companies have clients from all over the world, hence, English will be helpful. Many companies hire bilinguals as translators, language teachers or marketing professionals to work for them.
- Knowledge of English will enable you to work in different sectors such as travel, tourism, hospitality and so on. When you are fluent in English, you will be able to prepare better for interviews with large, international companies.
- Following links will provide you with resources you need to practice your English interview:
(5) You Can Excel in Your Current Job
- If you are currently working, youâd have realized the importance of English. If you are fluent, you ace meetings, your presentations make everyone impressed, and your e-mails are perfect. Your boss will recommend you over others for business meetings, trips and discussions.
- If you are a persuasive speaker, more often than not, your pitches will close the deals in your favour. You then become a valuable asset to the organization. This will result in timely promotions and other incentives.
- With proficiency of the English language, you will effectively communicate with international clients, build trust and create a long-lasting relations with them. Being able to communicate in English with clients makes your skill-set more attractive for companies and you can ask for higher salaries.
(6) English is the “Internet Language”
- On the Internet, more than half the content is written in English. When you know English, you donât rely on translation and subtitles of your favourite books, songs, movies and TV shows.
- Whenever you search anything on Google, the results are in English. Articles you read online – even mine đ – are in English, there are some which provide an option of translating, but majority of them are in English only. With the knowledge of the English language, you thoroughly understand the content and you wonât misunderstand facts.
- On YouTube, many influencers post videos in English to have a global reach and help people around the world. Which is your favourite YouTuber, by the way? Please let me know in the comments.
(7) English Gives You Access to the World of Entertainment
- Many of the worldâs best movies and songs are published in English. Therefore, by learning English you will be able to access to a huge amount of entertainment. You do not need to depend on translation, you can enjoy the originals. Isnât this a fun way of learning English?
- You will enjoy all the Hollywood blockbusters on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, etc. While enjoying your favourite TV shows, music and movies, you will learn new words, phrases, slangs, idioms and expressions which will help you get better at English.
- I have a few friends who could not speak a single sentence in English, but nowâŚ., they speak so well that they can impress anybody. They credit their success to Brooklyn99, Lucifer, Teen Wolf, etc. Even you can do the same. When you watch, pay attention to the words and expressions and start to use them. Attention! Usage of offensive slangs, words and expressions are to be avoided.
(8) It Makes You Look Smart & Confident
- If you are from Asia (sorry again, Asia!), you will find many people who will look at you in awe if you speak English. We have been brought up in a culture, where if you speak English you are considered to be smart. When you live amongst people who do not â but wish to â speak English, they admire and look up to those who can.
- When you can speak the International language, you feel confident and exude it from your behaviour. I have met many people, experts in many subjects, who feel inferior due to their poor English speaking skills. On the other hand, I have some friends, who are not that talented đ yet are confident only due to English fluency.
- For us, non-native speakers of the language, English fluency is a lifetime achievement. Keep in mind that it is a language and anyone, with hard work, can be fluent. Believe in yourself, donât quit, keep learning and may all of you achieve your English fluency goal! đ
Conclusion
- In this article, we learnt the following 8 reasons highlighting the importance of learning English and the benefits that come along with it:
- English is the International Language: English is the native language of 400 million people and it is spoken by 1-1.5 billion people. It is the 2nd most common language in the world. It is also the second language in many countries.
- You Can Travel Anywhere in the World: Many people speak English. So if they donât speak your language, they might probably speak English. You will have the best conversations with the people on streets and know about their culture.
- You Learn About Other Cultures: When you speak English, you learn about other cultures from books, TV shows, etc. You also learn about how people speak, what words they use and non-verbal mode of communication.
- You Have More Career Opportunities: Many companies globally communicate in English and employers are looking to hire people who can speak English well. Many organizations hire bilingual candidates for the post of language teachers, translators and marketing professionals.
- You Can Excel in your Current Job: If you can speak English fluently, you will ace your meetings, presentations, e-mails, etc. This will also help in building trust and long-lasting relations with clients. Effective English speaking skills will make your skill-set more attractive and you can ask for higher salaries.
- English is the âInternet Languageâ: More than half the content on the Internet is in English. Articles, books, news, etc. are in English and the knowledge of English will help you better understand them without relying on translation.
- English Gives You Access to the World of Entertainment: Hollywoodâs greatest blockbusters are in English. Therefore, by learning English you can have access to the great wealth of entertainment. While enjoying your favourite movie, TV show or music, you will learn new words, expressions, slangs, phrases and idioms which will improve your vocabulary.
- It Makes You Look Smart & Confident: If you can speak English, you feel confident, as, in many countries, fluent English speakers are admired and looked up to. Even if you are less talented than your peers, English fluency will give you an upper hand over them.
Happy Learning!!!
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