Why do we need to learn English?

English is a West Germanic language first spoken in early medieval England, which has become the leading language of international discourse in the 21st century. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the area of Great Britain that later took their name, England. Both names derive from Anglia, a peninsula on the Baltic Sea. English is most closely related to Frisian and Low Saxon, while its vocabulary has been significantly influenced by other Germanic languages, particularly Old Norse (a North Germanic language), as well as Latin and French.

• There are many, many reasons why learning a new language is a good idea. 
• It allows you to communicate with new people. 
• It helps you to see things from a different perspective or get a deeper understanding of another culture. 
• It helps you to become a better listener.
• It even has health benefits, as studies have shown that people who speak two or more languages have more active minds later in life!

Those are all reasons to learn any language – but did you know that there are 6,500 languages still spoken in the world today? With such an enormous number to choose from, why pick English?

1. It’s the Official Language of 53 Countries

400 million people around the world speak English as their first language. Not only that but English is listed as one of the official languages in more than a quarter of the countries in the world. That’s a lot of new people you can communicate with just by improving one language!

2. It’s the Most Widely Spoken Language in the World

What’s more, English is the rest of the world’s “second language”. While Chinese Mandarin and Spanish are the mother tongues of more people overall, most people in the world choose to learn some English after their native language. In fact, one in five people on the planet speaks or understand at least a little bit of English.

This makes English one of the most useful languages you can learn. After all, you can’t learn all 6,500 languages in the world, but at least you will be able to communicate with people from all different countries using English.

3. It Can Help You Get a Better Job

Companies are becoming more international, and English is listed as an essential skill for more and more jobs. There are some organisations that now conduct all their business in English, no matter where in the world they are based. If you want the best-paid opportunities, learning English is a great idea.

4. It Makes It Easier to Travel

As I said before, English is the world’s second language. This means that learning English makes it much easier to travel anywhere you want. For example, aeroplane announcements, train timetables, emergency information and street signs are often translated into English, particularly in countries that use a different type of alphabet. Plus, even if you don’t find other travellers or local people that speak your mother tongue, you are practically guaranteed to find someone who understands some English.

5. It’s The Language of the Media

Most of the content on the internet is written in English. Many of the world’s biggest news outlets, including TV, newspapers, magazines and radio, are produced in English. Some of your favourite films, TV shows and pop music are probably English-language. Go to any international film festival in the world and you will see that all films are either in English or have English subtitles.

English is the international language of media and arts and so, if you want to access as much as possible for yourself, without relying on translations, it’s the most powerful language you can learn today!

6. You will learn about the culture

Language and culture cannot be separated. Language is culture, and culture is language. Simply said, knowing English will give you a better understanding of people who live in English-speaking countries. Knowing the English language gives you more insight into how people think, live and work.

If you do not know about the culture of English-speaking countries, this might lead to misunderstanding what people are saying in English.

It is not enough to just know basic words and phrases. To communicate well in English, you must know about things like tone, body language and facial expressions. 

7. You can improve your understanding of science

English is the language of science. If you want to learn, publish or speak with authority in the sciences, you must learn English.

Pharmacists, engineers and doctors around the world must always learn English along with their other subjects in university. In most cases, their other class subjects are taught in English or come with an English textbook. Most medical schools in America require English as part of their coursework. In other countries, this happens too.

Science research is primarily published in English, and most abstracts (the summary of the research) are written in English so that international scientists can read them.

8. You can improve your confidence

I doubt there is any person alive who does not wish they could speak another language. It is a skill that everyone would love to add to their resume. With a little bit of studying every day, you can have this skill. Then you can be very proud of your ability to communicate with a wide variety of people.

Learning a language is hard and everyone knows it. People will automatically respect your commitment to learning and maintaining your English. Your ability to help and communicate with people will help you earn respect.

9. You will exercise your brain

If nothing else, learning English will make you smarter and keep your brain strong.

Scientists have been demonstrating that bilinguals are able to understand concepts quicker and get better scores on tests. Who would not want that?

10. You can date more people

Okay. Maybe getting a great, romantic date is all the motivation you need.

Got it!

Well, you will be happy to know that English will increase the number of people you could possibly date. Try meeting people who speak English on a dating site, through Facebook or another social media site.

English speakers are generally very understanding when talking to people who are learning English, and they have plenty of patience. Do not worry if your English skills are not perfect yet. You are already very interesting because you are bilingual!

So, be smarter, more confident and helpful, get a job and date more.

That sounds good, right?

English is one key that unlocks a world of possibility. 

Evidently, it is very important to learn English. In modern times like these, any other country is just a click away. Be wise, without a compromise! Irrespective of your nationality, age, gender, or profession, having the basic language skill in the English language is a useful tool.

It is said that English is the “language of opportunities”. Why?  Because it is spoken to some extent in almost every country in the world!