Why Learning English is
Essential in Today’s Globalized
World
English might not be the
most widely spoken language in the
world (that honor goes to Chinese), but it
is the world’s second most spoken language. It’s spoken
as a foreign
language by a massive 603 million
people – more than double Arabic, in third place. English is the
most popular second language in
countries as far
apart as Suriname, Denmark,
Israel and Singapore. If you want to speak to the world, learn
English.
English Language in
Business:
The trend towards English is being
led by international businesses; both Chinese electronics company
Lenovo and German airline Lufthansa are now using English as
their official language. Using English makes it
possible for businesses to recruit the best talent from
across the world and opens up their product to new markets.
Employees who are hoping for
a promotion or want to make their
CV stand
out should
consider sharpening their
English skills. If you can communicate with
clients and suppliers of a
company no matter
what country they’re based
in, then your skills are invaluable to an
employer.
English Language in
Education:
English
is doubly important to anyone
working in an academic discipline. According to research, 80% of
the peer-reviewed
journals in Scopus, the
biggest database of journals, are
published in English, and a report by the British Council in 2014
found that in a growing number of countries university subjects are
being taught in English instead of the native language. If you want
your papers to be read by scientists across the world, or you want
to work with colleagues in other countries, you
need to be able to talk to them in
English.
English Language in
Entertainment:
It’s not only academic writing
that is mostly published in English. More books are published each
year in English than in any other language, and Hollywood and its
English-language films still dominates the industry. Of course,
you can read translations or watch with subtitles, but these never
quite match the experience of the
original. The internet, too, is close to 54% English, according to
the Web Technology Surveys. If you’re searching for information
online then you’re much more likely to find what you’re looking for
if you use English.
English Language for
Travel:
Travel to most countries is
easier if you speak their language, but it’s not possible to learn
the language for every single country you might want to visit. It’s
fairly likely, though, that you’ll be able to find someone who
speaks English in most major cities in the world. People who work
in the tourist industry learn English, so you
will have no trouble
understanding people at your hotel, on
the plane or at a tourist site if you speak
English.
Conclusion
The world is getting smaller,
and globalization is here to stay. We live in a time when changes
in one country’s economy affect markets in the rest of the world,
and where pollution from one country can damage everyone’s
environment. These problems can only be solved if
we co-operate across
national boundaries, and to do that we have to
have a common language. Whether you love it or
hate