Why To Learn ?

Importance of Learning a Second Language

Today’s economy is increasingly globalized, and this means that many of us are interacting across cultures in a way we never did before. In such an economy, the importance of learning a second language becomes self-evident. Learning a second language helps you to communicate across cultures and to conduct business in lands you may never have previously considered viable markets. It also helps you to address customers in the language that they understand best and in which they are most comfortable communicating. Additionally, the importance of learning a second language is emphasized every day when we see the diversity of earth’s cultures and the amazing array of people that make up our global community.

That said, there is another reason supporting the importance of learning a second language. Scientific studies have shown that learning a second language improves brain function and stimulates creativity. When you know a new language, you start to see connections you didn’t see before because every language approaches the world in a slightly different way. As a result, you have the opportunity to understand the world from the perspective of another culture and gain a greater appreciation of human society in all its diversity. As a consequence, the importance of learning a second language is again reinforced. You become not just equipped to communicate across cultures but empowered to understand others’ points of view.

English as a Second Language

The world is an increasingly globalized place where individuals are communicating among and between multiple cultures each day. Today, an individual has access to a vast array of information from a variety of world cultures at the touch of a button. For those of us in the English speaking world, we take access to this information for granted. Elsewhere, however, much of the world’s information is beyond their reach, locked in English. That is one reason why learning English as a second language has become so popular. In fact, English is now the world’s most widely spoken second language, surpassing all others. In fact, more people now speak English as a second language than as their first language.

As a result, there has never been a greater demand for classes to learn English as a second language. English is the gateway to a world of knowledge, commerce, and culture, a lingua franca that gives a student access to the world in a way that other languages do not. Just as Latin was the most important language for a thousand years and French for five hundred, English is today the key to participating in the global conversation. There are a variety of ways to learn English as a second language, including computer programs, audio tapes, classes, and immersion. Picking the right method for you requires some insight and self-understanding.

WHY TO LEARN?

1. English is one of the most widely spoken languages

Although it comes second to Mandarin in the total number of speakers, English is the language you’ll be able to use most widely, as it’s spoken in more countries than any other language. That means that English is the language that will give you the best return for your efforts; after all, intellectual challenge aside, there’s little point putting a huge amount of time and effort into learning a language that you’ll hardly ever have the opportunity to use.

As well as the UK, a whopping 60 of the world’s 196 countries have English as their official language:  the USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, to name but a few. It’s the language of diplomacy and the official language of the European Union, the United Nations, NATO and the European Free Trade Association, not to mention many Commonwealth countries.

2. English will open up more opportunities for you

Even in countries where English is not an official language, it is often used as a lingua franca.

Being able to speak English allows you to communicate effectively in numerous countries, and this opens up lots of possibilities for you in terms of the countries you could choose to seek work in one day – not to mention travel to as a tourist. You won’t have to worry about getting lost when you travel to an English-speaking country, as you’ll easily be able to ask for directions, and taking guided tours, ordering food and chatting to the locals will no longer be a source of stress.

 

3. English will make you more desirable to employers

Being fluent in a second language clearly demonstrates a powerful brain and reflects someone who has put in the huge amount of time, resources and commitment needed to master another language. But while being bilingual is impressive full stop, no matter what combination of languages you speak, adding English to your CV will be particularly useful. Not only is it an especially complex language to get to grips with, a fact that reflects well on you for having mastered it, but as we’ve seen, it’s also an incredibly useful language to learn because so many countries speak it. You’ll be in a much stronger position to apply for jobs overseas if you’ve reached a good level of fluency in English.

Here are just three examples to give you an idea of the kind of situations in which English may come in useful in your own country:

·         Business meetings 

·         Customer service and sales 

·         Marketing and communications 

4. English gives you access to some of the world’s best universities

Christ Church, one of the colleges of the University of Oxford.

English is widely regarded as the language of higher education. Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard and MIT are just a few of the famous universities that occupy the lofty heights of the top of the world education league tables, and you’ll need to speak English fluently for access to any of these, as they’re all English-speaking. It goes without saying that if you are able to study at one of these institutions, you’ll start your career with an illustrious name on your CV – and the benefits of that speak for themselves.

5. English is the language of some of the world’s greatest literature

If you learn English, you’ll be able to enjoy works by some of the world’s most famous writers, in the language in which they were intended to be read or heard. The works of Shakespeare will take on a new meaning when you’re able to speak English, and you can look forward to enjoying such influential classics as Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights and her sister’s Jane Eyre, George Orwell’s 1984 and Animal Farm, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and many, many more. 

6. English allows you to get more from popular culture

Hogwarts Castle at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, based on the famous English fantasy book series.

The world’s highest-grossing movies are made in Hollywood, and needless to say, they are made in English. How many times have you been to see an American blockbuster and been frustrated by having to keep up with fast-paced subtitles? And how many times have you hummed a favourite pop song, but not been able to sing along because it’s in English and you don’t know the words? There’s a solution… Kiss those annoying cinema subtitles goodbye and get more out of the music you enjoy by learning English.

7. English allows you to attend international conferences and events

Major sporting events such as the Olympics are held in English, and so are international conferences, so competitors and delegates will need to be able to speak English to be able to get the most out of taking part. You may find yourself needing to attend conferences as part of your chosen career, so learning English now will be of enormous benefit to you in years to come. Not only will you be able to understand the talks, but you’ll get a lot more out of the networking opportunities that come with such events if you can talk effectively in English. You never know – there may be a new employer or client among the crowds of fellow delegates, so make sure you can communicate with them!

8. English has a simple alphabet and everyone’s equal

The Latin alphabet is the most used alphabet in the world.

The English alphabet is straightforward, making it easier to master than the symbols or pictures that make up some languages. If you’ve struggled to learn more complex alphabets, you may find you make more progress with English, which shares an alphabet with many other languages.

9. English gives you wider access to knowledge

Did you know that 55% of the world’s webpages are written in English? This absolutely dwarfs that of any other language, with the next most widely used language on the internet being Russian (which constitutes just 6% of pages). Knowledge of English therefore allows you to tap into far more of the world’s intellectual resources.

10. English is a fantastic intellectual challenge!

Up for a challenge? Learn English.

English is undoubtedly one of the harder languages to learn. Full of nuances, unexpected pronunciations, odd rules and infuriating exceptions to rules, it takes dedication and perseverance to reach a good level of fluency. If you’re on the lookout for a new challenge, learning English may be just what you’re after. Not only that, but because it’s so widely spoken, it opens you up to a huge number of new cultural experiences, which will help you develop life skills, meet new people and grow your confidence in handling new situations.

Have we convinced you yet? If you’ve been inspired to learn English, consider enrolling on one of our English as a Foreign Language (EFL) courses (for students aged 13-15 or16-18) and develop your English skills.