It’s not unusual for people from various cultures to want to learn English at some point in their lives. However, in many cases, the decision to sign up for an English course comes from social conditioning, as opposed to a personal desire to learn the language. This often gets people wondering why they should learn English in the first place.
It is normal to question that. While you may be aware of how important it is to learn English nowadays, the reasons why it’s so important may not be crystal clear to you. So, here’s a list of the top reasons to learn English:
English Is One of the World’s Most Spoken Languages
Learning English will help you communicate with the rest of the world. Roughly 20% of the world population speaks English, including non-native speakers. That’s 1 in 5 people. Native speakers alone amount to over 400 million people!
English is the official language of more than 50 countries, being present in virtually all continents. Although Mandarin is the most spoken language in terms of the number of speakers, English is still undoubtedly the world’s lingua franca.
What that means is, if two people from different countries need to communicate with each other, they’ll use English. Even if it’s not their first language.
Speaking English Creates Many Opportunities
The second reason to learn English is that it creates more opportunities in several different fields.
Career-wise, your chances of landing a great job are much higher if you speak English. You can then work at multinational companies or abroad. But even domestic companies also require English skills for many of the positions they offer.
For many years now, English has been the go-to language for business. It is widely used whenever the need arises to interact with people abroad or business partners – such as clients and suppliers – who are based in other countries. For this reason, being able to speak English can really improve your career.
Being proficient in English already sets you apart from the competition from the moment you apply for a job. And also throughout your career. Whenever the company needs to speak with a foreign client or even a subsidiary in another country, that’s when you’ll stand out. And that won’t go unnoticed.
It’s like a virtuous circle. The more you speak English, the more confident you get. And the more confident you get, the more you’ll want to speak English. Thus, apart from being more respected and admired by those around you, you’ll develop your skills even further.
Academic Opportunities
Learning English also opens many academic doors. We’re talking about some of the world’s most renowned universities. From prestigious Ivy League schools, such as Stanford and Harvard, to traditional British universities, like Cambridge and Oxford.
And even if you’ve never considered going to any of those, many other schools will gladly take you in, as long as you speak English. Numerous universities all over the world offer foreign student programs. But you need to be proficient in English to apply.
And while we’re at it, you’ll also have access to more knowledge just for knowing English. Remember, most of the internet is in English. And although some websites are available in multiple languages, many of them can only be read in English. Just because that’s how you reach a global audience.
On the other hand, many websites that were originally created in another language end up getting translated into English. Again, it’s all about reaching a global audience. So, if you speak English, you’ll have access to a much larger amount of information than you otherwise would.
Another huge knowledge-related benefit has to do with the human brain. Learning and speaking a foreign language keeps your brain healthier and more active. And for longer.
People who strive to learn English develop their memory much more than those who don’t. The fact you’re studying another language alone helps protect your brain from the effects of aging. For instance, studies show that bilingual people are diagnosed with some variations of dementia roughly five years later than those who can only speak one language.
More Content Available to You
If you learn English, you’ll be able to read classic books in their original language. And not just the classics, but also modern authors.
You’ll be able to read masterpieces like the ones written by Jane Austen, William Shakespeare, and Charles Dickens, as well as more contemporary works, such as Harry Potter or the suspense novels written by the King of Thrillers (Stephen King). In fact, many books are only ever published in English. And even if a book does get translated into other languages, if you’re proficient in English, you’ll be able to read it long before any translations are made available.
And looking beyond books, you’ll also be able to dive deeper into pop culture if you learn English. From song lyrics to movies and TV shows, you’ll no longer need to rely on subtitles or inaccurate online translations.
Learning English Is Easy
Some people who start studying English give up after a while due to lack of motivation. Not because English is super hard to learn. It’s actually very easy when compared with other languages.
Yes, a few vocabulary or pronunciation mistakes here and there are common, but the grammar itself is quite simple. English doesn’t have grammatical gender, several definite or indefinite articles, or many different cases and verb conjugations like other languages do. Gender and number agreement is also a lot simpler in English than in other languages.
Of course, it also helps that you can learn basic English just by talking to native speakers. All you need to do aside from that is gradually work on your vocabulary and pronunciation.
15 minutes a day is enough to learn English, which is precisely why Cambly offers 15-minute classes (minimum duration). At Cambly, you’ll learn English with native tutors, who can teach you all about the many different aspects of the language. Start now and get ready to enjoy all the benefits listed above!
