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As of 2022, there are around 1.5 billion English speakers globally. That means one in every five people in the world can speak English. Given the world's population, approximately 7.7 billion people, that's quite a huge number of English speakers. So, how did English get to be so important?
During the colonial period, the British rulers colonized 25% of the earth's surface. Large areas like Australia, Asia, North America, and Africa were all part of the British Empire. As the rule of law, every colony was forced to speak its colonizer's native language. In this case, the language was English.
As generations passed, these colonies adopted English as one of their main communication languages besides their native languages. That meant that you could communicate with people in your neighborhood by speaking English. After the colonial period, countries got back their independence, but some things were left with them—the British culture and the English language. Therefore, as time went by, people needed to know English to perform tasks, like trading.
The need to know how to understand and speak English has since intensified with globalization. If you aren't seeking foreign experiences, foreigners are probably seeking your local experience. You’re bound to interact with the international community in one way or the other. You, therefore, need a tool of communication. And, that tool is the English language.
Many of the world's best institutions of higher learning are found in the USA or the UK. That means that their tool of communication is mainly English. As a result, one factor that determines your chances of joining these Ivy League universities is your skill in the English language. This doesn't just mean being able to speak English well, but being proficient in the language.
Therefore, if you have your eyes on these universities, you might want to take studying English a little more seriously. Some of these word-class universities include:
Apart from these renowned universities, even the most basic learning process is being taught in English. This is especially true since learning has since been digitized and takes place online. Thus, it pays to learn English or foster your existing English skills. Good thing is that, today, you can learn English in Singapore or anywhere you may be in the world as there’s a lot of online platforms offering this service.
One of the advantages of globalization is the widening of the job market. Today, you can be part of a multinational company. However, for you to qualify for one, you need to be proficient in English since it's easily the primary global language.
What English does is that it opens up many opportunities. According to hiring experts, people who indicate fluency in English in their CVs are more likely to be hired than people who don't. Therefore, don't shy away from advertising your skills even after learning this language.
An example of how English is commanding the job market is that, currently, most of the best-paying jobs are in tech. American companies, like Microsoft and IBM, pioneered tech. Even with the development of many coding languages, English is still the main language for most codes. This is because most keywords are written in English. Therefore, if you're going to code, you must know English.
That shows you that there's no escaping this language - it's everywhere, and you might as well embrace it. Besides, who doesn't want the coolest paying jobs?
Away from all the geekiness of school works and jobs, there's still the fun part of studying English: touring the world.
By learning how to speak in English, you can tour countries whose main language is English. These countries are included:
Moreover, there are other countries that list English as part of their official language. When you can speak in English, touring these countries will be much easier since you can communicate effectively to the locals. Some of these countries include:
Knowing how to speak and understand English allows you to:
Learning English makes your trips to most of the countries in the world easier due to bridging the language barrier. With language barrier out of the way, you can tour the world with confidence
Did you know that the English language comprises French, German, Latin, and Roman languages? That explains why Germany sounds a lot like English. You may also have noticed that it's easier to study some of the languages named above by knowing English.
Anyway, why would you need to learn another language? As mentioned at the start of this article, the world is becoming a global village. Therefore, you better be prepared.
Also, according to experts, people who learn an extra language other than their native ones are more likely to have a higher salary, by 10-15%. You may have already seen that proficiency in a foreign language or being bilingual is an added advantage when applying for jobs.
According to scientists, learning another language helps keep your brain active because it's challenged. This is because the brain undergoes specific changes in its size, structure, and electrical activities, which don't happen while performing other functions. These changes help keep your brain active, slowing down the onset of conditions such as memory loss and Alzheimer's disease.
Take Up That English Course!
If you’ve been doubting the value of studying English, discussed above are five of the most crucial reasons you should master this language. Therefore, here's your cue to enroll for that English course. All the best!
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