English as a second language

The benefits of learning language include a positive influence on cognitive abilities, personal growth, increased creativity and intelligence, but in down to earth view learning a foreign language can boost your career chances.

That is something everyone can relate with.

When it comes to the choice of language, English stands out as an obvious candidate.

English is established as a common international language, and it has around 400 million native speakers and over 1,5 billion with added people that speak English as a second language.

All around the Globe, English is taught at schools as a second language, and with one in five Earthlings speaking it, there is a good chance you will find someone to communicate within almost every country.

Challenges of learning English as a second language

Some nations have specific issues with the pronunciation of the English language.

Romance languages like Spanish and Italian have fewer vowel sounds, and along with the French are proud of their also very influential languages which has a negative influence on the number of English speakers.

Native Mandarin speakers often have a problem with pronunciation of "r," and letter and sound "p" doesn't exist in Arabic.

Slavic languages are entirely different, but some factors contribute to pronunciation. American culture is dominant with their music and movies.

Southern Slavic countries use subtitles when airing English language programs, while Russians and Poles have voice-over. This is a small detail but has a substantial effect on the quality of pronunciation among different nations.

Listening to the language you strive to learn is essential for the quality of pronunciation. Without undermining English teachers in foreign countries, there are clear benefits of having native English speakers in charge. Great way to get lessons from native speakers are online learning platforms with tutors from all around the World.

Another possible problem could be with grammar and syntax. Asian English learners have trouble with articles, which they don't have in their native languages. Word order is different in most languages, and you should never translate literal, or you could have awkward sentences that change the original meaning.

Vocabulary issues are common with languages that share some words or phrases with English. French cognates are words that look the same but sometimes have different meaning and pronunciations. Pain in French means bread, not pain, and location means rent, not location.

Benefits of Learning English

Like it or not, English is an international standard for business communication. Companies from English speaking countries don't even think about correspondence in any other language, but the same applies when two business subjects from different non-English speaking countries cooperate. It is the preferred language in large international companies.

Tourism is another excellent example you can benefit from knowing English. Most travel-based websites in every country have English subpage, and as we mentioned already English is spoken on every continent and most states, so it is your best bet for communication while traveling.

There are many quality European and Asian TV shows, movies and music, but let's be honest, American production is by far most popular. Whether you are expecting the final chapter of Game of Thrones or just browsing through Netflix, learning English will help you enjoy this type of content. The same thing is with music.

The English language is predominant in science where over two-thirds of scientists use it as a second language.

In many countries, basic knowledge of the English language is a requirement for most job postings, and for some professions like IT, diplomacy and international finance it is unavoidable.

Language of the business, web, and government

Although the Chinese language has most native speakers, English is most widespread, with most people speaking it as a second language. Besides being the language of business and the second most spoken language in the World, English is the standard for the government. It is one of the official languages in the United Nations, but also in the European Union. English can be the glue factor for countries that have a diverse population like India, where more than 700 languages are spoken.

More than half of the world’s websites are in English, and a lot of sites with different native language has an English version, cause it is the international standard.

If we talk about the top reason for learning English as a second language, on the top of the list there is a place for a career upgrade. Employers demand it and adding fluency in English to your CV will boost your chances for employment.

Learning English will benefit you professionally, and it can enhance your private life in various ways. From meeting and communicating with new people, understanding the foreign culture to the enjoyment of premium multimedia content in the native language.