8 Good Reasons Why English Is Important To Learn

If you are not a native speaker of English and are thinking of learning a second language, you might find yourself subject to the advice that you should learn English.

You might be wondering why English is important? Why do so many people seem to believe in the importance of English in daily life.

The common belief is that English is a good language to learn because there are so many places where it is spoken. There are a lot of English speakers all over the world and it is the most common second language in the world.  

There are 1.268 billion people around the globe speak English and 898.4 million people speak it as a second language. That’s how much people believe in the importance of the English language in education, business, and in international communication.

Are you convinced yet? If not, let us take a closer look at why English is important in our life and the lives of so many people around the world.

1. English is a lingua franca

A lingua franca or “common language” is a language that is recognized for its ability to allow communication between people who do not share a first language.  There have been many lingua franca throughout history, but currently one of the most prolific has got to be English. 

As a lingua franca, English is considered the language of business, law, and international diplomacy. It is also the language most used by the science and technology sectors as well as aviation and navigation. 

So basically, whether you be a tourist, a diplomat, a businessman, or a scientist, the importance of English speech in your daily life cannot be underestimated.

English is the way that you will be able to speak with your colleagues and people from all walks of life regardless of whether or not you can speak in each other’s native tongues.

Since English is the common linguistic ground by which people from all over the world can communicate, this makes knowledge of it key to making friends as well as useful and meaningful connections.

Because of the supposed importance of English speech, it is one of the most common second languages in the world.

It is one of the only major languages in the world where the people who consider it a second language outnumber the native speakers!

2. English is the dominant language in business

If you are looking to travel abroad to work or angling for a job in a multinational company, it is good business sense to learn how to communicate in English. 

English the most common language used in business communications and many international companies look for employees who have a level of fluency in English, even if it’s only their second language.

According to the Harvard Business Review, more and more multinational companies are beginning to mandate English be used as the common corporate language.

This means that English is expected to be a language that employees – especially those at the top – are expected to be somewhat fluent in as it is what is used during meetings and official communications. 

3. It is a co-official language of the United Nations

The United Nations, the world’s largest intergovernmental organization devoted to maintaining international peace and security, uses English as an official language.

This means that it is one of the languages used in UN meetings and also one of the languages in which all official documents issued by the UN are automatically written in.

If you are curious, there are six official languages of the UN: English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish.

Oh, and for written documents, it’s British English that is used.

4. It is widely used in the European Union

The EU has 24 official languages, with English being one of them.

Any document considered of major public importance and interest will be written up in the official languages.

The EU encourages citizens to be multilingual and English is considered the most widely understood language, even if it is not a native tongue. Around 44% of the population of the UN are said to know English. 

 The EU’s encouragement of multilingualism and English’s perceived status as a lingua franca is probably why English is important in education in EU countries.

Around 95 percent of students at the secondary level study English. 77 percent of EU citizens think that children should learn English.

5. It is the world’s most common official language

An official language or state language is the language that is used by a country’s government.

That means if you have to deal with matters of law or policy in the area, it is a good idea to be familiar with and able to communicate in the official language. 

While the official language might not necessarily be the native or first language of the country or territory, there is a good chance that much of the population speaks it as an additional language.

English is the most common official language in the world, with 67 nations giving it official status.

One reason why English is important for students is that oftentimes, if English is the official language, it is required to be taught at some point in schools.

6. It is the language of science

Many scientists and researchers have a working knowledge of English because it’s simply the language by which scientific discoveries are shared internationally.

Aside from the sciences, other fields such as medicine and engineering often use English terminology and vocabulary. 

Common sense dictates that if English is a lingua franca, then a group of scientists brought together at an international conference or working in a research center might have no other way to speak to each other if they don’t speak English.

Scientific discoveries and breakthroughs will be presented in English and collaborations are forged by speaking English. 

Also scientific publishing uses English, so many scientific journals and articles are in English. 

7.  It is the language of the internet

English is still the most common language used on the internet. While many popular websites and social media platforms may have multilingual versions, there are still more sites that use English as the dominant language or have an English version or translation available. 

Knowing how to read and write in English makes it easier for you to access all the information and services that are available online. It will also help you communicate your ideas and understand others points of views on social media.

8.  It is the language of entertainment

This may seem shallow compared to some of the other reasons given about as to why English is important in our life, but it’s true! 

If you were to ask a movie lover to write a “Why English is Important” essay, they will probably say so they can watch more movies from all over the world.

Hollywood is still one of the biggest producers of blockbuster movies out there, and while there might be dubbed or subtitled versions produced in other languages, being able to understand the English dialogue is still considered a plus. 

Even international films, such as those from Bollywood or ones that are shown in film festivals, are more likely to create versions with English-language subtitles or dubbing.

The same goes for television. Also, the English versions of movies and television series might be distributed quicker then versions in other languages. 

If you are not a big movie fan and are more of a bookworm then learning English will give you access to more global authors and works from other corners of the globe.

Even if the author did not write in English, there is a bigger chance that an English translation will be produced first rather than translations in other languages. 

Since English is so widely used in publishing, even though you might not be able to get that foreign language book in your native language, there is bound to be an English translation available on Amazon or in your neighborhood book store chain. 

Conclusion

There is indeed some basis for thinking that learning English as a second or additional language can indeed give you a leg up in your education or your career.

Many institutions of higher learning give instruction in English or require prospective students to show some English proficiency.

Even if your goal for learning a second language is “just” to facilitate your dreams of traveling the world, English is a good second language to learn.

You are bound to find a local with some understanding of English who will be willing to help.

The best way to start learning English is to start having conversations with a native English speaker. Book a session with a native speaking English tutor and begin your journey towards English fluency today.