Why SHOULD YOU learn English?

Good question. I believe everyone should learn the English language for the following reasons.

Distribution

English is the most widely spoken language in the world based on the distribution of native speakers.

•There are over 400 million native English speakers worldwide.

•There are over 500 million speakers of English as a second or foreign language.

900 million people using English, out of a total world population of about 6.7 billion people, is only 15% of the total population. Then why is English so important? The importance of English is not in the number of speakers, but what English is used for.

Communication, Friends
•English is the main language in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland.

•In many countries, English is widely used, particularly among people who have no other language in common, even though English is not the main language of the country. For example, English is widely used in Hong Kong, Singapore, Nigeria, the Philippines, and Malaysia. In these countries, it is often used as a means of communication between people who use different dialects of their native languages.

•English is studied as a foreign language in countries even though it is not used as a means of communication.

•In China, English language lessons are popular. Two hundred fifty million Chinese, are learning English on TV.

•English is the most commonly taught foreign language.

•Now online communities like My Space, YouTube, etc., offer people a way to make friends around the world and practice speaking English.

News, Information
•English is the main language of news and information in the world.

•English is the language used in business and government even in countries where it is not the main language.

•75% of all telex messages and telegrams are sent in English.

•80% of computer data is processed and stored in English.

•Most satellite transmissions are carried in English.

•Five thousand newspapers, over half of the newspapers published in the world, are published in English. Even in many countries where English is not the main language, there is at least one newspaper in English. In India alone, there are three thousand magazines published in English.

•In many countries, television news is broadcast in English.

•Because of the power of television, demonstrators even use signs printed in English to send their messages to the world.

•Much of the information countries disseminate about themselves outside of their borders is in English.

Business, Government, International Relations
•English is the main language of international business, diplomacy, and science.

•It is a common language that a Russian businessman and a Japanese businesswoman are likely to use to communicate.

•English is an official language of many professional and international organizations, including the United Nations.

•It is usually the language of international conferences, and international athletics.

•English is the language of maritime communication and international air traffic control, and it is used even for internal air traffic control in countries where it is not a native language.

•Most commodities such as silver, gold, and hard currency are traded in English.

•Throughout the world, many professional papers are published in English. Even papers that are published in other languages often have abstracts in English.

•English is used in government and as a medium of communication among people who do not have another language in common.

•In some cases, it is a neutral language that is used to avoid giving any one indigenous language too much prestige. English is often used in India, because it is neutral.

•People who speak English have a certain status in society.

•In Singapore, English is a second language, but it is necessary for daily life. Many companies there use English.

•In addition, sixteen countries in Africa have retained English as the language of government. Now standard English is taught in schools in those countries, because it is necessary for careers.

Entertainment
•Popular culture has played an important part in spreading English.

•American and British popular music are heard all over the world.

•American movies are seen in almost every country.

•Books in English are available even in countries where few people actually use English.

•It is used for books, music and dance.

•One reason that students give for learning English is to understand these songs, movies and books.

Travel
•English is spoken in large hotels and tourist attractions, at airports, and in shops that tourists frequent.

•Tours are almost always available in English. Even in countries where few people speak English on the street, people who work with tourists generally speak English. In some countries even drivers of buses or streetcars and sellers at newsstands speak English well.

From:
Howie Hayman
Owner/General Manager
Fun Easy English