Why Learn English?

Why learn English?

This is a question a lot of students ask at one point or another. And there are several reasons to learn English. I've collected the ones that I've found to be the most important reasons why we learn English.

So Why, Oh Why Learn English?

1. English is the most widely spoken, international language. There are several countries where it's the official language or one of the official languages. Even in places where you wouldn't expect it. Some of the countries where English is the official language (and this fact is less well-known) include: Barbados (Caribbean), Cameroon (Africa), Fiji (Oceania), India (Asia), Malta (Europe), Pakistan (Asia) and many more. And even in those countries where it's not an official language, most people, especially younger ones, speak English. Therefore it's very likely that you'll find an English-speaking person almost everywhere in the world - in case you get lost or need help. Your country used to be your home but if you speak English, you'll feel that you can be home anywhere on Earth.

2. You can talk to foreigners. It's really fun to meet and chat with foreigners. You get to know new cultures and broaden your knowledge. Some researchers argue that your perception of the world is hugely influenced by the language(s) you speak. For example, there are tribes where the only numbers that exist are "one" and "more". And they are not able to count "five", "seven", "fifteen", etc. Or think of the Eskimo language, Inuit, in which there are several words to express the difference between different kinds and colors of snow. Most languages don't have these words therefore can't express such subtle differences and may even be unable to perceive them.

3. Have a brand-new, improved personality. Why learn English? This is one of the best reasons. You've probably heard that if you learn a foreign language really well, it's as if you developed a new personality at the same time. It's all true. You become a much more diverse, emphatic person by understanding a different culture so well.

4. Sound more sophisticated and intelligent even in your mother tongue. You'll notice that there are several words that are the same or similar to in your language. But sometimes it's a surprise. There will be English words that you learn and later notice that they exist in your language too. You'll speak your native language even better than before.

5. The ability to speak English well looks great in your CV. There are very few jobs and professions where English is not a requirement these days. In many places, it's not only a requirement but you need to use the language daily while working.

6. Enjoy music even more. If you're still wondering: why learn English? This is a reason that has made several people master the language. If you have favorite artists, you'll want to understand every word of their song lyrics. And if you do, you'll have a much deeper experience and understanding of their art, which makes you enjoy their work even more deeply.

7. Understand movies. Most movies people see at home or in the movie theater are either in British or American English. If you watch these dubbed, they lose a lot of their original charm and meaning.

8. Understand TV shows and TV series. If you speak English well, you don't need to wait for your country's TV channels to buy the latest episodes of your favorite TV shows. You can watch them almost as soon as they are debuted in the US or other English-speaking countries.

9. Internet. Really, it's one of the shortest but greatest answers to the question "why learn English?". Most blogs, websites and news sources are in English on the internet. You might be able to read some local news in your mother tongue but you'll get much more information in English and much sooner - really, about anything and everything. There are websites that are simply not available in any other language. You miss out on a lot of things if you don't understand English sites. Just think about all the important, urgent updates you'd miss in connection with your favorite celebrities :)

10. Have a huge audience for your blog or website. If you start a blog or website in English, almost the whole world is your audience. If you start one in your native language, only one or a couple of countries can understand your message. If you work so much on making your blog or website great, why not reach a much wider range of people?

11. Become an internationally acclaimed professional. It doesn't matter how good you are at your profession if you don't speak English, you cannot freely share all your precious knowledge with the world. And you can't expand your knowledge beyond what you read in your mother tongue. Then how will the world ever find out what a genius you are?

12. Keep up with the times. Why learn English? To keep up with the young! More and more people speak English. For the youngest ones it's become one of the most basic skills to master before they graduate. In a decade or two, the vast majority of Earth's population will speak English. Those who don't, won't be able to function well in society.

13. English is a beautiful language. Why learn English? You might still be asking. If not for the practical reasons, there is still the beauty of the language. English sounds awesome. Just listen to a British person or an American talk. Beautiful. Listen to music in English. It couldn't sound more gorgeous, expressive and soulful. And I'm sure that there are expressions in English that simply don't exist in your language. You'd probably feel less whole without being able to use them.

14. Learn other languages more easily. If you've tried to learn another foreign language after English, you probably noticed that it's easier to do. Learning languages is just like any other skill. The more you practice it, the better you'll get at it. In addition, most of the vocabulary of foreign languages come from another language, possibly English (or words that the English use too). If you open a French dictionary, for example, you'll feel as if it was an English dictionary. You'll recognize most of the words immediately. Several of them are the same as in English but have a different spelling and/or pronunciation.

15. Read in English. Why learn English? I'm surprised you need even more reasons. But if you do, let's talk about books. It might be difficult to make yourself start to read a book in English. There might be a lot of dictionary world involved at first. But if it's a problem for you, start with something easier. There are a lot of great graded books. Or read Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger. It's a great, classic book and it's very easy to read. Once you get the hang of reading in English, a whole new world will open up for you. There is a book about EVERYTHING in English. Honestly. I don't think there is much there hasn't been a book written about in English. You'll be able to read about topics you'd have never expected before, such as "how to kiss" :) or "how to start your own record label", etc.

16. Understand all manuals. It might not seem to be the most important answer to the question "why learn English?" but it is. If you master this language, you'll be able to read almost any manual. Just think of how many times you've had to put together furniture, a toy or learn how to set your new television. The manuals are always available in English.

17. Talk to your favorite celebrity. You're probably a fan of somebody famous, just like most of us. A movie star, a musician, a sportsman, an author or a famous scientist. You've probably imagined what it would be like to meet him/her… What you'd say… How fast he/she would fall in love with you… :) But if you don't speak the same language, these dreams can never come true!

18. Drive non-English speakers crazy. My father is bilingual and he used to speak to my grandmother in German all the time. And back then I didn't speak a word of German. It drove me crazy that I couldn't understand what they were talking about! It's far from polite to speak a language with someone when you know the third person doesn't understand it. But sometimes it's still fun to brag about your knowledge this way :)

19. Use any kind of computer and software. If you're interested in computers, it's one of the most important answers to the question "why learn english?". All the latest operating systems and software are available in English first. Localization takes time. And you cannot have the latest gadgets and stuff if the language barrier prevents you from understanding how to use them!

20. English is (relatively) easy. Most English learners say that English is very easy from the beginner to the intermediate level. Then it becomes tricky because of the idioms, multiple meanings and subtleties. I guess they are right. But it's still an easier language to learn than most, in my opinion. And you probably already speak some of it because you meet English words and sentences everywhere you go: in shops, on the internet, while using electronic devices and so on.

If you have other answers to the question "why learn English?", feel free to leave a comment below! I'd love to add your ideas to this "Why Learn English?" list and get English learners to see how great it is to speak this awesome language!

Before I go, a friend told me this story:

Learn English to Understand Musicians!!!

This reason to learn English is similar to what you wrote about talking to celebrities but a little different.

I attended a Shakira concert in Hungary a couple of years ago. The supporting act was a DJ. He was warming us up with some cool beats and at one point he asked us (the audience): "What'ya here for?" But the majority of the crowd (about 10,000 people) didn't speak English on a very high level so they didn't understand the DJ and just said something like "Yeeeeahh!". Then the DJ was confused and said "That's not what I asked :)". I don't remember exactly, he either rephrased the question or repeated it more clearly but the audience understood it the second time and answered "Shakiraaaa!".

So why learn English? To be able to understand what musicians say on the stage because you might miss some really cool parts of the concert if you don't! :)