Teach English in Zhuanggang Zhen - Linyi Shi

It is well known that nowadays English is widely spoken throughout the world and has been referred to as a global language or lingua franca in many parts of the world. There approximately 7.5 billion people in the world and 1.5 billion of them speak English — that’s 20% of the Earth’s population. English is the official language in around fifty countries including The United Kingdom, the United States of America as well as being the official language in many other countries as a foreign language. About 360 million people speak English as their first language. In addition to being widely spoken, English is by far the most commonly studied foreign language in the world, followed by French at a distant second. Not only is English widely spoken but along with a few other languages it has officially been recognized as the international language of science and technology, economy, banking, business, aircraft, publishing, broadcasting. This meaning business and individuals all over the world must use the English language in order to reach the largest market. One of the biggest questions always asked is why has English become such a global language and why are so many people learning English. Everyone that learns English will have their own reason from something as simple as allowing them to socialize with other English speakers around the around the world, to increasing their academic prospective, one of the most beneficial aspect of learning English is that it opens the doors to academic world and opportunities to study with the top scholars English can open the door to universities in English speaking countries, that may have a better reputation than universities in non-English speaking countries, but before a potential candidate can even dream of these higher tiered universities they must have a basic knowledge of the English language. The same would be for those who are interested in mastering the skills in international business and trade - the MBA programs are taught in English. It can be argued that simply studying English in a classroom setting is not enough and in order to really master a language it is vital to have real life practice using the language skills. The English skills will absolutely be useful when attending international exhibitions, conferences, seminars. As previously discussed English is the official Language of many fields of employment, if you are interested in science or medicine, knowing technical vocabulary will help to develop professionally, be aware of the latest discoveries around the globe. The writer or journalist that speaks English, can get background materials from many international sources and publish the materials in English, that will allow chances for increasing popularity. As our world becomes smaller due to the increased trade and travel links many of us have a personal or a career goal to travel, in the past language has been a barrier but as we have already identified the growth of English across the world now means that it is easier and more convenient to travel and communicate in a common language. This will increase productivity and allow business to grow and develop at a much faster pace. Entrepreneurs have recognized this and many of the major international companies now seek to employ individuals that speak English As well as traveling for work many of us now travel at least once a year for personal reasons, for those that don’t speak English even navigating through an airport can be difficult as most major Airports use English as their official language. When in a country it is important to try and use the countries mother tongue but in most tourist destinations English is the language often used. This is another reasons for people to learn and use English on a daily basis. It is important to also note that due to the increased use of English around the world there has been some languages that have started to decrease in popularity and usage. This can in turn lead to the complete disappearance of a language and also in some cases a complete loss of a culture It has also meant that those that are native speakers are less driven to learn a foreign language and often depend on the believe that English is spoken all over the world, which can lead to misunderstandings and also a lack of cultural respect. In conclusion, we can all agree that English is widely spoken all over the world and has become the language used by many and has helped business and travel opportunities and I would like to emphasize the importance of learning English as a foreign language as it is important to be connected in the modern world. Learning English is definitely opens the doors to people in many fields of modern life and gives opportunities to explore the world. The references used: 1) Crystal David, English as a Global language, second edition, 1997, 2003 http://culturaldiplomacy.org/academy/pdf/research/books/nation_branding/English_As_A_Global_Language_-_David_Crystal.pdf 2) Global industries use English as medium of communication Smolander Anna-Maria ‘English as a Global Language a Good or Bad Thing?’ viewed at http://www.lem.seed.pr.gov.br/arquivos/File/Varios/english.pdf 3) English as the language of trade and business Neeley, Tsedal. (2012) ‘Global Business Speaks English’ viewed at https://hbr.org/2012/05/global-business-speaks-english 4) English as the language of higher education across the world https://www.eui.eu/ProgrammesAndFellowships/DoctoralProgramme/LanguageRequirements 5) Philip G. Altbach, article, The Imperial tongue: English as the Dominating Academic language https://ejournals.bc.edu/index.php/ihe/article/download/7986/7137/