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English is a global language, and English is powerful. There are days when I personally forget about how fortunate I am to have this skill that enables me to find success in life. Learning English can influence students’ careers in many different ways. Students can learn that there are unique opportunities in both English speaking and non-English speaking countries for those that can speak English. For example, someone who wants to work with helping people can take a different route to become a translator or someone who wants to work in engineering can attempt to work on international projects with English speaking associates. Also, students can learn about new careers from their English language class that they may not have heard of before. Some examples could come from slang: “YouTubers” or “Skaters.” While those careers seem commonplace in my society, they are not commonplace in all societies. English can influence students to make career choices, but English can also impact students once they have made career choices. I have personally seen the ways in which English as a Foreign Language has influenced and improved students’ careers. My desire to work as an English teacher in a foreign country came from my experiences with English Language Learners in The United States as a teacher for an international summer camp. While working for this summer camp, I gained a newfound love for teaching students a skill that can make them marketable across cultures in any given field of study. Choosing to come to this camp was a big decision for many of my students. They needed to take a language placement test to be accepted to the camp. On the test they were given, they needed to score the equivalent of 100 on the TOEFL exam. Thus, the English that the students had learned in their native countries already influenced their careers. These students felt successful enough to pass this test, and wanted to see if they could have a chance to come to The United States. For each of my students, this was their first time in The United States. English inspired my students to take risks that people in their family had not taken before them. Due to the fact that this was an academic summer camp, the students had the opportunity to practice language specific to their future careers. Most students were enrolled in some type of Aviation program in their native countries. One of the programs that we incorporated for the students was a tour of a local airport and the chance to fly airplanes. This activity helped them understand their career fields from a Western point-of-view. Learning the customs and language of their career field made my students more marketable in their home countries as they gained a new global perspective on their career field. One student, in particular, was often invited to go on business trips to America due to his familiarity with English Aviation language. While this is only one account of English positively impacting someone’s career, it is evident that learning English has improved this person’s position in aviation. If these students had not learned English in their native countries, they would not have had the opportunity to learn about Aviation in The United States. Each of these students went on to receive their degrees in fields like Business Aviation, Aerospace Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. They all have jobs at major airports near their college, and have had lengthy discussions about how their time in America made them better candidates for their various jobs. Upon their own self-reflection, my students felt as if they were more culturally-aware, sensitive, and marketable due to the fact that they learned English during their time in school. Whether the students learned about a new career during their English as a Foreign Language class or come to The United States with the hopes to strengthen their preexisting skills, English can help impact the future of the youth of our world. English will continue to be powerful, and this power can help students forge their own paths.
