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With the advent of globalization and the further opening up the world, a common working language is of vital importance. The dominance and emergence of English as the standard “tongue” of the world has deep historical origins. Approximately 350 million people speak English as their first language, while an additional 430 million people adopted the language as their second language of choice. The following are some of the reasons why I believe that English is the dominant and true global language. Ease of learning and communicating: While written English can be challenging compared to that of spoken English, the actual learning of the language is more comfortable compared to Chinese, Arabic, or even French. It is generally considered that English is a learner-friendly language and one of the most straightforward languages that are not too difficult to grasp. The ability to learn the basic or fundamental level of English gives the language an added advantage and attraction. Hence, many people across the globe attempt to speak, write, and communicate using English since it is relatively more natural to understand compared to other major languages. Many individuals started learning English from watching movies, listening to music, or from merely following the American or western popular culture. Career and transactional mobility: English is the official language of business and is often the language of choice by most of the world’s top multi-national cooperations and enterprises. Thus, in most instances, English is often the go-to language and a prerequisite to land top tier jobs around the world, even in non-native speaking countries like China, South Korea, Russia, Brazil, etc. In China, for example, English is now an essential requirement for Chinese students to land their dream job or even gain entries into top-end university. Students are also required to study and pass Standard English exams to graduate from university successfully, which are also part of their school regular school syllabus. Travel opportunities: Native English speakers or individuals with fluent English level may not fully comprehend the hassle it is to travel around the world, not being able to communicate in English. For starters, English is the official language used in airports, on travel tickets, departure and landing passes, and most at hotels. Learning fundamental or communicative level English can prove to be extremely useful when traveling to a foreign country. As people, wealth grows and seeks to explore more of the vast unexplored world; speaking English can greatly enhance travel quality and reduce travel dependency. The use of English language within the travel industry is becoming more and more critical, not only to persons or groups traveling but also to tourism-dependent economies. For instance, in recent years with the Chinese economy in a relatively healthy state, more and more Chinese citizens are seeking to study and travel abroad. Most times, the cost of their trip is significantly scaled upward due to the involvement of travel agencies and other translating services; this tends to restrict the movement of tourist somewhat, and also curtail their spending capacity. Thus, the Chinese and other non-speaking English tourists bare that additional burden; being able to communicate in English will eliminate that part of travel cost and consequently increase their spending in visiting countries. While some people question the future of the global influence of English language among business, trade, and the scientific community, I firmly believe that English language would remain the language of international acceptance and populace. Thus, more and more emerging economies like in Southeast Asia with majority non-native English speakers are pushing to further improve the holistic development of the language on a national level. Foreign teachers with TEFL certification are typically drafted in to enhance the English competency in places like China, Thailand, Vietnam, and South Korea. And heavy emphasis is placed on grammar, pronunciation, and particularly spoken English of students.
