english Relevance in our World Today. “Excuse me, do you have the time?” This is a common question that you could easily hear walking through
madison Square. However, what you may not notice is that it's not only used between
english speakers. Imagine a
french woman approaching a
spanish man to ask the time. Although
france and
spain are bordering countries, and she has been taught the basics of
spanish since high school, the words that fall from her mouth are most likely to be spoken in
english, identical to the phrase above. How is it that across the globe, more and more people are using
english over other languages? Below we'll cover a few reasons for this; from
english being easy to learn, to becoming a requirement for proper education and finding a job.
english is rapidly changing the education system in many parts across the globe. Many countries such as
india or Singapore are adopting
english as their primary or secondary language in school. One reason for this is that
english is a considerably easier language to learn. Since it is so widely spoken in many countries, on movies, news, sports, etc. people have more opportunities to use the language and practice it. Don't have the money to learn? No problem. There is a wealth of information and
esl classes online, easily available to the public for free--which is not always the case with other secondary languages. Another reason, and probably one people are more focused on, is future. Because of the ever-growing competitiveness in our society, governments are starting to adopt the
english language into their schools and in early pre-school books.
english is seen as the backbone of "good education". One recent study amongst students in the United Arab Emirates suggested that students associated the
english language as "the symbolism of modernity, work, higher education, commerce, economics, science and technology." Many concerned, well-meaning parents are spending hundreds of dollars or more on after-school
english lessons, private
tutors/institutions or 1-on-1 lessons with native
english speakers for their
children, believing this will all go towards helping them succeed in their future. Well, who can say otherwise? Nowadays the competitive job and education system usually requires applicants to have average to fluent
english skills if they want entrance into a reputed college, university, institution or company. In some countries any higher education is taught only in
english, and many see it as a necessity for acquiring any well-paid job--in or outside their country. In short, it's believed that without
english, your chances of success are slim. For that reason that
english is practically one of the basic criteria for obtaining a job. Presently, there are also so many people who are unemployed and looking for jobs, that head-hunters and companies can afford to be pickier when choosing employees on the job market. Candidates who are fluent in
english, as well as have the relevant qualifications and skills, are more likely to be welcomed. In fact, in some countries such as South Korea or
india, it's considered impossible to find a well-paying job that doesn't require
english. Candidates who don't speak
english are most likely to be rejected. As you can see, not many people can argue the relevance of the
english language in our lives. It's used in the news, sports, blockbuster films, politics, corporate companies and many more. Thanks to the spread of British colonialism, technological advances of the Industrialism era, American economic and political ascent, and the technological developments in the second half of the 20th century,
english is considered a Universal Language everywhere in the world.
english is one of the most widely used languages in the world, and despite knowing the rudimentary of a foreign person's language; strangers are more likely to start speaking in
english first. With over 1.8 billion speakers and counting, the
english language has become a basic necessity for survival, communication, and advancement in our competitive world. People who learn
english as a foreign or second language fluently will most likely have a definite career or scholastic advantage--being able to have the opportunity to communicate more freely with those from other countries: learning
english opens the door to a wider world.