There are many, many reasons why learning a new language is a good idea. It allows you to communicate with new people. It helps you to see things from a different perspective, or get a deeper understanding of another culture. It helps you to become a better listener. It even has health benefits, as studies have shown that people who speak two or more languages have more active minds later in life!
Those are all reasons to learn any language – but did you know that there are 6,500 languages still spoken in the world today? With such an enormous number to choose from, why pick English?
Here are five big reasons that learning English can improve your life.
It’s the Official Language of 53 Countries
400 million people around the world speak English as their first language. Not only that, but English is listed as one of the official languages in more than a quarter of the countries in the world. That’s a lot of new people you can communicate with just by improving one language!
It’s the Most Widely Spoken Language in the World
What’s more, English is the rest of the world’s "second language”. While Chinese Mandarin and Spanish are the mother tongues of more people overall, most people in the world choose to learn some English after their native language. In fact, one in five people on the planet speak or understand at least a little bit of English.
This makes English one of the most useful languages you can learn. After all, you can’t learn all 6,500 languages in the world, but at least you will be able to communicate with people from all different countries using English.
It Can Help You Get a Better Job
Companies are becoming more international, and English is listed as an essential skill for more and more jobs. There are some organisations that now conduct all their business in English, no matter where in the world they are based. If you want the best paid opportunities, learning English is a great idea.
It Makes It Easier to Travel
As I said before, English is the world’s second language. This means that learning English makes it much easier to travel anywhere you want. For example, aeroplane announcements, train timetables, emergency information and street signs are often translated into English, particularly in countries that use a different type of alphabet. Plus, even if you don’t find other travellers or local people that speak your mother tongue, you are practically guaranteed to find someone who understands some English.
It’s the Language of the Media
Most of the content on the internet is written in English. Many of the world’s biggest news outlets, including TV, newspapers, magazines and radio, are produced in English. Some of your favourite films, TV shows and pop music are probably English-language. Go to any international film festival in the world and you will see that all films are either in English or have English subtitles.
English is the international language of media and arts and so, if you want to access as much as possible for yourself, without relying on translations, it’s the most powerful language you can learn today!
