Education, General, Primary

Importance Of English In Global Scenario

English is the primary language of not only countries actively touched by British imperialism, but also many business and cultural spheres dominated by those countries.

Language is a system of conventional spoken, manual, or written symbols by means of which human beings, as members of a social group and participants in its culture, express themselves.
Language is our primary source of communication. It’s the method through which we share our ideas and thoughts with others.
There are thousands of languages in this world. All Countries have their own national language in addition to a variety of local languages spoken and understood by their people in different regions. Some languages are spoken by millions of people, while others by only a few thousand.
Evolution of English Language:
English was originally the language of England, but through the historical efforts of the British Empire it has become the primary or secondary language of many former British colonies such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and India.
Currently, English is the primary language of not only countries actively touched by British imperialism, but also many business and cultural spheres dominated by those countries.
English is the closest thing we have to a global language, and its reach is explained primarily by the world of politics. Here are some of the reasons why the English language enjoys such widespread reach.

  1. The British Empire: One of the biggest propellers of the English language between the 17th and 19th century was the erstwhile British Empire. The geographical expanse of the colonies and the international trade driven by the British led to the spread of the English language across continents, from South Asia, Asia Pacific, to Africa, the Middle East, and Australia. In fact, most former British colonies such as India, still use English as a language of formal communication and education in addition to the local dialect.
  2. The rise of USA: English is the dominant language spoken in the world’s most powerful nation – the United States of America. The emergence of USA as a global leader in almost every field ranging from business, science and technology, entertainment and sports, is one of the main reasons why English commands such global influence even today.
  3. Recognized at the UN and across the EU: English is the preferred language at international organizations such as the United Nations, and especially during diplomatic exchanges between political leaders of countries. English is the official language of the European Union. It is spoken as a foreign language in 19 of the 25 EU Member States, even though it is not an official language in these countries. Once again politics is at play, as it is expected that English has ceased to be the official EU language even after the Britain exited the European Union.

English-speaking will help you communicate with people from countries all over the world, not just English-speaking ones.

Importance of English Language:

There are several factors that make the English language essential to communication in our current time:

Foreign Language:

First of all, it is the most common foreign language. This means that two people who come from different countries usually use English as a common language to communicate. That’s why everyone needs to learn the language in order to get in touch on an international level.
Speaking it will help you communicate with people from countries all over the world, not just English-speaking ones.
Depending a bit on how you count, in addition to the approximately 400 million native speakers, English is understood and/or spoken by 1-1.6 billion people. With over a quarter of the world speaking the language, there’s always someone to practice with, especially when you travel.

Education:

English is also essential in the field of education.
In many countries, children are taught and encouraged to learn English as a second language. Even in countries where it is not an official language, such as the Netherlands or Sweden, we will find many syllabi in science and engineering are written in English. Because it is the dominant language in the sciences, most of the research and studies you find in any given scientific field will be written in it as well. At the university level, students in many countries study almost all their subjects in English in order to make the material more accessible to international students.

Travel & Business:

With world business headquarters predominantly in the financial hubs of the UK and USA, English has long been the default language of trade. Therefore, English is the dominant business language and it has become almost a necessity for people to speak English if they are to enter a global workforce, research from all over the world shows that cross-border business communication is most often conducted in English. Its importance in the global market place therefore cannot be understated, learning English really can change your life.
With good understanding and communication in English, you can travel around the globe. Because it is the international language for foreigners, it’s easy to get assistance and help in every part of world.

Language of Internet:

Most of the content produced on the internet (50%) is in English. So, knowing English will allow you access to an incredible amount of information which may not be otherwise available.

Adaptive:

English Language is quite adaptive, as it continues to change. Selfie, Hashtagging, Blogging, Smasual, etc. All these words are new to the English language but have already become valued members of the lexicon.
More than any other language, English continues to evolve and absorb new words that branch out – often untranslated – into other languages.
Every year approximately more than 1.000 new and approved words are added to the Oxford Dictionary. This tremendous development is the result due to technology, Social Media and how people spontaneously coin new words during daily life.

World of Entertainment:

Many of the world’s top films, books and music are published and produced in English. Therefore, by learning English you will have access to a great wealth of entertainment and will be able to have a greater cultural understanding.

Language:

English language, as it stands today is not the language of a particular people or particular country; it has assumed a world-wide significance. It is a language, understood and spoken by more than half the population of the world.
Even today, English Language has brought about an intellectual and cultural unification of not just the Indians but the people living in different parts of the world. ‘It is the greatest unifying link between the people coming from different & varied cultures.
Modern age, it must be remembered, has an international or cosmopolitan out-look. We have to evolve an international cosmopolitan culture, a wider and broader horizon of human civilization. For adapting ourselves to the changed world-picture and international urge, we must have a cosmic vision of life. We should not have any narrow prejudice in the context of learning foreign languages.

Interesting Facts about the English Language:
  • Below are the few interesting facts about the language that you might need to ponder upon
  • The English language as we know it evolved in the 14th century.
  • It’s difficult to estimate the number of words in the English language but a new word is added every two hours. Every year about 1000 new English words enter the Oxford Dictionary.
  • The vowel ‘e’ is the most used letter in the English language
  • A sentence that uses every alphabet in the English language is called a pangram. For example, “We promptly judged antique ivory buckles for the next prize.”
  • Ironically the word ‘pronunciation’ is one of the most mispronounced words in the English language.
  • English is a mandatory language if you aspire to have a career in international aviation. As a pilot or crew on international flights, you must be able to speak English.
  • While English is an easy language to learn, the longest word in the dictionary can leave even the most fluent speakers of English speechless. The longest English word is Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokoniosis, a lung disease caused by inhalation of dust and fine ash.
  • After the U.S, India has the highest number of English language speakers in the world. Future of English

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