There are 6500 languages spoken across the world, meaning you can travel from country to country and experience huge linguistic differences. However, it seems that in the business world especially, English is the go-to language of choice.
Individuals with completely different cultural and language backgrounds automatically resort to speaking English to communicate with each other. With that huge number in mind, why should you learn English, and why is it considered the international language of choice?
Many people question why English is the international language, because it’s certainly not the most spoken language on the planet. Mandarin is spoken by around 1.1 billion people, with English coming in second, at around 983 million. Considering those numbers, why isn’t Mandarin the language everyone resorts to? There are several reasons.
Firstly, English is considered a relatively easy language to learn, compared to other languages, such as the aforementioned Mandarin. Whilst it has several exceptions to rules, English is a relatively phonetic language, in that you can pretty much understand someone even if their English is broken. Mandarin on the other hand, you’d have serious problems with!
The second reason is that some of the most developed countries in the world are all native English speaking. They might have their own spelling methods, such as US English or Australian English, but they speak English nonetheless. Whilst China might be a huge trade country for multi-national businesses, working with the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and the UK is still one of the biggest desires for business success.
Where Did English Come From, And Why Should You Learn it?
English isn’t the oldest language on the planet either, dating back to around the 5th to 7th centuries AD. Even in the days before that, the language was evolving from its West Germanic roots, eventually finding its way onto British shores thanks to the earliest Anglo-Saxons. As the glory days of the British Empire got underway, the language found itself going global, and the more countries conquered, the more people began speaking English.
Of course, the days of British Empire rule are long gone, but the language remains a lasting legacy, and one which is considered a huge string to the bow of anyone who can master it as a second language.
So, why should you learn?
Here are a few reasons:
- Access to better jobs, as speaking English will open doors internationally.
- The chance to possibly move to a native English speaking country.
- Speaking English allows you to communicate with millions more people than if you didn’t speak the language, as it is the go-to choice for seemingly everyone on an international scale.
By dedicating time and effort to learning English, you will find that you have far more opportunities on an international scale, giving you the chance to travel for work, pleasure, possibly to migrate at some point in the future.
English might not be the most spoken language on the planet, but you could argue that it’s certainly the most powerful.
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