Learn English as a Route to Self Improvement
For those of you from a country whose main language is not English, you may find yourself at a disadvantage when it comes to some aspects of international life. Those aspects that come to mind, and which may prompt you to want to learn the English language, are:
1. International trade may involve communicating with people from many countries, who use many different languages between them. English, Arabic, Chinese, Portuguese, Spanish,and French are all commonly used languages, plus, of course, hundreds of others. Communication can require translators, or the use of a language common to all in the discussion. Often, English is becoming increasingly used as a common language in international business and trade. It can therefore be very beneficial to non English speakers to learn English as a second language, and then continue to increase their fluency in speaking English and understanding written English.
2. There is a mass of free information, and access to paid information, on the internet. Much of the web content, though, is written in English. By learning English, you can open up a whole new source of information about international business, trade, music, politics, arts and culture, as well as self improvement. Being fluent in English could be a great aid in furthering your career, your fulfilment and your enjoyment of life, just through the access to greater quantity of information on the internet.
On this website we do try to provide translations from English into a number of other languages, such as Japanese, Portuguese, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Korean. However, those translations are automatic and may not be the natural spoken or written language that you are used to at home.
3. With English being used so widely as a common language, if you like travelling, then your travels can be greatly enhanced if you can communicate in English. For example, your main language could be German and while travelling you meet someone whose main language is Arabic. If you both know a fair amount of English, then you can use it as a common language to communicate.
Being able to speak another language is likely to improve your self confidence, too. Being a linguist is not something that comes easily to many of us, while others pick up another language easily. Consistent exposure to the language through reading and speaking, and learning the grammar, will gradually open up a whole new world to you, and impress others too.
Learning and Improving Your English in Practice
How do you go about learning English if it is not your main language? In many countries, English is now taught in schools, so many young people will have an idea about the language. If you have not learnt any English before, then a local college may be the best place to start, or if you have the resources, going to the UK or US to study the language, based on your native tongue, is an excellent way to progress your English learning, and understand the American and British cultures at the same time.
Even those who have already learnt some English may want to take it further, and seek out ways and means to improve their English knowledge. A new language is something you can always improve on, so it can become a constant learning process, as with many area of self improvement.
There are a number of good online resources that can provide free, as well as paid for, help for those wanting to improve their English to a higher standard. Always bear in mind that the English language can vary. Coming from England, I speak and write naturally in English, while Americans speak and write American English. There are lots of variations of those two basic forms of English.
Two excellent resources to help your English learning online, and for free, are:
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) where you can learn in your own language such as Arabic, Russian, Chinese, Portuguese, Spanish and many others
