# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
From time to time English teachers contact me and ask if I can write or record something that will motivate their students to work on their English. Here's what I told a group of students from Siberia whose teacher reached out to me.

Languages Mean Opportunities

People often want to know the best language to learn to get ahead in life. Many think that learning English, the international language , is the best option. English is of course an excellent choice, but it's difficult for me to suggest just one language when my successes in life have come from speaking so many more languages than English.

More opportunities than I would otherwise ever have had a chance to experience, have come to me because I know a lot of languages. To me, languages mean opportunities.

I learned French, and that's why I was accepted into the Canadian Diplomatic Service. I learned Japanese, which enabled me to set up my own company selling lumber to Japan. I then went and studied Spanish and other languages and that helped me do business in Europe. It helped me to meet people, increase my range of contacts and create personal connections with people.

That's just on the business side. Over the last 10 years or so, I have learned other languages that have nothing to do with my business, like Russian. I was able to go to St. Petersburg and Moscow and meet and have dinner with people, talk with locals, visit the theater and understand everything. It gives you a tremendous feeling of satisfaction.

English Is the Lingua Franca

Though I have experienced great success and enjoyment from languages other than English, whether we like it or not, English is the most useful language in the world. We may wish that Russian, French or Chinese were the international language, but the real situation is that wherever you go in the world, the common language is English.

This is true even if you live in a country where there is not an English-speaking person for many thousands of kilometres in any direction. Today we live in a very connected world, so that even if you live in an isolated place, it is very easy for you to connect with people, movies, music, culture, or whatever you want via the Internet. You can of course do this in whatever language you are interested in, but English is the most useful, since more people speak it.

I'm not talking about native speakers in the United States, Great Britain or Canada. I'm talking about people who use English as a second language. For these people English is not their own language, but a language to communicate with other people who also use it as a second language. So English is the international means of communication. Even if you live somewhere like Siberia, you can have contact, lots of contact with people from other countries, and in order for that interaction to be meaningful you need to speak English.

Personalize the Learning Process

It isn't enough to want to be fluent in English. In order to actually learn English, you have to like learning English. That doesn't mean that you have to like everything about the culture of English-speaking countries. You don't have to like all American music or all British, Australian, Canadian or American people you meet. You don't have to like them all, but you have to find something you like: music, movies, books, a friend.

You have to find something you like and then devote yourself to cultivating that relationship with the book, person, music or whatever it is and not worry too much about your grammar or speaking correctly. These things don't matter so much. Most people who use English as a second language make mistakes.

The important thing is to be able to communicate, because we live in this interconnected world today. We are sharing this world. All seven billion or so people who live in the world are sharing it at the same time. We are alive at the same time and have the ability to connect with people who are sharing this moment in this enormous history of our planet.

It's Worth It

To connect with other people who live in different countries, to connect with their culture and their way of thinking, is tremendously enriching to your life. It will enable you to be more successful because through your language you will be able to access more opportunities and connections. Not because you get a job as a translator, but because if you are somewhere traveling and find yourself sitting on a plane beside someone who is from Turkey, if you have a common language, you can speak to that person. Most likely that common language will be English.

From that you will meet people who will be helpful to you or will in other ways enrich your life because they will become friends.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why English is Important | The Linguist on Language

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
From time to time English teachers contact me and ask if I can write or record something that will motivate their students to work on their English. Here's what I told a group of students from Siberia whose teacher reached out to me.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Hello, English learner!

Do you need some motivation? Are you wondering why you are working so hard to learn English?

I'm here to help.

Imagine having a cool superpower that can help you out in many different situations, or a magic key that can unlock thousands of doors that were once closed to you.
English can be your magic key.
Now imagine that you are using this magic key to go straight into difficult situations and help other people, solve important problems and get people to communicate well.

With a key like that, you would nearly be a superhero!

Those ideas may sound nice, but maybe you want some real, strong examples of how you can use English to improve your life.

How Can I Use English in My Life?

Think about a time when you were at your local pharmacy and a tourist needed help filling a prescription. The pharmacist and the tourist just could not seem to understand each other. English could save the day. English could help that tourist heal from an illness or feel more comfortable.

Now think about a time when you were traveling abroad and you could not speak the local language. Have you ever done this before? It can be a little bit scary. You might need to find a certain bus stop or the nearest restroom-quickly! Luckily, many people around the world speak English, so a little bit of English can solve your problems abroad, no matter what country you are visiting.

One day in the future, you might go into an interview at a large corporation and find that your interviewer is a native English speaker. Even if they want to speak in your native language at first, your hard work to learn English-the international language of business-is about to pay off. Talk to them in English to demonstrate your skills, and they will see that you can be a very valuable employee.

English is only the third most-spoken language by native speakers. However, when you count all the people who speak English as a second, third or fourth language, then English is definitely the most-spoken language around the world!

English is really everywhere, so you will be able to communicate with native speakers and EFL (English as a Foreign Language) speakers all around this huge planet. You will help others, communicate with a huge diversity of people and help yourself unlock all sorts of life's doors.

That is great, right? This will hopefully give you a little motivation to study English today. Now, keep reading! We are now going to talk about all the most important reasons why you should study English. Once you read these, you will stay motivated for your whole life!

1. You can find more job opportunities

Many large companies around the world require that their employees speak English. In some cases, these companies are requiring their workers to only use English.

As the world becomes more global (better connected), it is only natural that big businesses will want and need to communicate more. Right now, everyone is trying to learn and communicate with English. English is becoming the common language that people from different countries and cultures can use to communicate with one another.

For example, imagine that a businessperson from Israel, who speaks English and Hebrew, wants to do business with a someone from South Africa, who speaks English and Afrikaans. Even though they both started learning English as a second language in elementary school, they can use English to communicate with each other!

As Rakuten's CEO Hiroshi Mikitani told CNN, "if you want to become successful in other countries, you need to internationalize your headquarters." Because people from around the world know English and use it to communicate with everyone else, it is important that employees also know English. English is an important part of this process of becoming more internationalized.

You do not just need English to work at American, Australian and British companies. In my own experience as an English professor in Korea, many students have come to me asking for help with required English interviews at Samsung, LG and other large Korean companies.

By learning English, you can be well-prepared for interviews with any large, international companies. And, luckily, there are plenty of resources out there to help you practice for your English interview.

Not to mention, English is great for careers with travel, tourism and hospitality.

2. You can become better educated

Not only does knowing a foreign language expand your brain power, but you can use your knowledge of English to learn more and more things about the world.

These days it is relatively easy to take an English class. Whether you take this class online, on Skype or in the classroom, there are many options out there.

But here is a new idea for you: Have you ever considered trying to take a class about a specific subject in English?

Imagine all of the things you could learn by taking an American history class from an American, a math class from an Australian or an English literature class from a British teacher?

This kind of class, taught completely in English, will let you learn about culture, intonation, body language, vocabulary and slang while also learning about an interesting subject like history, math or anything else that you personally love to study!

Furthermore, there are many great works of literature, science, history and social science that were written in English first. Do not lose anything by trying to read a translation. Instead, you will come closer to the heart (the main idea) of what the writer is trying to say by reading the original writing in English.

3. You can easily travel anywhere in the world

I am a native English speaker and I have traveled to many places in the world. Communication has almost never been a problem for me, because people all around the world speak English. I have been able to speak English in every country I have visited. While learning a few words in the local language is always a good idea-it is polite and shows respect-English will help you with the details of travel.

In many places where you will travel, people find English important for their businesses. They need to know English in order to communicate with potential clients and customers. In most hotels, at least one employee will speak English-often, many of the employees speak English. This makes it easier for customers to get what they need and spend their money.

Even people in small town markets around the world know how to bargain with English speakers.

You will find that some of your best interactions will be with people on the streets who are trying to sell you something or who are looking to improve their English speaking skills. English will bridge the communication gap on your travels and make traveling a breeze.

4. You will know the global language

It is a historical fact that the economic power wielded by Great Britain and America over the last few centuries has resulted in English being so widespread today.

This has taken a long time, and many good things and bad things have happened in the process. English spread through war, trade, slavery and religious missionaries. History is complicated and it is not always pleasant, but today we can recognize that English is being spoken everywhere in the world.

We cannot change what happened in the past. However, we can use English as a positive power! We can use it to bring the world together, to communicate with people from foreign countries and to understand each other better.

Not only will it make traveling easier, but English will also allow you to know more about global trends, culture and social issues. It will give you a deeper understanding of people's different perspectives on life.

You will be able to communicate with people who do not speak your native language, and you will be able to consume thousands more news sources, blogs, books and songs.

Knowing English will let you be part of a global conversation!

5. You will learn about culture

Language and culture cannot be separated. Language is culture, and culture is language. Simply said, knowing English will give you a better understanding of people who live in English-speaking countries. Knowing the English language gives you more insight into how people think, live and work.

If you do not know about the culture of English-speaking countries, this might lead to misunderstanding what people are saying in English.

It is not enough to just know basic words and phrases. To communicate well in English, you must know about things like tone, body language and facial expressions. You might think an English speaker is being crass, rude or dismissive when they are not!

If you understand which words or expressions are acceptable and unacceptable in English-speaking cultures, this might save you from a cultural misunderstanding with your English-speaking friends and coworkers.

6. You will discover that English is easy to learn

Most people think that learning a language is very difficult.

In many cases, it is easier for certain people to learn English because English is related to their native language. For example, for people from Europe who are learning English, they find that English is closely related to their languages. German is very close to English. French has influenced English a lot. Plus, English speakers can be found nearby in Great Britain! They can easily travel to practice, and it is very likely that they will meet English speakers in their home countries.

For people who live in different parts of the world and speak languages that are not related to English, English can sound very foreign, confusing and frustrating.

However, there is something important that makes English very easy for everyone.

So, what makes English easy to learn for everyone?

Availability of resources. Because English is such a widespread language and is found all over the globe, the resources you can use to learn English are endless. There are tons of resources on the Internet for free. Sometimes you will need to pay a little bit to take an English course online or access another resource, but they are often worth the money.

So, get started! Watch cartoons or sitcoms in English on YouTube, Netflix, Hulu or other English TV websites for free.

Find complete English lessons on fun websites (and apps) like FluentU, which is tailored for the ESL learner.

Go online to hire an English speaker to communicate with and teach you on Skype.

English is everywhere. Take advantage of this fact!

7. You can improve your understanding of science

English is the language of science.

If you want to learn, publish or speak with authority in the sciences, you must learn English.

Pharmacists, engineers and doctors around the world must always learn English along with their other subjects in university. In most cases, their other class subjects are taught in English or come with an English textbook. Most medical schools in America require English as part of their coursework. In other countries, this happens too.

Science research is primarily published in English, and most abstracts (the summary of the research) are written in English so that international scientists can read them.

Getting a jump start in learning English can give you a head start in medical school, help you earn a biology degree or it could give you the tools you need to study at one of the world's best universities for science.

8. You can date more people

Okay. Maybe getting a great, romantic date is all the motivation you need.

Got it!

Well, you will be happy to know that English will increase the number of people you could possibly date. Try meeting people who speak English on a dating site, through Facebook or another social media site.

English speakers are generally very understanding when talking to people who are learning English, and they have plenty of patience. Do not worry if your English skills are not perfect yet. You are already very interesting because you are bilingual!

9. You can improve your confidence

I doubt there is any person alive who does not wish they could speak another language. It is a skill that everyone would love to add to their resume. With a little bit of studying every day, you can have this skill. Then you can be very proud of your ability to communicate with a wide variety of people.

Learning a language is hard and everyone knows it. People will automatically respect your commitment to learning and maintaining your English. Your ability to help and communicate with people will help you earn respect.

People will also seek you out to learn about you and your perspective on things. They will be interested in you and your experience in life. They will want to know the thoughts, hopes, fears and opinions of someone from another culture. When you feel more like you are more interesting, you will feel more special and confident!

10. You will exercise your brain

If nothing else, learning English will make you smarter and keep your brain strong.

Scientists have been demonstrating that bilinguals are able to understand concepts quicker and get better scores on tests. Who would not want that?

So, be smarter, more confident and helpful, get a job and date more.

That sounds good, right?

English is one key that unlocks a world of possibility.

If you liked this post, something tells me that you'll love FluentU, the best way to learn English with real-world videos.
Experience English immersion online!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
10 Reasons Why Learning English Is the Best Decision You Ever Made

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Hello, English learner!Do you need some motivation? Are you wondering why you are working so hard to learn English?I'm here to help.Imagine having a cool superpower that can help you out in many different situations, or a magic key that can unlock thousands of doors that were once closed

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
English is one of the widest used languages in the world - so we asked English language learners why they thought English is important.

Here are some reasons why learning English is important:

If we don't learn English, we may be left behind

English is required for higher education

We may not be able to use technology if we don't understand English

We can find always find someone who can speak English in any part of the world

English is essential for work and communicating with other people

For daily English language lessons and tips, like our Learn English Facebook page.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Learn English: Why is English important?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
English is one of the widest used languages in the world - so we asked English language learners why they thought English is important.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Why English is the most useful language in the world. How English can help you learn, communicate, advance your career.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I think the slide is really good and attractive.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I think the slide is really good and attractive.