The Importance of Learning English
Out of the 6,400 languages spoken in the world, why should you learn English? The third most spoken language in the world, English is widely spoken and taught in over 117 countries. It is widely used around the world as a commercial or diplomatic language. It is the language of science, aviation, computers, diplomacy, and tourism. Last but not least, language is the language of international communication, media, and the internet.
Whether it’s for professional or personal reasons, understanding the importance of English will help you achieve your goals. Here are some reasons why you should keep learning and practicing your English skills.
Although English is not the most widely spoken language in the world, it is the official language of 52 countries and is spoken as a native language by approximately 400 million people around the world. But it’s also the most common second language in the world. According to the British Council, approximately 2 billion people worldwide will be learning English by 2020.
Therefore, if you meet someone from another country, there is a good chance that both of you will be able to speak English. It opens the door to the world and helps you communicate with people all over the world.
ESL learning and EFL learning
Perhaps the easiest way to tell the difference between ESL and EFL is to consider where your students are learning English.
If you learn English in a country where English is the native language and everyone speaks it outside of the classroom, it is called ESL because English is a “second” language. Learners here primarily learn English to understand and speak English outside of the classroom.
The situation is different when learning English in a country where English is not the native language. This is known as EFL because students learn to speak, write and read English as a ‘foreign language’. In this case, learners learn English inside the classroom, but continue to speak their own language outside the classroom.