{"id":167597,"date":"2023-07-27T16:23:28","date_gmt":"2023-07-27T20:23:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/importance-of-english-language\/"},"modified":"2025-02-28T14:33:26","modified_gmt":"2025-02-28T19:33:26","slug":"importance-of-english-language","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/english\/importance-of-english-language\/","title":{"rendered":"11 Reasons It’s Important to Learn English"},"content":{"rendered":"

What makes English an important<\/em> language, not just a\u00a0common<\/em> one?\u00a0Is it really worth putting all that time, effort and energy into learning English<\/a>? The short answer: yes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Whether you are just starting out or need some motivation to keep going, understanding the importance of the language will help you reach fluency and change your life.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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1. English Is the Most Spoken Language in the World<\/h2>\n

According to a report from Statistics & Data, English is the most spoken language in the world<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And if you include people who use it as a second language, an estimated 1.5 billion people worldwide<\/a> speak English.<\/strong> Further, a total of 96 countries in the world use English.<\/p>\n

Considering that there are over 190 countries<\/a>, that means over half of the countries you will visit likely use English as their lingua<\/em> franca<\/em>\u2014the main language that people from various groups use to communicate with each other.<\/p>\n

2. English Will Teach You About World History<\/h2>\n

Throughout the centuries, the British Empire expanded and ruled over many different countries. The empire<\/em> (a group of countries ruled by a single government) forced the people they ruled over to speak English.<\/p>\n

Because the empire lasted over 300 years, many of the countries under the former British Empire (like Ireland, which had Gaelic as its original language<\/a>) speak English to this day.<\/p>\n

When you are studying English, you will come across the different types used around the world<\/a>. When you know the history of English as it is used in a certain country, the similarities and differences between, say, Australian<\/a> and New Zealand English<\/a> make much more sense.<\/p>\n

3. English Opens Up New Career Opportunities<\/h2>\n

Many companies need employees who can communicate with partners and clients all over the world. Very often, that means finding employees who speak English.<\/p>\n

Are you job hunting<\/a>? Do you just want to keep your professional options open? Learning English can be an important step to achieving those goals.<\/p>\n

The global job market has even created new positions for bilingual people<\/em> (people fluent in two languages). By learning English, you could become a translator, a language teacher or an English marketing professional for a global company.<\/p>\n

4. English Is the Top Language of the Internet<\/h2>\n

Like in real life, English is the most-used language online, with 55 percent (or over half) of all websites<\/a> using the language. That means if you can understand and read English, you can access and enjoy a lot of written resources online.<\/p>\n

For example, you can read online news articles<\/a>. You can participate in a discussion on a forum like Reddit<\/a>. You can send an email to someone from halfway across the globe. The possibilities are endless!<\/p>\n

Also, many people and businesses conduct<\/em> (do) research, market themselves or communicate and develop connections on sites like LinkedIn<\/a>\u2014making internet English crucial to professional success as well.<\/p>\n

5. English Tests Can Get You Into School<\/h2>\n

If you learn English well enough to\u00a0pass tests like the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), you can study in English-language universities across the globe.<\/p>\n

The TOEFL is one of the most common English proficiency tests. Others include the IELTS (International English Language Testing System)<\/a> and the Cambridge exams<\/a>. Some colleges or language centers even offer classes to help you practice for these tests.<\/p>\n

Even if you are not taking a test for a specific reason, studying for an English exam can still help you improve your language skills.<\/p>\n

6. English Makes Traveling So Much Easier<\/h2>\n

Just knowing English travel phrases<\/a> is great if you just want to do things like get around a hotel or ask for directions. But if you want to stay in that country for at least a few years or so, you need to expand your vocabulary.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For example, if you live in an apartment <\/em>(a room or unit in a building where you pay rent to a landlord), you need to know some house vocabulary<\/a> in case you have trouble with your bathroom and need to ask someone for help.<\/p>\n

And if you regularly interact<\/em> (come into contact with) native English speakers, you need to know what the daily phrases they use<\/a> mean.<\/p>\n

7. English Allows You to Make More Friends<\/h2>\n

Because English is the most widely used language online and offline, you are likely to meet English speakers when you are traveling or using chat apps<\/a> like WhatsApp<\/a>.<\/p>\n

When you know their language, it is easier to share common interests like your favorite food<\/a>, music and much more.<\/p>\n

And hey, you may even want to surprise your new buddy<\/em> (friend) with some of the weirdest English words you know\u2014or at least ask them about the best way to use those words.<\/p>\n

8. English Allows You to Enjoy Hollywood<\/h2>\n

Understanding English means you can enjoy modern Hollywood blockbusters<\/em><\/a> (very popular\/successful movies) as well as classic films from different generations\u2014and talk about them with other film-loving, English-speaking friends<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Not sure where to watch movies in English? Check out streaming services like Netflix<\/a> or Amazon Prime Video<\/a> as well as free services like Crackle<\/a> and Tubi TV<\/a>.<\/p>\n

9. English Lets You Enjoy (And Learn From) A Ton of Internet Videos<\/h2>\n

If you do not have time for a movie marathon<\/em> (an event where you watch two or more movies consecutively), websites like YouTube<\/a> and Vimeo<\/a> can also give you engaging English videos that discuss all kinds of topics.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also the language learning program FluentU<\/a> and its library of English videos, which are all organized by topic and English difficulty level.

FluentU<\/strong> takes authentic videos\u2014like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks\u2014and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.<\/p>\r\n

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You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app<\/a> or Android app.<\/a><\/p>\r\n

P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/a><\/i>\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n \"FluentU\r\n

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