Reasons To Learn English
“Do you speak English?” We all learn English at school. For some, the language is more important, for others it is less. There can be several reasons for this. Without any doubt, however, it makes sense to learn English. Not only because English is very much in demand in the professional world. In the following list King’s English explain why this is so.
English is the number 1 world language.
There is no way around English. The language is everywhere and you will meet it again and again, even if you have long left school behind you. There is a large number of countries where English is the first or second official language. Many people on all continents speak English as their mother tongue or second language. Whether at home or abroad, there are countless situations in which it is useful to be able to speak and understand English. If you have a good command of the language, it will open many doors for you in many different ways. English is the key to the gates of the world. This may sound a bit pathetic, but it is true.
Understanding when travelling
German does not get you far in most countries. English, on the other hand, is understood almost everywhere. In any case, there are many attractive destinations in the English-speaking world, just think of Great Britain, the USA, Canada or Australia and New Zealand. But also in various other parts of the world, for example in Southeast Asia, you get along well with English. Where there are tourists, English is usually spoken. The English language makes travelling a lot easier: just ask for directions, read signs and descriptions, book a rental car, place orders, find your way around the airport or train station – no problem if you speak English. This is just as true for short breaks as it is for long trips. English is incredibly helpful abroad.
Using English in the professional world
Often the command of the English language is a condition or selection criterion for a job. No wonder, since the world economy is increasingly globalized. Many companies therefore have subsidiaries, branches, cooperations or customers abroad. For business trips, telephone calls and meetings, employees must be able to speak English. In addition, they have the opportunity to work abroad, both temporarily and on a long-term basis. This is already possible at a young age, for example with a work-and-travel programme or an au pair job. If, in the course of your professional career, you develop the desire to go abroad for a while or forever, you will have a much better chance with a sound knowledge of English. English improves your career prospects in every respect.
Understanding English Literature
Most books are translated into German, but it is even better to read the original. Sometimes a text suffers from translation and some expressions and contents cannot be easily translated into another language. Moreover, it is an enrichment to read novels and English-language classics of world literature as they were originally written. However, this point is far more important in relation to specialist literature. A large part of the existing specialist books on a wide variety of topics is available exclusively in English. A good example of this is the field of computer science. English is the computer language and inevitable for programmers. Besides the technical literature and books of any kind you can also read the foreign press.
Watch original films and series
The situation is similar to that of literature in films and TV series. However, the difference here is much greater. We grow up with dubbing and are used to it, but it’s not always successful. Especially with some sitcoms there is little effort. In addition, many jokes and puns don’t work in German and dialects and slang are lost during dubbing. The voice is an important instrument of an actor. If you watch films in English, you hear what the people really say and how they speak. Once you’ve started watching movies in their original sound, you’ll most likely stick with it.
Understanding lyrics
I’m sure you hear a lot of music with English lyrics, too, don’t you? Most of the songs we hear every day are in English. It’s nice to understand what’s being sung. No matter whether you just want to listen or sing along, at home, at parties and concerts – you can only do that with knowledge of English. Listening to songs in English and understanding only the station is somehow stupid. After all, the lyrics are a not inconsiderable part of a song. With English you will have more joy in music.
Make the most of the Internet
If you can speak English, you will have considerably more websites than if you limit yourself to German-language websites. With English, you’ll find everything on the net, no matter how special it is. With so many people in the world speaking and writing English, the number of pages, articles and information is endless. Also in social networks you understand more when you speak English – from the tweets of your favorite artists to the profiles of all kinds of people. You can read, research, shop and watch videos on English pages. You can also network with people all over the world, chat, flirt or gamble.
