Official Status of English as First or Other Language - Image via WikipediaBy Sarah ShortThe British Empire ensured the spread of the English language all over the world and whilst the Empire might have declined, the prevalence of the language has not.
For a tiny island with a relatively small population, the UK did an amazing job in circulating its language all over the globe and curiously, the need to learn English in the twenty-first century is even more pressing than ever.
For centuries, business and trade all over the world have been conducted in English. English in its current form didn't even exist until the Early Modern English period - around 1500/1800bc.
The British travelled around the world, trading in various commodities exporting both their governing systems and their language as they went in order that this trading could take place with increasing ease and familiarity.
The adoption of English as the constitutional language of the USA helped keep the importance of the language high, especially with the relatively recent emergence of the USA as a global power and English (in some form) is now spoken all over the world. Intriguingly, British English is still taught as the prestige form of the language in classrooms all over the world.
Today, English is taught as a second language almost everywhere, which is very interesting considering that there are fewer native English speakers than there are native Spanish or Chinese speakers. A fascinating recent statistic says that there are five times more people learning English in China than there are native English speakers in the world!
In these days of global recession and economic uncertainty, the need to learn English has never been more important as more and more companies are trading and competing across borders, languages and cultures. Those who are joining the job market now need to be able to communicate with people from anywhere in the world and English is the chosen medium for this communication.
To be blunt, those who can speak English are more appealing (and of significantly higher value) to employers than those who can't. Even those of us who have spent many years in the job market can find value in learning English, as the smaller the world becomes, the more important it is that we can communicate with its many citizens.
English is the international language of diplomacy, business, science, technology, banking, computing, politics, education and medicine - and this list grows with every advance society makes.
There is no doubt that the ability to speak English well greatly enhances the opportunities and prospects of all. The pertinent word here is WELL. Poor English just leads to the speaker being ridiculed and making them look uneducated at best, and unintelligent at worst!
If you want to learn English in England Tudor Hall could be the place for you. Tudor Hall School of English is a small, professional school of academic excellence that specialises in just three things; exam preparation, general English and summer programmes for younger students (13 - 17). Our passion is our students' success.
For more information, visit http://www.TudorHallSchoolofEnglish.co.uk
Sarah Short - Principal, Tudor Hall School of English
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