Why It Is Important To Speak English In Foreign Countries

If you are planning to visit any foreign country, one important thing you should have, along with a passport, air tickets, and an international credit/debit card, is a functional knowledge of English. No other language is as widespread as English. In terms of the number of speakers, the Chinese Mandarin is the most popular language in the world. However, it is rarely spoken or written outside the People's Republic of China. On the other hand, the number of English speakers has steadily been increasing all over the world. In the UK, the USA, Canada, Australia, and a host of Commonwealth countries, English is the first-choice language.

English is also widely used and well understood in many other countries including India, South Africa, Singapore, Hong Kong, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and many former British colonies. Even in the countries where it does not have great penetration such as the Middle East, Latin America, and Eastern Europe, you can get things done if you have a working knowledge of English. It was reported recently that even the Chinese government had incorporated English education in the curriculum to pluck the benefits of outsourcing. All these indicate the necessity to learn the language.

Reasons For The Global Dominance Of English

English is the official language of correspondence in most countries by default when it comes to communication among other countries. French, Arabic, and Spanish are also used for this purpose, but none comes close to English. In addition, English is usually the official language for international business conferences, meetings and symposiums of the scientific and academic communities, film and art festivals, trade shows, and international summits. Moreover, English is by far the most popular language over the internet and other forms of electronic communication.

There are two reasons for its omnipresence on our planet and three, if you could add the widespread popularity of the internet as well. The first is the colonization agenda of the British empire in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. During the course of the three centuries, the British Empire had expanded to large swathes of land all over the world. It was often remarked that the sun never set in the British Empire. In the process, the British rulers and missionaries established educational institutions in their colonies and laid a foundation for English teaching.

When the power and reach of the British Empire diminished, in came the USA as a global superpower. The dominance of the USA, not just the political dominance, but the cultural dominance as well, catalyzed the spread of the English language. Pop music, Hollywood movies, and pulp fiction became available in almost every country. In all these cultural aspects, English was, and still is, the default medium of communication.

The recent phenomena such as the spread of the internet and the growth of the outsourcing industry also provided momentum to the rise in popularity of English.

Therefore, if you plan to visit another country, you must have a basic knowledge of English. Even if you do not, it is always beneficial to learn to speak, read, and write English.