Roughly, there are 1.75 billion English speakers on the planet; that’s one in every four people. There’s no denying that English is the most sought-after language to study and is the founding language for many business services. Dozens of multi-billion-dollar companies that are not from an English-speaking country have changed their corporate language to English.
The entrance of the Internet in homes and businesses added an entirely new level of a dire need to read, write, speak and understand English; around 565 million people use English on the internet. It’s estimated that around 55.5% of web content is in English.
1Why English Only?
The idea to adopt a global language might not be an attractive policy for many, but it is what it is. For businesses, it seems to be the right move, although it might not make sense to people who see themselves at a disadvantage because they don’t speak the language or are far from fluent.
After all, why should employees of a Japanese, Chinese, Brazilian, or any other non-English speaking company have to learn English? Yet, the CEOs and decision-makers of companies have a different view, including:
1. Global organization
Today’s businesses are organized globally, rather than locally or regionally. Businesses of all sizes and in all industries want to collaborate on an international level. There needs to be one language that cuts through all geographical areas, and English is that language.
2. Coordination
Being multilingual is very beneficial for the individual, but those benefits are not seen in businesses. Having more than one language used in businesses can be inefficient and ineffective, and an obstacle in trying to coordinate crucial tasks.
It can get in the way of achieving common goals and results that companies want to reach with each other. Things are complicated enough in businesses when everyone speaks the same language, so imagine what it is like when everyone is speaking a different language.
3. Lost in translation
Even the simplest of communications can be misunderstood. It wouldn’t be difficult for any employee to misunderstand a given instruction if they have to translate it. A simple online order between a customer and an online company can become extremely complicated when there is no common language between them.
We know how things get lost in translation. What you might think is a simple mistake in an English preposition, for instance, can actually change the entire meaning of a sentence. No one has to explain how this can cause not just confusion, but may in effect annul a contract or even lead to lawsuits.
Back in 2014, an infamous case over the use of the Oxford comma, (the comma used when mentioning a series of things) a Main dairy company in the USA had to pay their drivers $5 million in settlements because it wasn’t clear which tasks would compromise overtime pay for the drivers because the comma was simply dropped in the writing of the company’s terms.
2How Learning English Will Help You
1. Further studies
Many reputable universities are in English-speaking countries, and some of the most popular majors are taught in English. For non-native English speakers, there will be exams that they have to pass to enroll in an English-speaking university.
Learning English means you will be able to enter the university you want and study the major you want, instead of being restricted to something you don’t want because of the language barrier.
2. Job opportunities
Since dozens of companies use a one-language policy then it shouldn’t surprise you that the best jobs might be only offered to those who speak English fluently. In some cases, this skill will overshadow some of your other skills.
An employer is likely to hire the bi-lingual candidate over the single language candidate, considering all other aspects are stable. With fluent English on your resume, it will give you a fighting chance to land the job of your dreams. If you’re already employed, you might get demoted if you don’t improve your English skills when your company requires you to do so.
You might not understand new concepts and ideas that are being submitted at work and you might have new ideas that you want to present, but you don’t know how to present them in English. This can prevent you from participating in work settings that need collaboration and communication.
3. Positive attitude
It is not uncommon to find people undermining their abilities. This is especially true if you feel it is too late for you to learn English. This attitude is damaging the way you view yourself and what you are capable of doing.
The fact is, it is not your lack of ability to learn English that is stopping you, it is the idea of making mistakes that is your obstacle. You have to view mistakes as the natural process of learning a new language; there is no such thing as learning without making mistakes. Once you pass this hurdle, you will find your ability to learn is much higher than you thought it was.
3How to Improve Your English Quickly
Like learning anything new, it takes a bit of time and practice. We understand you want to learn quickly, and there are ways to make that happen.
1. Set your goals
It is common for people to just say they want to improve their English; this is too general and too broad. Write down why you need to improve your English and be specific; Is it for an exam? Is it to get a promotion at work?
Is it to better understand movies and song lyrics? Your goal is going to determine the learning strategy. It will also determine which skills you need to improve most. Generally, you want to improve all your language skills, but you might need to focus on one skill over another.
2. Online media
It is probably the best way to start picking up the language, and a way that most people enjoy. Everyone has a topic or matter they are passionate about or interested in; there is no shortage of videos or pods on every topic you can think of.
When you start with a topic that you’re already interested in, this will encourage you more which in turn, will make the learning process quicker. When watching a video, say a movie, pay attention to what is being said rather than what is being done. You will probably hear several expressions that will pique your interest in what they mean. Pause the video and go back to that expression or phrase.
Pay attention to what was happening at the time it was said; what were the circumstances? How did the entire dialogue play out? To learn, you should be paying more attention to the dialogue occurring rather than the action. If watching a ‘how-to’ video, for instance, write down a few questions before watching it concerning what you want to learn from the video. See if the video answers those questions for you.
3. Courses
There is no doubt that the best way to learn English quickly is by visiting an English-speaking country. If you’re looking for a quick way, this is the quickest because you will be put in situations that force you to use the language.
What can take you months or even years to learn by traditional studying, you can learn quickly in an English-speaking country and what better place to learn in other than the country that invented English – the United Kingdom.
While you are in England, it is recommended that you visit Birmingham to enforce your learning with www.warm-welcome.co.uk by signing up for courses. You can take your pick from private tutoring, general English which includes improving all your language skills: reading, writing, speaking, and listening, to taking group courses where you can make new friends who also want to improve their English; these courses, and more, are all accredited by the British Council.
You can also fill out a form for a homestay with a family. Many of the best universities worldwide are located in the UK. If you’re considering furthering your academic career there, you will want to improve your English to be able to keep up with your studies. The Cambridge Exam Preparation or the IELTS preparation are typically required exams to take in order to continue academic studies.
4. Chunk language
For adults, learning something new tends to weigh them down. Studies show that adults find it harder to learn new things, not because they are ‘older’ but rather because the information they already have learned is interfering with new information trying to come in. Medically, there is a lot more to be said about an aging brain and this is just one aspect.
Many English instructors encourage the use of learning chunk language to accelerate the process of learning, especially for older adults who might find picking up a new language difficult. Chunk language refers to a group of words that make up a fixed expression; this could include sentences like “Get well soon,” “In my opinion,” or “In a nutshell,” for example. Learning isolated words – that are not in a pattern – makes learning more difficult. Words must be put into context in order to be used successfully, which is one advantage of learning chunk language.
For students of English, they might understand each word separately such as the words “in,” “a” and “nutshell” but they don’t understand what it means when they are put all together and thus, becoming “in a nutshell”; this is also known as phrasal verbs and collocations. It helps boost your confidence in learning because you will come out with useful phrases that are short and easy to memorize, and of which are used frequently.
5. Reading
Never in history has anyone learned English by reading a dictionary! Albeit, you need one to look up new words, no one decides to just sit down and read a dictionary. The internet is full of reads and you can find reads that match your level of reading. You can read comic books, short stories and much more online.
If online reading isn’t your thing, visit a library or buy a book on a topic that interests you. Lots of beginners will start by reading children’s books, and non-beginners can opt for this method too. They are easy to read because the language is simple. The mistake most students make is thinking they have to learn big, fancy words for their English to improve; that is simply wrong.
Most people do not use big words when they are speaking and even the best novelists have a very simple style of writing. So, reading a children’s book is recommended. You can take it step-by-step and move on to a teen level of reading. Reading is one of the fastest ways to improve your language and will increase your vocabulary profoundly.
6. Setting a time
Learning English needs devotion and input from you and that means working on your language skills daily; no excuses! Some people are early birds, others are night owls, so, decide which one you are, and create a study period during the times in which you are most productive.
Learning a little every day is better than spending hours studying once or twice a week. You don’t have to spend too much time on English every day, but the more you do invest your time, the more you will learn and the quicker you will learn. Make sure to switch your skills, so you don’t lose interest.
Spend a couple of days on reading and then spend a couple of days on improving your listening skills, for instance. Daily practice is a habit you need to start!
What every student will appreciate is that English instructors don’t use grade-school techniques and methods. Your learning experience will be fun and productive as new methods are always being introduced when it comes to teaching English. Surround yourself in English as this is the best thing you can do for yourself.
Do not worry about the method because the method only accounts for 20% of the learning experience and the rest of the 80% depends on your motivation, enthusiasm, and input. When you do everything in English: read, write, talk and listen, and even think in English, it is a sure-fire way to see results quickly.
You can learn more here at https://www.learnmedicalspanish.org/expert-language-learning-tips/.
