II - English, the language that links us.

In Module 2 of English, “A world of many languages”, we talked about languages in general and about the importance of English, in particular.

It’s a fact that English is quickly becoming the global language, linking people from all over the world, overcoming linguistic and geographic barriers.

We are aware of the importance of learning English because we know it will be a fundamental communication tool in our global village.

We did some research on the topic and have selected the text below. We want to share it with you: 

At the beginning of the 21st century, it is beyond question that the English language has become the lingua franca, the language used for communication between people living in different countries in the world. The famous British linguist, Professor David Crystal in his book "English as a Global Language" states that English has become a global language because it has been at the right place at the right time.                  

     Speakers of English nowadays, comprise a very large number of people across the globe. Figures vary considerably, but it is believed that:

• the number of countries in which English has an official status is more than 75;
• the percentage of the world’s population that speaks English is higher than 25%;
• the percentage of European Union citizens that can speak English is nearly 50%;
• the number of people who speak English as a first language is around 375 million;
• the number of people who speak English as a second language is around 375 million people;
• the number of people who speak English as a foreign language is around 750 million people;
• the percentage of scientists around the world reading in English is higher than 66%;
• the percentage of the world’s correspondence written in English higher than 75%;
• the percentage of the world’s electronic information stored in English is higher than 80%;
• the percentage of Internet users that communicate in English is higher than 80%;
• english currently is the language most often taught as a second language around the world.

Today, English is considered the universal language for business, international communications, entertainment, tourism, trade and technology. The majority of all resources on the internet are in English, affecting people to learn English to take full advantage of it. Above all, learning English is important for being able to exchange views and make friends with people all over the world.

Source: https://www.studyenglishtoday.net/english-today.html (abridged and adapted)

That’s it for today! We will be back!