Reasons to learn English

Now English is one of the most common languages in the world, which is spoken by perhaps 400 million people¹. It represents only about 8 percent of the earth’s population, but it is a very geographically widespread language, thanks to the former British Empire². English is almost the universal language of science, business, and international politics.

Whenever people with different languages come together, they usually use English to communicate:

• Up to half of all business deals throughout the world are conducted in English.

• Half of the world newspapers are in English, and about 75% of the world mail correspondence is in English (the USA alone accounts for 50%).

• At least 35% of Internet users are English speakers, and about 70-80% of the content on the Internet is in English (although reliable figures on this are hard to establish).

• Popular music worldwide is dominated by English (estimates of up to 95% have been suggested).

• English is also the language of the Film Industry and American television is watched almost everywhere.

English also opens doors to the academic world. Many Western universities are becoming highly international, the common working language of visiting scholars, students and professors from all around the world is English. Of course, if the best program in your field is in England or the USA, the English language will give you the opportunity to study with the top scholars.

E

Lingua franca – a language that is adopted as a common language between speakers whose native languages are different.

nglish is generally considered the lingua franca of the scientific community. For example, roughly 80% of all the journals are published in English. Two-thirds of all scientific papers are published in English, and the Science Citation Index³ reports that as many as 95% of its articles were written in English, even though only half of them came from authors in English-speaking countries. Publishing in foreign journals and attending international conferences are some of the key steps to success in academia.

Journalists and writers around the world think that a good command of English is an increasingly useful skill. Even if you are writing your articles and doing interviews in your own language, with good English you can get background material from international wire services, papers, and magazines from around the world. You can interview foreign diplomats, businessmen, and maybe even get sent to cover overseas stories.

The knowledge of the English language is vital in many professions. The ability to speak English increases an individual’s employability – which is a big plus in today’s competitive times. Multinational corporations employ English-speakers in offices around the world. English is also the first language of organizations such as the European Union, the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, and the NATO.

All these facts and figures prove the importance of knowing English for future research and professional career. Besides, learning languages broadens the mind and enriches all of us culturally.

Thus, if you do not want to get left behind when it comes to English, use this opportunity to learn English! Whether you are aiming to be a sociologist or a journalist, a philosopher or a businessperson, knowing English can give you a vital edge over others.

Notes:

¹ Estimates that include second language speakers vary (варьируются) greatly from 470 million to over a billion depending on how literacy (грамотность) or mastery (владение, мастерство) is defined and measured.

² Most people on earth – about 500 million – speak Mandarin Chinese. They make up 11 percent of the earth’s population but almost all of those millions are concentrated in China.

³ Science Citation Index (Индекс цитирования научных статей) covers more than 6,500 notable and significant journals across 150 disciplines, from 1900 to the present.

 VOCABULARY BOX

reason – причина, основание common (language) – общий (язык) common understanding – взаимопонимание widespread (language, phenomenon) – широко распространенный (язык, явление) universal – универсальный to conduct (business deals, research) – проводить (деловые сделки, исследование) to give the opportunity – дать возможность to consider – считать to be generally considered – обычно считаться, рассматриваться to attend (international conferences, lectures, classes) – посещать (международные конференции, лекции, занятия) a good command of English – хорошее владение английским языком 10. to be vital – быть жизненно важным 11. to employ – брать на работу, нанимать employer – наниматель, работодатель employee – сотрудник employability – трудоустройство, возможность найти работу to increase employability – способствовать трудоустройству 12. to broaden the mind – расширять кругозор 13. to enrich (sb culturally) – обогащать (кого-то в культурном отношении) 14. to give a vital edge (over others) – дать важное преимущество (над другими)

Reading Comprehension Tasks

1 Are these sentences true (T) or false (F) according to the text? Correct the false ones.

1. English is the most commonly used language among foreign language speakers.	
2. One third of all business deals throughout the world are conducted in English.	
3. At least 35% of the content on the Internet is in English.	
4. English is considered to be the lingua franca of the scientific community.	
5. A good command of English is an increasingly useful skill.	
6. The ability to speak English increases an individual’s employability.	
7. Multinational corporations do not employ English-speakers in their offices around the world.	
8. Learning languages broadens the mind and enriches all of us culturally.	

2 Find equivalents to the following Russian word combinations in the text and write them down.

1. распространенный язык	_________________________________
2. даст возможность учиться у ведущих ученых	_________________________________ ________________________________
3. посещение международных конференций	_________________________________ _________________________________
4. хорошее владение английским	_________________________________
чрезвычайно важно	_________________________________
5. (вероятность) трудоустройства человека	_________________________________ ________________________________
6. расширять кругозор	_________________________________
7. обогащать в культурном отношении	_________________________________ _________________________________
8. отставать, остаться позади	_________________________________
9. давать важное преимущество над другими	_________________________________ _________________________________