Introduction
to Business English and its Importance
by Tom Roper
First of all, I would like to welcome you to your weekly Business English Blog, your weekly look at the world of the English Language and its use in the Business environment. I’m sure many of you speak a little English already, or even a lot, but one of the questions we are always asked (especially by reluctant/tired students) is “Why is English important?” Let’s take a look together:
1. It’s the language of communication and travel
English is not the most spoken language in the world, but it is the official language of 53 countries and is spoken by over 400 million people across the globe. Having the capacity to speak English is not only about being able to communicate with native English speakers, it is the most common second language in the world with around 1.35 billion people using the language. If you want to effectively communicate with someone from another country then there is a high probability that you will both be speaking English for this.
2. It’s the language of business
English is the principal language for doing business and it has almost become a prerequisite for people to speak the language if they are considering entering the global workforce. Worldwide research has shown that international business communication, more often than not, is performed in English and that the majority of international companies expect employees to have a high level of English. It is something that cannot be downplayed, learning and speaking English can actually change your life.
3. It’s the language of entertainment
So many of the world’s best films, music and TV series are published and produced in English. What this means is that through learning English you will have access to an even greater world of entertainment which will provide you not only with a better level of entertainment but also cultural understanding.
If you can speak English, you won’t need to depend upon translations and subtitles so much and will be able to enjoy your favourite books, songs, films and TV shows further. We have also seen that watching TV shows and films in the English language is also a particularly effective and fun way to learn!
4. It’s the language of the internet
Research shows us that almost 4.9 billion people were considered active internet users as of 2022, this represents 62 percent of the global population. It’s estimated that 60% of all web content is in English. In contrast, only around 18% of the world’s population speaks English, and just 5% of the world speaks English as a native language as we saw earlier. This means there is a huge advantage if you have this key skill on your side.
Learning English becomes so important as it gives you access to more than half the content on the internet which in turn means better access to online education, know-how and technical information in your field. Being able to read English will give you access to billions of pages of useful information which may not be otherwise available!
So now we know how important this language is and not just because your school English teacher told you. These four examples are only some of the reasons why it is key to your development, we haven’t even included the fact that studying a language can improve your cognitive and analytical abilities! With Business English you can look forward to our weekly updates on useful approaches to English in your Business life, easily applied techniques and interesting articles for you and your English. We will start next week with how to write the perfect E-mail, so come with us on this journey to improve your Business English.
Tom Roper