The importance of the English language is due to its worldwide presence, acceptance, and integration with technology. It helps in
1. Spread of information
2. Economical and business growth
3. Adaptation of technology
4. Better collaborations.
5. Effective Education
6. Enhanced employment opportunities.
British rule has spread the English language all over the world.
It was enforced to be taught in education, and all the laws and rules meant for enactment were published in English.
So there was an inevitable need for the local people of English-ruled countries to learn the language.
Though the English rule was not acceptable to the natives of respectable countries, the English language stayed with them as it was a convenient means of communication even between nations of different languages.
Further, the English language has played an essential role in the spread of formal education.
Importance of English as a Language
1. English for the spread of information:
- The English language has such an extensive presence that it helps easily exchange information through newspapers, novels, books of social prominence, etc.
- This helped in the easy spread of information worldwide.
- Further, there are scientific, cultural, and art-related organizations that try to coordinate knowledge worldwide with the use of the English language.
- If you notice scientific journals online at sites like ScienceDirect, you will find that the vast majority of journals are published in the English language.
- Even those journals published in other languages are again translated into English to reach larger audiences.
2. English for extension of busyness and economy
- Due to English being a common language, it is easy to do business on a worldwide scale.
- For instance, in sectors like healthcare, stock markets, advertisements, software, banking, petroleum products, biotechnology, etc., the use of the English language is quite common.
- And you will notice that many people would have an assistant to help with English during business travels.
- There are many authors and scientists who, by their ability to write in the English language, gained worldwide fame.
- Further, since their books, like novels and journals, were written in English, they had extensive sales.
- This could not have been possible if they were written in the native language and sold those books in the native country alone.
- Even there are many institutes, books, etc., to teach English to people. These options also act as good revenue sources.
3. English for the spread and advancement of technology
- English is a boon for technological progress and application.
- You can find a computer or iPad-like device with English commands, and people of all nations use them due to ease of use as customers know the English language.
- Further, the technology could quickly spread as scientists from one country could go to another and help the host nation in the development of technology as the means of communication was English.
4. Collaborations
- Collaboration is an option for mutual growth, support and research.
- People of different languages from different parts of the world try to make collaborations.
- And the use of the English language is one of the best ways to make it successful.
- Because of the widespread use of English languages, it is easy to communicate the details to collaborate and complete the work successfully.
5. Worldwide employment opportunities
- Because of the English language, many people migrate to developed countries from developing ones.
- They could easily live and work there due to their knowledge of English.
- Hence you can find many emigrating to the United States, Canada, and Europe to get better job opportunities.
- Only having sufficient skills in their respective career would not have fetched them their jobs.
- To a person with sound knowledge of English, it is possible to work from home through a computer for clients from other countries.
- Some of the jobs include data entry, medical transcription, freelance writing, etc.
- They can even communicate with them over voice by use of the language.
Importance of English in Education
1. English minimized the differences in standards of education:
- Though every nation seemed to instill modern or scientific knowledge, there was a massive difference in the standard of education between the developing countries and the developed ones.
- So you can find many US and UK-related universities in the top ranks in education.
- But this gap was minimized mainly due to the usage of some standard books as common by students of all the countries.
- For example, Grays’s anatomy and Guyton’s Physiology are used by medical students, and Vogel’s analysis is used by chemistry students worldwide.
- The use of the same standard books for a subject minimized the knowledge differences among students worldwide.
- The maintenance of standards was again possible because these books were exclusively written in English.
2. English helped students to study abroad
- This way, they could gain knowledge of their interests if a particular course was not available in their native countries.
- Not all countries can offer all the courses in their universities.
- For instance, Astro-biology is present in very few countries like the US and if a student of other countries is willing to learn the subject, they could apply there with their English language as one of their eligibility.
- Similarly, nowadays, there are student exchange programs between universities of different nations for better students’ exposure to a particular subject or field.
- This is again made easy due to English knowledge among the students.
3. English helped in the easier spread of education
- In underdeveloped countries, education has spread at a faster rate in the recent past.
- This was possible because those countries invited professors, educationalists, and experts in different subjects from developed countries to impart knowledge in their countries.
- Since the medium of instruction is English there, the spread of information was easier.
- b. Even the use of books written in English by foreign authors in remote places like developing countries helped in the natural spread of knowledge.
- Thus the importance of the English language is immense in the development of the world.
Amazing and a vast note for an educator