Reasons to learn English


Here are a few reasons to learn English (some serious, some less so). This is not an exhaustive list. These suggestions were compiled on 16th June 2010 from a (non-representative) team of 18 people with a variety of nationalities who were asked the question, "Why should you learn English ?"

Reasons to learn English:

- To advance at work

- To understand 1,400,000,000 people around the world

- Because not everyone speaks Chinese

- Because the Beatles didn't sing in Russian

- To speak English, quite simply

- It's important to learn English because it's the language used in aeronautics, at science conferences and in international politics

- For travelling

- Learning English can be a good way to make new friends

- For understanding books in English and certain instruction manuals

- For flirting with English girls (or to pose as an Australian student or New Zealander in a small-town night club)

More reasons to learn English:

- So that you can answer 'yes' when asked 'Do you want to learn English?'

- Because it's easy (or because it's hard)

- Learning English is important because English is the official language of at least 75 countries around the world

- To make your brain work hard

- To watch the original versions of 'Scarface', 'Friends' or 'Lost' without feeling 'lost'

- To become a pop star or bartender in Ibiza

- To understand the lyrics of songs in English and stop mumbling along

- So you don't have to learn German

- To be able to work abroad

- Learning English is important when you know that 56% of websites are in English

- To tell English people (in English): 'I told you we'd beat you in football!'

- Because English is a language of the future : French as well as German, Finnish and Czech are destined to disappear. Only English, Chinese, Spanish and Arabic will be left

Even more reasons to learn English:

- To be good at karaoke

- To know what 'to iron' means

- To know what to say to the Queen of England if I ever run into her randomly at a cocktail party or a polo match

- Because you've been asked to learn it(!), and because it would make the entire Gymglish team very happy.



Did we leave anything out? Other ideas or suggestions?