No one can deny it.
English is the dominant language in the world.
People who speak English well have a significant advantage over people who speak English poorly these benefits increase over time.
If your English is bad, you should start improving your English now!
Here are the benefits of learning English.
Benefit #1: Make more money
If your English is good, you will get more jobs and higher salary.
If you go to any job search site, you will find that most of the jobs require good English skills.
Everything else is the same, people who speak English well find more than those who speak English poorly.
Here’s a real example: My sister, who works at Bumrungrad International Hospital (the largest private hospital in Southeast Asia), gets a bonus on top of her monthly salary for getting a high score in the TOEIC English test.
Even if you’re not looking for a job, being good at English can help you financially.
For example, if you are a freelancer who can write English well, you can sell your services through international freelance sites like Fiverr or Upwork instead of local sites. This way you will reach a wider audience, get more work and earn more!
My English YouTube channel
Here is a personal example of the benefits of my English speaking ability:
I have a small one YouTube channel where I will share tips for learning English. Due to my laziness, the channel only has 14 public videos — a small number compared to other channels.
But because of the channel in Englishit reaches people all over the world and has over 30 million views and has earned me a lot of money.
If I had made videos in my native language, my channel would have attracted a much smaller audience, earned less (due to lower views and advertising), and had less impact.
Benefit #2: More career options
Proficiency in English opens up new career opportunities.
If you have a good command of English, you can become an English teacher, private English reporter, tour guide or translator. You can take one of these jobs on the side or turn it into your main income.
Your English doesn’t have to be perfect to qualify you for these jobs.
Sometimes a slightly above-average knowledge of English is sufficient.
Even if your English is not that good, you can still teach English to children.
Even if you speak English with an accent, you can be a tour guide.
Even if your written English is not perfect, you can still translate English into your mother tongue.
You need to make sure that your English is above average.
I used to be a software engineer, but thanks to my English skills, today I earn money by teaching English online. My English isn’t perfect, people always make fun of my accent on YouTube, but that doesn’t stop me.
Advantage #3: Access to more knowledge and information
Today you can find almost any information.
There are books, articles, videos, audio programs, online courses and podcasts on any topic.
But here’s a warning: most of the information is in English.
Therefore, if you cannot read or listen well in English, you will only have access to a limited amount of information.
I speak here from experience.
As a website owner, I sometimes have to look for ways to solve problems with my WordPress site. However, it is difficult to find useful information about WordPress in your native language.
But if I search in English instead, the task is much easier because there is more information in English.
If you have good reading and listening skills in English, you will be at a great advantage; you have access to a large knowledge base.
Advantage #4: Globally connected
If you speak English well, you can communicate with people from all over the world.
It is useful in various situations.
Here’s a personal example: once my PayPal account was suspended for some reason, so I couldn’t get my money. I tried contacting them via email but no response. But since I can speak English, I called customer support (located in Singapore) and explained the situation. The problem was soon resolved.
I use English language services like PayPal, Fiverr (freelance site), Google Drive, Hostgator (web hosting). If there is a problem, I know I can explain the problem in English and solve it quickly.
Unfortunately, many people do not like these services because they cannot communicate well in English.
Advantage #5: Travel
Do you enjoy visiting new counties?
Does your job involve traveling abroad?
If so, learning English will make your travel life easier.
English is the most spoken language in the world.
It is the most popular “second language”. Many people choose to learn English after their mother tongue. In many countries, it is a compulsory subject at school.
This means that when traveling abroad, you are more likely to find someone who speaks English than someone who speaks Mandarin Chinese or Spanish.
As you can see from the map below, English-speaking populations are more “spread out” around the world, while populations that speak other languages tend to be confined to one country or continent.
This makes English the most useful language to learn.
If you speak English well, you can travel abroad without worrying too much about the language barrier. You can confidently communicate with foreigners without using sign language or translation apps.
Benefit #6: Enjoy books, movies, and TV shows in English
English-speaking cultures have produced many creative works in various forms, such as books, movies, and television shows.
If you understand English well, you can watch these works in their original language – English.
Now you might ask, “Why bother with the originals when I can enjoy the translated versions?” you might think.
Unfortunately, there are two problems with translated works.
Issue #1: Accessibility
Unfortunately, many creative works in a foreign language are not particularly popular.
But if you understand English well, this will not be a problem. You can simply go to the source materials.
It is better to enjoy things in their original form. Lately I’ve been listening to Harry Potter audiobooks. (A different experience than reading books.) I usually listen to them during my workouts.
These audiobooks are not available in my native language. I wouldn’t have been able to enjoy them if my English was bad.
Problem #2: Loss of meaning
No two languages are equal.
When translating something into another language, no matter how skilled the translator is, some meaning is bound to be lost.
Sometimes this is due to poor translation. Other times, it’s because of certain differences between the two languages or some special characteristics of the English language.
For example, consider these puns:
Q: How do you count cows?
A: A a cowcultivator.Q: Why do school children eat their homework?
A: Because their teacher is a piece of cake.Q: What do you call a bee that cannot make up its own mind?
A: Mayto be.I have a few jokes about the unemployed, but none of them work.
These jokes cannot be translated. You have to read them in English to get the jokes!
Benefit #7: Mental Fitness
This may be an overlooked advantage of learning English.
Just like your body needs physical exercise to stay fit, your brain needs mental exercise to stay fit and healthy.
According to many studies, learning English (or any other language) has many benefits for your mental capacity.
Here are some examples:
- People who speak two or more languages show signs of Alzheimer’s disease later than monolinguals.
- Children who grow up in bilingual homes adapt better to changes in their environment.
- Bilinguals are better at switching between two tasks than monolinguals (due to experience switching back and forth between the two languages).
- Bilinguals are twice as likely to recover from a stroke as monolinguals. (A stroke is the death of brain cells caused by a lack of blood flow to the brain.)
The evidence is clear: being bilingual is beneficial throughout life, from childhood to adulthood.
No matter how old you are, your brain benefits greatly from the challenge and stimulation of learning English.
Conclusion: Why is learning English so important?
Today, it is common for people from different parts of the world to talk to each other.
Most of the time, the language they use is English.
Although China is on track to overtake the US and become the most powerful country in the world, learning English is more effective Rather than learning Mandarin Chinese or any other language.
This is because the English language has permeated many aspects of our lives. It is too late to transfer its place to another language.
If you speak Mandarin Chinese, you can mostly only communicate with Chinese people. But if you speak English, you can talk to Chinese, Koreans, Brazilians, etc.
If you think you need to improve your English, what are you waiting for? Start improving your English to take advantage of the many social, financial and lifestyle benefits.
In this blog you will find useful articles to help you on this important journey:
I encourage you to read these articles. (All links will open in a new window.)
Remember: the world is more connected than ever. Learning English is more important than ever.
Let’s start today!