10 reasons to learn English

Most people in the Western world learn English at some point in their lives, but if you are one of the people that only just scraped by in school or never had to learn English, you may be wondering why English is so important. If you’re asking yourself “Why learn English?”, here are some of the best reasons for learning English.

1. English is one of the most widely spoken languages

Why is English so important? One in five people in the world can speak or at least understand English. There are over 400 million native speakers and English is one of the official or main spoken languages in more than 50 countries. While Chinese, Spanish, French and even Russian and German have many (native) speakers and their importance have grown in the past few decades, the lowest common denominator for people meeting and working together across the world is still English.

2. English will open up opportunities for you

Another important reason for learning English is your increased chances of getting a good job in a multinational company or working abroad. As the language of business, it is important for employees to speak English when interacting with colleagues in other countries and international customers. Put that way, speaking English can make your career, so start learning now!

3. English will make you more desirable to employers

Just imagine this: next time someone has to make a call to an English customer, you'll volunteer and impress everyone around you. As already established, a good reason for learning English is your career. You will feel more comfortable speaking English, even with native speakers, and earn your manager's respect. Are you looking for a promotion or even a new job? We can help you with that!

• Learn English
• Take the Busuu "End of Level" test
• Earn an official McGraw-Hill Education certificate
• Add the certificate to your LinkedIn profile and the languages section of your CV

That will alert your manager or potential future employers to your impressive English skills.

4. English gives you access to some of the world’s best universities

Where do you want to study? Have you ever considered applying to Harvard, Yale, Princeton or Stanford? Or one of the prestigious English universities Cambridge or Oxford? Even if you are not interested in joining one of the big universities - since English is spoken in so many different countries, there are thousands of schools around the world that offer programmes in English. If you speak English, there are lots of opportunities for you.

5. English is the language of some of the world’s greatest literature

Did you always want to read the great English authors in their original language? Learn English now and put your new language skills to good use by reading the modern classics: J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, a Stephen King novel or the latest Lee Child thriller. As your English skills improve with every book you read, you can then move on to read the old masters Charles Dickens, Jane Austen or Henry James in their original English. Get learning now and you’ll be reading in no time!

6. English helps you get more from popular culture

Ever caught yourself humming along a catchy tune but realising you didn't know the lyrics so couldn’t sing along? Or worse, got caught by someone as you were making up the lyrics yourself?

Have you ever looked up the lyrics of a song and realised you have been singing the wrong words for months or years? Did you ever have to wait for the translation of a new book by your favourite author or got annoyed with the terrible dubbing of your favourite TV show?

This is an excellent reason to learn English! You’ll be able to read your favourite author’s work in its original form, watch films and TV shows in English without subtitles and sing along to your favourite song.

7. English grammar is actually quite simple - honestly

While the vocabulary and pronunciation can be a bit difficult to learn at times, grammar is much easier than that of other European languages. There are only two genders, only one definite and indefinite article each and cases don't really matter at all... it's incredibly easy to get good working knowledge of English, then it's just a matter of widening your vocabulary and improving your pronunciation.

8. English opens up your world to knowledge

This is a bit of a no-brainer: Most of the content available on the internet is in English. Many sites are created in English and translated to other languages, but many businesses don't bother with translations because so many people speak English. Knowing English will allow you to access information that may otherwise not be available to you!

9. English improves your memory and keeps your brain engaged

Another, maybe somewhat unexpected reason for learning English is a good memory! There is some evidence that suggests being bilingual (and even just the process of studying another language) can protect your brain as you get older. Some types of dementia are diagnosed as much as five years later in people who know more than one language compared to people with dementia who only speak one language.

10. It only takes 10 minutes a day to learn English

This is a great reason for learning English. Many studies suggest that - instead of sitting down in a language class for two hours a week - it is much better to study a little bit at a time, regularly. Download the Busuu app and you’ll be able to learn anytime and anywhere, whenever you have a few minutes to spare. Don’t look for more reasons to learn English, study for 10 minutes every day and you’ll be fluent in no time.

You see there are many more reasons than you really need for learning English, so register now and download our Android or iOS apps so you can learn on the go.