What is the importance of learning English?

The importance of learning English

① English is the main international language in the world today and the most widely used language in the world. According to statistics in 1986, there are nearly 400 million native English speakers in the world, and almost one in ten people speaks English. People in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other countries all speak English. About 20 countries in the world use English as their official language or second language, with a total of about 800 million people. In other words, almost one in every five people in the world knows English at least to some extent. If the number of primary and secondary school students learning English in various countries in the world is added, there will be even more people who understand English.

②English is used in a very wide range of languages. More than 70% of emails in the world are written or addressed in English.

60% of the world's radio programs are conducted in English. Most of the international information is published in English. The vast majority of international conferences use English as the first common language, and it is also one of the official working languages ??of the United Nations. In short, English is an important communication tool in the fields of international politics, military, economy, science and technology, culture, trade, transportation and other fields.

With the continuous expansion of my country's opening up to the outside world, the continuous progress of science and technology, and the continuous improvement of its international status, there is an urgent need to create a large number of professionals who are proficient in foreign languages ??to accelerate our country's development. The "four modernizations" process has enabled our country to play a greater and more active role in international affairs. Therefore,

Learning English well is of great practical significance and far-reaching historical significance to achieve the above goals.

We need to learn from other people’s advanced technologies

China has indeed undergone earth-shaking changes in recent decades, with rapid development in all aspects. However, there is no doubt that we still lag behind advanced Western countries in many technological aspects. To develop, make progress, and master various technologies in a short period of time, we cannot do research alone and must learn from others’ advanced technologies. The necessary prerequisite for learning is to master the world's common technical communication language, our tool - English. Take computer program development as an example: Although the current computer operating system already has a Chinese version, when it comes to application development, the program is still written in English. High-tech materials are mostly written in English. Although India's development is not as good as China's in many aspects, India's software development industry is much more developed than China's. One of the important reasons for this gap is that Indian programmers generally have a higher level of English application than Chinese programmers.

English is needed to cooperate with countries around the world

While we are learning from other people’s advanced technologies and experiences, we also need to carry out various technical and economic cooperation with countries around the world. If you don’t understand English, you won’t be able to communicate with your partners, let alone cooperate. For example, if a company develops a world-class product, its future will be bright if it can open up the international market. However, the company personnel do not understand English, cannot communicate well with foreign customers, and cannot demonstrate the excellent performance of the product. This will be a heavy loss.

Learn according to actual application needs

Since we have discussed before that English is actually just a tool, then, before learning, we must first clearly understand the purpose of learning English. Is it a literary creation or a practical work requirement? I believe that most people learn English because of work needs, so English is just a tool that allows us to communicate with Western countries and learn advanced Western technologies. In the past, English education in China focused on reading a large number of literary works, but in fact this approach does more harm than good to English beginners. For example, a stewardess, all she needs to master is to verbally ask the guests what they need, or report simple information such as the local weather. Reading literature arguably did not help her work. Before we learn English, we should repeatedly emphasize that English is a tool, and we must clearly understand what we need to use this tool for. Decide the content and methods of learning according to specific needs. If your job is to be a stewardess, then obviously you don't need to know Shakespeare.

English is Chinese, and Chinese is English

Many people always have an inner thought when learning English that English is a foreign language, and learning a foreign language cannot be compared with the mother tongue. But actually this idea is wrong. Whether it is Chinese or English, it is just a language and a tool for communication between people. As long as you can speak Chinese well, there is no reason why you cannot speak English well. The reason why many people find it difficult to learn English well is just a matter of time and environment. Think about it since we were born, whether we are studying, working, playing, eating or even sleeping and dreaming, we use Chinese all the time. And the time we spend using English is relatively pitiful. If we learn to use English like we learn to use Chinese, I believe that anyone with normal language ability can master English well.

Some people say that childhood is the best time to learn a language. After that, it becomes difficult to learn a new language. Although this statement has some truth, it is not inevitable.

Many elderly people in their decades can communicate fluently in English in just a few years after immigrating overseas. This is because they must use English for food, clothing, housing and transportation. Some immigrants stay in Chinatown all their lives and only interact with Chinese people. Even if they live abroad for more than ten years, they may not be able to speak a few words in English. This shows that the key lies in long-term application.

Focus on cultivating a good sense of language

China’s English education system has always placed great emphasis on the study of grammar. As a result, I learned grammar very well, but I couldn't speak a few fluent English sentences. Because when I speak, I run through various grammatical rules in my mind to see how I should say it. How can I speak fluent English like this? This emphasis on learning grammar in China has led many people to mistakenly believe that language exists only with grammar. However, in fact, it is language that has existed. Over time, various usages have become relatively fixed, and people have summarized these rules into grammar. In fact, most people in English-speaking countries do not understand grammar, but they can still use English well to communicate with others. People have natural language ability. This is a feeling, not a rule. This feeling is created through prolonged application. Only with this feeling can you express your thoughts fluently in English without spending time thinking about any grammatical issues.