What English Means to Me Macey Lare English is a language spoken all around the world, whether you are across the Atlantic over in Europe, or even way over in Dubai. They still speak English. I have had the ability to speak English since I was born, and have never had to learn it as a second language which is pretty lucky. Other people are not as lucky and have to take a lot of time and effort to learn it. English is an important language and has a different meaning to everyone, but this is what it means to me. There are over 1 billion people in this world that speak English, and I have learned that already knowing how has helped me greatly. When I was 9 I moved to Sweden and the only language that I knew was English and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to speak to anyone. I was wrong because almost everyone over there spoke English, I could live my day as I normally would and have no problems. I did take the time to learn some Swedish for emergency situations, but it was never a need for me. …show more content…
It is amazing how you can understand one language perfectly, and others have no idea what it means. Everyone learns in their own ways, and being able to live through experiences that no one else can live through was pretty spectacular. I got to learn about cultures around the world, and how different they were from my own. Like how in Sweden during the spring they have a festival where they cover a cross in flowers and grass. In Denmark it is a huge part of their culture to eat fish, everyone eats it, and you can get it on every corner that you turn. Then you come to America where we have a day to celebrate our independence and how we are able to be so
Then there is the language debate/barrier. I’ve heard many times, someone say "If you don’t want to learn the language, then go home" or "They just pretend like they don’t know English so that they can do whatever they want." I’ve even heard phrases like these coming out of the mouths of some of my own family members. Of course there are people who pretend not to understand, or who don’t really try to learn English.
Usage of English language has its purpose, to convey meaning and understanding to a certain audience. But how does that affect one who does not speak or understand the language? People still communicate in their own Native tongues and have so for many years. With the globalization of many companies today, communication is very critical. Without effective communication, markets of today would be limited as there would be no exports or imports, etc.
First, one benefit of knowing english can be financial success. For example, knowing how to speak english can help increase the changes of getting a good paying job says, Havovi Copper from “Immigrants Should Learn English”. Evidence given by U.S English, Inc that supports this, is a studied done by the Census that shows that income of the people that learned English increased about 30%. Another example is that people that know english have higher possibilities of saving money. How? They can get their citizenship and stop paying ever 10 years for their Permanent residency card. They can also understand when the government gives financial help, for example, with health care and food stamps.
It taught me important skills that cannot necessarily be taught in a classroom. There are many important traits that make up a “well-rounded” student, or even just a well-rounded person. Things like being caring, open-minded, reflective and even a risk taker. They are all very important aspects of being a successful student and person. I learned so much about these traits while on this trip. I learned the importance of being caring. It is always important to be caring. I learned to be open-minded. So open-minded. I had never been to another country. Never flown without my family. And I did it anyways. I was a risk-taker. And lastly, this trip forced me to be reflective. I thought about it for a long time while I was home. I have even thought about returning and doing a study abroad program. I thought about the food and the music and the beaches but the one thing that I could not get off my mind was that sweet child. Meeting that young girl and coming in contact with her sweet demeanor and contagious laugh motivated me. It made me want to be around people with that same character. It made me want to be with children, everyday. And it made me want to begin the path of becoming a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. This trip was extremely influential in helping me decide my future. So here I am 6 months later enrolled in a Nursing program. It was greatly because of the
"By emphasizing the importance of a common language, we safeguard a proud legacy and help to ensure that America's future will be as great as her past." Ronald Reagan described it best. A vital part of any culture is language. Without language, there would be no communication, no conversation, no debate. I believe when immigrants come to America, a crucial part of their acceptance is whether or not they know the English language. In a census done by the US Census Bureau in 2011, it showed that 79% of the population speaks only English at home while only 21% spoke a language other than English at home. Meanwhile, of that 21%, 58.2% spoke English very well (Ryan). This shows how vital the English language is to American culture and how it is imperative for English to be a requirement for immigrants when they come to America. Not only when people immigrate here, but to other countries as well, I believe that it is, in some ways, a common courtesy to learn the native language. In comparison to other countries you can immigrate to, America is one of the best. America
I got to meet my country in a different way, from all the places i’ve visited before, Venezuela will always be my favorite. With this trip I created a much deeper relationship with my parents, but most importantly, I learned to be thankful for what I have and that it doesn’t matter where you are, what matters is with who you are
Overall, learning a foreign language is unnecessary in today’s world. With English dominating the business industry and translators available, learning one is a waste of time and resources. Also, other countries can learn English since such a large amount of our population already knows it. Even though there may be multiple people around the world who disagree, they cannot deny the facts. Foreign languages in today’s world are practically useless, let alone a complete waste of
Not being able to communicate using the English language is preventing immigrants to find a better paying job, which in the first place is one of the reasons why they moved to the US. Not only that, but children that are not yet proficient in English are falling behind in school. This is where Bilingual, and English immersion program...
I have learned a great deal about different cultures and the communication between those cultures. I didn’t really think I would learn as much as I did. I am from an older cohort than most of the people in my class; therefore my experience level is a little greater. This did not prevent me from learning a few things and enhancing the knowledge I already have.
I was able to spend a lot of time with my family, our friends, and play all sorts of games. This experience made me start to like traveling. Every time I would get the chance to travel, I will take that chance. We were able to go to a theme park, eat many delicious foods, and play many video
Actually, the majority of people in the world “speak 1.69 languages- not high enough to conclude that the average person is bilingual” (source C). Having the ability to communicate in one language can help others communicate in everyday life from walking through town and shopping to making deals in business. Having a society that is monolingual can improve economies and relations throughout the world. Also, there was a survey in 2007 to determine the number of 5 year olds and older who spoke a language other than English at home. Out of the 280,950,438 people, 225,505,953 of them spoke only English at home (source E). This means that again 20% of people spoke a language other than English at home. English is a popular language, not just in English speaking countries, but also in countries that it is not the primary language. As the world changes, English becomes more and more of a necessity for society to communicate. As time progresses, English may be the only language needed to communicate more for people around the world. Through the globalization of the English language, its effects would greatly improve society by shortening time lost in language barriers and improve understandings of
...covered skills I never knew I had. So, besides learning something about other cultures, you also learn a lot about yourself.
English is an international language of communication (Nunan, 2003). So that English is a necessary basic skill for human. For instance, we meet lots of people who came from different countries in our daily life. Since our mother language is different, we can use English to be a lingua franca to communicate with them and try to understand their culture easily.
Question 1: Write your own definition of the term global language. A global language is one that is widespread internationally and used as the common one for communication between various groups and societies. It is the language that is most taught and learnt as a foreign and/ or a second language worldwide. This kind of language has a large amount of prestige, and official or special status. It is the language of politics, international business or economics, international communication, academic conferences, science, technology, tourism, media, publishing of books or journals, newspapers, and health sciences.
Over the years English inarguably has reached a status of a global language and commonly is characterized as a lingua franca. It has become the language that is spoken by millions of people all over the world; as the mother tongue, as the language used for international communication and as the language learned in the millions of schools.