If you are reading this post, you probably speak English. I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that 98% of my readers are native English speakers. With that being said, you too are very lucky!
This week alone, on two separate occasions, two of my co-teachers told me how fortunate I am that I speak English. This isn't the first time I've thought about how fortunate I was because I spoke English; I've discussed it several times with multiple friends.
**I want to state that I am in no way an expert in anything that I'm about to say. I am writing either from experience or what I've heard others say.**
Being an English teacher in South Korea, I am hit with the realization everyday that I am lucky to have been born in an English-speaking home. I am in Korea because many, many people want to learn my language. Okay, maybe they don't want to learn, but they feel it's necessary in order to get a good job and have a better life.
In the two minutes of research I did online, English is listed as either the #2 or #3 most spoken language in the world. Chinese or Mandarin is #1. So, why aren't the masses learning Chinese/Mandarin? I either read or heard an opinion on this: Chinese/Mandarin is still thought of as third-world or poor. English is thought of as rich and moving forward. World business is conducted in English. If someone from France and someone from Japan meet for business, they will most likely speak English to each other if they don't know each other's language. How lucky for us native English speakers!
As my co-teacher was saying, I am lucky because I speak English. I have an opportunity to travel and work in a foreign country just because I speak a desired language. She said she was truly envious of me. Come to think about it, it is easy for people who speak English to travel. Take away all outside influences like money, time off, etc. and just look at the language aspect. If a sign is going to have two languages printed on it, the languages will be the home-country's language and probably English. As a native English speaker, it's (relatively) easy to travel without having to learn another language. (I'm not saying that we shouldn't at least try to learn a few basic words in the language of the country we're going to.)
Every Friday I teach a teachers' class. They want me to teach them practical English that they can use when traveling like phrases for ordering food, exchanging money, asking for directions, etc. My class of two or three students is higher level and already know most of the basics. So, for tomorrow's class, I am going to play them the following TED Talks video. It's only 4 minutes, 32 seconds, but I would like for them to discuss the video and if they agree or disagree. Maybe what Jay Walker says in the video isn't completely accurate; maybe it is. I'm not too concerned about accuracy. I just want to hear what my students think of topic and why they think English is an important language to learn. To view the video I am talking about, please click on the following link: TED Talks: The World's English Mania.
I would really like to hear your opinion on this subject. Why do you think it is so important to learn English? Do you feel lucky because you speak English?
English as a world-wide language/lingua franca has problematic origins (mainly, colonization) and can be tied to money and power in unfair and uncomfortable ways. (For us native speakers from powerful countries, for example, it may not feel good to think about WHY English has developed as it has.) However, as stated in the video, English does give access to an amazing amount of information and can be used to bridge gaps (and solve problems); there is so much knowledge-sharing, understanding, and relationship building that can come from having a common language. I think native English speakers from powerful countries have a tendency to think of themselves as lucky, partly because they don't realize how many other people learn English from the day they go to school. It might not be their home language, but it is an official and/or necessary language. I meet so many people who think that Indians don't really know English, or that what people speak there isn't "really" English. Indian English IS LEGIT, no matter how much Americans don't believe it. No, it isn't exactly like American English, but it is a valid and valuable language (duh). No matter where you're at or where your from, English is a super-useful tool to have in your box. If you don't have to study hard to learn it, then I guess you're lucky. But I don't have to study too hard to learn languages, so I'm just generally lucky in that respect =) Sorry if this is long or a little ramble-y but I always have a lot to say, ha! Happy Halloween, by the way!
ReplyDeleteAlso, I can't get into my google account because I've forgotten my password, again, but this is Mariah!
Thank you for your comment, Mariah! You can ALWAYS write as much as you want! ;) Learning languages is hard for me. It could be that I am too lazy to learn. I feel very disrespectful living in a country where I can't convey what I want to say. I don't think I should be fluent but I should definitely know more than I do. There are times when I get so upset at my students because they aren't "getting it." When this happens, I try to take a step back and think of my own language learning classes. I too struggled in my language classes. I have a deep respect for those who learn or at least try to learn other languages. I agree with you that "English is a super-useful tool to have in your box." I hear from my co-teachers day in and day out that these kids can't get good jobs unless they can speak English well. Who knows what opportunities will come to them because they know English.
Delete