We all know that the English Language is a global language. Every person has to learn this language as it brings benefits to the speaker’s life. But, with the advantages, it also has certain disadvantages that most people don’t realize. I’m going to share some advantages and disadvantages of this language with you. The purpose of it is to motivate you to learn this language, but also to remain conscious of its negative points. So, let’s start with it.
Advantages:
- Enhance your cognitive abilities:
When you learn a foreign language, you become bilingual. Now your mind has restored the rules and grammar of two languages. Now it knows the subject-verb agreement of English and your native language. It has restored the list of nouns that start with J in English and in your native language. This thing has sharpened its memory. Dealing with two languages makes you an intelligent person as you are now acquainted with the culture of two different languages.
- Travelling:
As English is a global language, you can find English speakers everywhere. It has eliminated the language barrier issues which one can face during travelling. Now, you can easily communicate in a foreign country. You can even make friends. This aspect has made travelling more enjoyable.
- Vast Business Opportunities:
The world is now a global village whose language is English. You can make different business deals with people from various countries through technology and language. You can communicate with them, have business meetings with them, and can do partnerships with different foreign companies.
Similarly, employment opportunities are also in great numbers. You can get a better salary in your country if you have English Language skills. You can get job opportunities in foreign countries due to your English skills.
- Studies Opportunities:
After learning English, you can study in the world’s best universities. You can enrol yourself in American, British and other English-speaking countries’ universities. They are the best and will broaden your vision of life. Also to ensure you’re ready, consider taking an English-level test to assess your English proficiency.
- Wide range of Entertainment:
With one language you can only watch and enjoy the movies and series in that language. But if you know two languages, you will have several options.
YouTube and Google offer English subtitles to almost every movie and video. Because of it, you can watch Korean dramas even if you don’t know the Korean language. You can read English subtitles while watching a video.
Most of the series and movies are dubbed in English. You can watch them too.
So, English has broadened our vision and has benefited us in every aspect of life. But, what are its disadvantages? Let’s discuss it too.
Disadvantages:
- Extinction of minor languages:
One of the disadvantages of this global language is that it is causing the extinction of minor languages. According to the BBC, every three months, a language is extinct from the face of the world. In this last century, about 400 languages have become extinct.
Each language has its own culture and history. Belief systems, folk stories, culture, and values; all are associated with language. When a language becomes extinct, it also demolishes the culture and belief system of its native speakers. It causes the extinction of a unique culture.
As English is a global language, its benefits are much more than the minor languages. Native speakers of minor languages are abandoning their language and adopting this language. The young generation prefers this language because of its financial and educational benefits, causing speakers of minor languages to decrease every day.
- Minimize love for native language:
This language has minimized the love for our language in our hearts.
English promises benefits and has become a symbol of high social status in various societies. Every person wants to learn and speak this language. All of their time and efforts spent in learning this language, cause their love for their language to minimize. They feel ashamed of learning and speaking their language and don’t want to spare their time and energy to read and write in their native language.
This attitude is making people less associated with their cultures and values and minimizing the love for their language.
- Challenges for non-native speakers:
Learning English does need time, energy and resources. Some non-native speakers, who have tough schedules or are slow learners, are unable to learn English. Some people’s financial situations don’t allow them to have resources for learning English. If any of them manage to learn English, their vocabulary and accent will not be as advanced as they should be. It will pose challenges for them in the financial and education world. A person who doesn’t know English can’t enjoy the facilities and opportunities this language offers. They will lag in the race which is an unjust thing for them.
So, these are some of the advantages and disadvantages of learning the English language. The purpose of pointing them out is to spread awareness. People should learn the English language but don’t abandon their language. They should help others in learning English, and not make this language a status symbol. If we try to avoid its disadvantages, we will increase its advantages.
