INTRODUCTION

Learning English as a second language.

Learning a second language can boost your confidence and transform your ability to communicate, but which language should you choose? To help you decide, take a look at some reasons why you should learn English as a second language:

Learning English as a second language doesn’t need to be a chore. Learning English should be enlightening, beneficial, and fun all at the same time! However, Rome wasn’t built in a day; improving your English skills will still require time, dedication, and regular practice.

The Benefits of Learning English as a Second Language!

1. It’s a Global Language

English is the most widely used language in the world, with more than 1.5 billion speakers around the globe. When you learn English as a second language, you’ll be joining a global community and be able to communicate effectively on every continent. Out of the 1.5 billion global English speakers, it’s estimated that only 0.5 billion are native speakers. With 1 billion people choosing to learn English as a second language, there are some benefits on offer!

2. Increase Your Employability

English isn’t just the most prevalent language in the world; it’s also spoken in the most powerful and influential countries. If you want to climb the career ladder, being able to speak English fluently is certainly advantageous. Whether you’re interested in business and finance, health and medicine, technology, or anything else, being an English speaker will open up new job opportunities and give you the chance to realise your potential.

3. Boost Your Brain Power
Learning a second language means you’ll be using a wide array of cognitive function. From deconstructing words to figuring out their meaning to memorising sentence structure and vocabulary, learning English as a second language is certainly a great exercise for your brain! Studies have shown that learning a second language or communicating in a second language keeps your brain active. Whatever age you are, having the ability to use a second language will help you to keep your brain healthy and active.

4. Get a World-Class Education

Many of the world’s most prestigious educational institutions are situated in English-speaking countries. More importantly, the courses they offer are predominantly delivered in English. If you want to get the most out of higher education, knowing English as a second language and being able to prove your abilities will stand you in good stead when it comes to securing a place at top colleges and universities. Regardless of your academic achievements, non-native speakers will typically be asked to reach a certain proficiency in English and pass a related test before being admitted to a university course in an English-speaking country. For aspiring students, learning English as a second language can be just as important as performing well on subject-specific tests and examinations.

5. Enjoy More Entertainment

When you can understand the English language, you’ll find that a whole new world of entertainment opens up to you. The world’s most popular movies, television shows and music generally use the English language, which can be frustrating for non-English speakers. If you want to binge-watch the latest cult classics or enjoy tunes from your favourite artists, learning English as a second language will give you a richer and more satisfying experience.

6. Be a Better Communicator

As you learn English, you’ll obviously become a better communicator in your newly acquired second language. However, this isn’t the only way that learning English can boost your communication skills. Learning a second language can enhance your communication skills in your native language too. When you learn English, you’ll develop cognitive and verbal skills that will enable you to articulate yourself more effectively. These same skills will come more naturally when you’re using your native language too, which means you’ll become a better communicator whatever language you’re speaking or whatever setting you’re in.

7. Prepare for a Digital Future

The internet has become part of our day-to-day lives and we use it constantly for work, school and socialising. You’ll find virtually every language in the world present on the internet, but the vast majority of online content is published in English. It’s estimated that over half of the websites online use English, which highlights just how much online content is reserved for English speakers. If you’re planning to work in tech or you simply want to be able to use the most popular websites when you’re surfing the web, learning English as a second language is essential.

8. It’s Fun!

There are many practical reasons why you should learn English as a second language, but don’t overlook how fun it can be too! When you enrol on an English language course with the ABC School, you’ll get the opportunity to live in London while you’re developing your language skills. Immersing yourself in the culture and surroundings of this great city, making new friends and seeing the sights is a great way to enhance your knowledge and have fun while you’re learning English.

What are some potential challenges of learning English as a second language?

Whether you’re studying English for the first time or you’ve been studying all your life, you’ve probably encountered several challenges along the way.
You might look at a word and think, “What the heck does that mean?”

Alternatively, you might struggle to understand how and when to use certain grammar structures, English idioms, or vocal tones.

Everybody learns a little differently, which means that some people might find English more challenging than others. In addition, certain aspects of the English language may seem easy to one learner, but extremely difficult to another.

Nonetheless, let’s take a look at some of the most common challenges that English learners face:

Vocabulary

There’s not a native English speaker on Earth that knows every single word in the English language.

This means that learning English as a second language requires you to constantly add new words to your vocabulary. Building vocabulary can pose a challenge to English learners for several reasons.

First, there are a lot of important words to learn! It can be difficult to commit all of these new words to memory regularly.

And second, as your vocabulary grows, you may struggle to remember words that you learned in the past. This can make English learning feel like an uphill battle. Fortunately, there are some proven ways to build your English vocabulary without forgetting older words.

Pronunciation

Even if you can read English and understand the words in your head, you may struggle to say the words out loud. The English language has a lot of unique pronunciations. Depending on your native language, learning English pronunciation can be a big challenge.

Like all of English learning, pronunciation requires a great deal of practice.

It also requires just as much listening as it does speaking. Listening to native English speakers and imitating the sounds is one of the best ways to overcome difficult pronunciations!

Grammar & Tone

Just like vocabulary, English grammar can feel pretty challenging at times.
There are 12 primary verb tenses in English, but that’s just the beginning. You’ll also need to learn about proper sentence structure, tone (for English speaking), and punctuation usage (for English writing).

Sounds like a lot, right?

Thankfully, learning English as a second language is a marathon, not a sprint. You just need to take things one step at a time.
The more you learn and practice, the easier it will become!

Listening Comprehension

Even if you know what to say, you may not understand what the other person wants to say!
Native English speakers tend to speak very quickly. They also might use different accents, obscure idioms, or even incorrect grammar.

As you can imagine, conversations with native English speakers can get confusing!

This can make listening comprehension a very difficult activity for non-native English speakers. There are many strategies to improve your listening comprehension, but listening closely is one of the best ways to improve.
You also shouldn’t be afraid to ask questions when you don’t understand something. Treat every conversation as a new opportunity to learn!

Time

Unfortunately, many adults simply don’t have a lot of free time. Between work, family, friends, and other activities, it is easy to let English language learning fall through the cracks.

Moreover, as you age, it gets harder for your brain to adapt to new information. As a result, time can feel like your enemy.

However, it doesn’t have to be this way.

Learning English does require regular practice and exposure to the language (movies, music, etc). However, you don’t have to take formal English courses; you just need to develop a study schedule that works for you and your lifestyle.

Even if you only dedicate 15 minutes daily to English, it will be enough to see improvement over time!

Conclusion

What are some strategies and resources to help you develop your English language skills?

1. Learn to be a voracious reader

2. There are plenty of free online and affordable English classes for adults.

3. Be persistent in your study of the English language

4. Always listen to good speakers

While learning English as a second language might be a long journey, it is well worth the effort. The benefits of speaking English can help you make friends, travel to new places, and even advance your career.

That said, you don’t have to have a specific goal to learn English. Learning English is also a great form of self-improvement!
Additionally, learning English doesn’t require a huge price tag but your dedication and persistence.

Written by Oginni Gbenga.