Dark Confessions…

I have a confession. A secret. Something that I haven’t told anybody. And the only reason I dare write it here is because my mum is technology-illiterate so I know she won’t read this blog and tell me off (you know what mums are like… you’re never too old to be told off).

I confess… I don’t do my German homework. It is a terrible situation. I’m a language teacher but as a student I don’t do my homework. I quite disgust myself.

But there’s a reason why I don’t do my German homework. There’s no excuse. But there is a reason. In my case (and for you it may be different), German is not going to get me a better job title, a better salary, and a dream lifestyle. It’s just my nerdy hobby.

Learning English, on the other hand, can seriously improve your career. And in some cases it is actually essential for your career.

Speaking English Is An Advantage In Many Professions

English is the language you use to speak with international clients from all over the globe (not just the North Americans) as it’s the “world’s second language.” More than 1.5 billion people across the word speak English as a second language.

In India, English speaking workers earn 34% more than non-English speakers. In Brazil, English speakers earn 51% more than non-English speakers. In this land of football and Havaiana flip-flops, English-speaking middle managers also receive more promotions than their non-English-speaking counterparts.

But In Some Professions English Is Mandatory

English gets you ahead at work. But in some cases it does more than give you the upper hand. It is mandatory. Have a look at all the professions where English is actually obligatory:

•  Aviation—pilots and air control must, by international aviation law, communicate in English.
•  Logistics—those working in maritime must speak English.
•  International Contract Law and International Private Law—international dispute resolutions and international contracts are conducted in English. People often think that the language of the future is Chinese as they are major business players. I disagree. Many Chinese are learning English. “According to statistics, 400 million people in China are learning English, accounting for 1/3 of the total population.”
•  Science—German used to be the language of science and it is still
  important (maybe I should start doing my German homework) but nowadays it’s English. 80% of all scientific articles (covering all sciences, including medicine and sports) are written in English and the top 50 most prestigious scientific journals are published exclusively in English.
•  Academia—More than 30% of academics at top British universities
  including Oxford, Cambridge, UCL, KCL and the LSE are not British, and in the case of UCL, 40% of scholars are not British. In many European universities, degrees are taught in English. Germany, for example, is renowned for science and engineering but teaches its university degrees in English, not German. Academic research is shared internationally and it is in English (not Chinese by the way).
•  Tourism—Beyond regular beach holidays and skiing trips, English is imperative for medical tourism, real estate tourism, and sports tourism to name but a few.

Professional English courses are important and some cases essential for many careers.