Western society has always walked a path
towards globalization. From the urge to colonize other lands to the need of
finding new markets, men and women have always adapted in order to prevail in
such big world. The landmarks are clear: the Great
navigations and the Industrial Revolution were times in history in which modern
society shifted the paradigms. Lately we have been experiencing another shift:
the Information revolution. And how are we supposed to adapt now? By learning a
second language. What second language is more adaptative? English, for it has
become a Lingua Franca. Simply put, to adapt to an ever changing world,
learning English as a second language provides many advantages, both personally
and professionally, to individuals.
To
begin with, one must acknowledge that contemporary culture is based in English,
and (almost) everyone would like to access the cultural products of their time.
There is an enormous amount of movies, series, books, articles, songs, etc
bombarding us each and every day, and we
are bound to consume them. Apart from entertaining objectives,
individuals also want to know about what is going on in the world. With the
click of a button, one might access different information regarding politics,
economics, religion, culture, among other topics. Reaching information is easy,
but being able to access it will depend on how well you can understand what is
being explained. Even though translations are fairly common nowadays, it is not
the same to read or watch something in a language other than its original one.
A lot gets lost in translation, and learning English will grant you full access
to a lot of the information you wish to access, both in your spare time and
work time.
Learning English may also provide
you with another advantage in terms of what you do in your leisure time:
knowing English will make traveling much easier. Most people enjoy getting to
know other cultures and places in the world, but it is quite difficult to learn
the language of each country we wish to visit. Because English has become a língua
franca, in most sights you travel to, you can communicate using it. So, once
again, English integrates you to the world around you; it keeps you from being
alienated.
One
last advantage to consider is related to professional goals: being bilingual
might give you a jump start in your career. Unfortunately, in a capitalist
society, not being alienated depends on how much information you can afford to
have. In order to travel, to have internet connection, to have a TV, a smart phone,
books, tablets, etc, one must work, earn money, and buy all of these gadgets
and commodities. Therefore, we are constantly looking for better job positions
and offers, which mean, basically, better payment. To succed in this race,
people must show why they are better professionals, and one way to do that is
by mastering another language. For that reason, English has become almost a
requirement, not only an advantage anymore.
To
sum up, if you wish to insert yourself in today’s
society, being able to access all that it is offering us, you should learn a
second language. Start with English, for it is the most spoken language in the
world, it is a Lingua Franca and it is your front row ticket to watch the
Information Revolution evolve. After all, Western Society has never walked back
in the path it has created; we are always improving and enlarging our means of
communication around the world.
