Most of us have learned English since we were in primary school.The exposure to the language at such an early age help us greatly to acquire enough familiarity to the language and also build the notion that it is important to learn English language.
However,this notion may not stand on a stable basis,because it is mainly built up through out examination-focusing education,by which we may think English is something we need to learn in order to get a good mark in exams rather than consider it as a language for crucial practical use.
So,the aim of this writing is to set (or to some to re-establish) the foundation of your notion.I am not going to persuade you with any of my wordy language,but I want to show you some facts that I collect through various sources for you to self-judge the meaning of the importance of English language.
Here are they:
Countries where English is a first or second language are located in all five continents.
The population of the above countries amounts to around 2.5 billion ( 2 500 000 000),about 49% of the world's population.(Old figure)
The number of first-language speakers of English has been estimate at well over 300 million.
Most countries with second-language speakers of English are former British colonies.
In many African and Asian countries it serves as the means of interpersonal communication between speakers of different indigenous languages.
English is extensively studied as a foreign language.It is a compulsory subject or the preferred optional language in most countries where it is not a first or second language.
In conclusion,English is widely spoken and studied around the world; it has a prominent practical value as an international language.