Author : Exforsys Inc. Published on: 13th May 2007 | Last Updated on: 7th Feb 2011
Importance of English in International Business
While English is not the most widely spoken language in the world when you look at it in terms of the number of native speakers, it is the world's most prominent language. While a larger number of people speak Chinese, that language is largely confined to China.
English on the other hand, is spoken around the world. It has been estimated that out of the roughly 6 billion people that are alive today about 350 million speak English. When you look at the importance of English for International Business, you must look at more than just the number of people who speak it. You must also look at what the language is used for.
English is the ideal language for many governments around the world, and it is also prominent in business, education, world news, and communication. In addition to this, Western pop culture is also carried to foreign countries in the form of music or movies. If you wish to be successful in International business, learning English is incredibly important. In many places such as Asia, Africa, and South America, the ability to learn English will determine who will increase their living standards, and who will remain in poverty. There are a number of powerful tools that have allowed more people to learn English than ever before. One of these tools is the Internet.
The Power of the Internet in Spreading English
Before the Internet, it was hard for you to learn English if you didn't attend a college or university. These were the only institutions where the language was widely spoken. If you lived in a community so poor that it didn't have a college or university, your chances of ever learning English were remote. While many people still live in these circumstances today, the Internet has allowed the English language to spread around the word. Because the