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While it has been estimated that English is spoken in over 50 countries among approximately 375 million people, I am going to answer the question set forth, from my general perspective, as to why I feel English is an important language, globally speaking. World News - watching the News is quite often the daily routine of many people today, especiallly due to every part of the World constantly making news headlines on one situation or another. Oftentimes, when important news items are made known to the public and broadcast on National News stations, it is only broadcast in English. For example, there may be an earthquake in Spain that people in Japan are able to gather information on locally, but utilizing a British news channel based in England will provide more accurate and up-to-the-minute detail; this is usually because they have people on the ground in such locations reporting for their station. Being able to switch between channels and receive a variety of programming, which inevitably is set forth in English, allows viewers all over the globe to receive the same information as someone living on the other side of the world as them. Global business - many industries and commerce around the world are conducting business internationally with and among many countries from all of the seven continents. In doing so, it is the unspoken rule that in order to participate in such global busines activities, you must speak English. People from all cultures of European, Asian, North American, etc. descent speaking many different mother tongues will meet in an agreed-upon location of one of the respective company/representatives, but business will be conducted in one primary language, that of English. Travel - I often say as an American whose first language is English that we “Americans” should consider ourselves very fortunate and lucky when traveling internationally. While the whole world is struggling to grasp the complicated English language, we have the world catering to us. Examples of this are evidenced when traveling; it is amazing to see train station platforms in not only the home country’s language but also in English. It appears English has become the chosen language to accommodate all foreign tourists in many countries. It is not in Dutch for tourists from the Netherlands, nor is it in Hebrew for tourists from Israel, it is in English! This is a quite fortunate reality for Natives English speakers. As a world traveler, I have often reflected on this global phenomena and sighed a big relief over the fact that I could navigate with accuracy when traveling abroad while not being fluent in the local written language. Additionally, I have always encountered locals who speak English in every foreign country I have visited. Accordingly, learning to understand and speak English can make traveling around the world a lot easier than having to learn the many languages of various different countries. English is basically the ideal international travel language. For entertainment purposes - not to be overlooked is the famed Hollywood that the world over has come to enjoy for simple entertainment. While subtitles and audio dubbing are utilized for viewing Hollywood-made films around the world, there is nothing like listening and watching a Hollywood blockbuster in the language it was intended. Unlike music, where the essence and enjoyment can be felt without knowing what the song lyrics are expressing, a movie/film’s dialogue is better experienced when you are able to comprehend firsthand what is being spoken and acted out on screen. While it is not imperative for every person around the world to feel the need to learn to read, write, listen or speak in English; for example, I suppose a farmer living in a tiny village in rural Italy with no intent to travel or ever leave, may not have even a remote interest in taking the time to be fluent in anything other than the local dialect and native language, I can, however, attest to the fact that there are certainly many beneficial reasons should one have the desire to do so.
