5 Reasons To Learn English As a Second Language

Committing to learning English is a serious decision. To succeed in this endeavor, you need to be ready to invest a lot of time and effort, but eventually all your hard work will pay off. In case you haven't made up your mind yet, here're 5 reasons that might persuade you to go for it.

* English language is spoken in 180 countries worldwide. Since there are only 196 - or 195, according to different sources - independent countries in the world, it means that wherever you go, you will be able to communicate, understand and be understood.

* Your chances to find a great job will be significantly better. While the overall effects of outsourcing on global economy is still unclear, the ability to speak English will help you to secure a job offer from an English-speaking company. In 2004, USA- and UK-based corporations outsourced 42% and 17% of jobs, according to the findings of the latest "English Next" study conducted by the British Council.

* Do you spend most of your time online? If so, learning English is definitely a good idea for you, since the English language continues to dominate the cyber space (even though other languages as Chinese experience a rapid growth in this area).

* The number of people speaking English as a Second Language keeps growing and has already exceeded 1 billion people. That's a great community to belong to! We doubt you can find anything even close on Facebook.

* Shakespeare, Elliot, Plath, and Whitman - these are just a few of the great timeless classic writers who created in English and whose works are a must-read for any educated person. While there are many good translations, do not miss out on pleasure that comes from enjoying the beauty and complexity of the English language and read the originals instead.

Do you have your own reasons for learning English? Share with us in comments!

Watching movies and videos in English is a great way to improve your ability to understand spoken English and pick up the pronunciation. Since it might be difficult for you to understand most movies and TV series, you can start with watching videos made specifically for the ESL students. You can find them everywhere: on YouTube, on Facebook, and on the websites designated to learning English. To save you some much needed time, we did a search for you. (You are welcome!) Watch these videos and learn.

Real English has a lot of free videos, featuring real people and most common topics you'll definitely encounter in your daily communication, from social introductions to talking about your family and friends. All videos are available with and without subtitles, but as the site owners suggest - and we second that opinion - try watching them first without captions, even a few times if needed. It will really help you in the long-run. Do not miss the video from Lesson 58 - not only it features a very handsome guy, but also you can gain a lot from his insights on learning the language, since he's done it himself, and amazingly well at that! These videos come with exercises aimed at listening comprehension and better understanding of English grammar rules and nuances.