The English language still opens more doors than any other language worldwide.
The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in a lot of changes all over the world, but one of the things that has remained the same is the need to learn English. The English language still opens more doors than any other language worldwide. Because English is so widely spoken, it is often referred to as a “world language”. According to www.mapsofworld.com, English is the third most spoken language in the world after Chinese and Spanish. However, this refers only to native speakers of English. According to www.lingoda.com, it is the most popular second language, and if you combine both native and non-native speakers, it is the single most widely spoken global language. The benefits of learning English for travelling are obvious as the Telegraph claims there are only 13 countries in the world in which less than 10% of the population speaks English (www.babbel.com). These include China, Colombia, Brazil, Russia, Algeria, Uganda, Yemen and Chile. The “big 5” of English-speaking countries around the world, where it is not only an official language but also the main native language, are the United States (USA), the United Kingdom (UK), Canada, Australia and New Zealand. These countries are also generally recognised for the quality of their educational institutions, so learning English gives you access to some of the best universities in the world. According to the 2019 Education First English Proficiency index, South Africa is one of the top eight countries with the best English skills in the world. For this reason, travelling to South Africa to learn English is an excellent idea because you will be exposed to some of the best English spoken around the world!