THE IMPORTANCE OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Prepared by:
Azam Ayub
Submitted to:

UPSI
May 2012

INTRODUCTION
Article 1 Title: The importance of English in The Age of Asia
Writer: Michael Hines
Source: http://EzineArticles.com
Article 2 Title: The importance of learning English
Writer: Paul Hatta
Source: http://language.ezinemark.com

Gist Article 1
Nowadays, English is learned everywhere throughout the world not like before when it was only
learned by the native speakers or second language learners only. As it is an international
language now, a demand for language translator is increasing as to make communication clearer
between people. English plays an important function in business globally, international relations
and internet. As English becomes a global language, the language barriers between different
nations can be eliminated and it can also close the gap between them. English is widely used in
science and technology to enhance creative ideas and for research development even all
computer programs, software programs and other functions are strongly based on English
language. In addition to this, non-native English speakers have outnumbered native English
speakers due to the policy that have been implemented in their own country. Apart from this new
terms like Korean English, Indian English and other unique names because English is
everywhere. Constant encouragement in learning English is given by Malaysia and Singapore to
the populations. A study conducted by English teaching company ranked Malaysia as the most
expert English speaker in Southeast Asia. For Malaysians, English is important in order to
sustain the competitiveness of the international economy same goes to China. There was no
global English phenomenon before but in a few years time, educators, businesses, governments,
technologies, learners, linguistics stakeholders need to deal with this issue. Thus, it is important
to have good teaching techniques in order to make English as a great medium of communication
simultaneously can be easily understood for all. (258 words)

Gist Article 2
First of all, English has become a worldwide language and also as an instrument for
communication. When there are language barriers between two people who speak different
languages from different nations, English is needed to breaks the language barriers but sadly,
there is lack of attempt that has been given to dominate this language. Furthermore, in many
countries English is not given much priority and taught as a second language only and difficulty
starts when students go into colleges and universities. This is due to many courses in tertiary
education are offered in English and they are unable to handle it. Apart from this, parents wanted
to fulfill their dream to send their children to study abroad and have to prepare a huge amount of
money but because of the language barrier students are facing problem. Intensive classes were
established in order to enhance their communication skills even universities and colleges make
English as a compulsory subject for them. From another aspect, English is important because
companies and corporations are finding individuals that are not only experienced and has many
talents and can do many works at once but in fact they are looking for those who are capable to
speak in many languages and importantly to speak fluent English. Thus, to master and learn
English is important and young generation should be exposed to English language. Quality
education is the most important thing today and as for Asians and being part of the
commonwealth countries, English language is needed. (250 words)

DISCUSSION
Based on the summary of articles above, it can be understood that English is learned
everywhere and has become a global language, thus it is crucial for everyone to master the
language. It is widely use in many areas like education, economy, politics, World Wide Web,
computer programming and business. English has become an instrument of communication now
and even can decrease barriers among different countries that speak different languages and
simultaneously will close the gap between them. According to a press release for the launch of
the British Councils English 2000 project in 1995 (Graddol,1997) reviewed that in the year 2000
more than one billion people will be learning English and this is true in accordance that now in
the year 2012 English is the main language for every aspect of life. Everything that surrounds us
these days are written in English like signboards, books, advertisements and others.
As English become global, all research and development programs, and also scientific
technology are based in English too, thus non-native English speakers have to use English
language for this matter. This is supported by a previous research stated that research
development, science and technology using English as the primary language, thus to have skills
in English language is important to acquire IT knowledge (Medalla & Lazaro, 2004). Moreover,
instructions that are given in gadgets like camera, scientific calculator, television, hand phones,
music player are all in English. The understanding of English is significant to gain knowledge
and information in science and technology. In accordance to this, Vinodini Murugesan (2003)
stated that in this Information Age, Malaysia is conscious to be educated in English to access the
means of data available and achieve success in trade and industry. There was a previous study by
Johns and Dudley Evans in 1991 (Sharon & Chan, 1996) said that science, technology and trade
dealings are using English as the international language.
English is everywhere in many countries. New terms are created for English speakers
around the world like Korean English, Indian English and even in Malaysia, a unique term is
created and people called it Malaysian English or Manglish that is for those who can talk in a
simple English language for a normal and simple conversation. Before independence English
was an official language in Malaysia, but after 1957 language policies was changed by the
government. After British invasion English was an official language and Malaysia maintained it

until first ten years after independence. Later on English become a second language in 1970
onward. Then since 1970 the official language is Bahasa Malaysia (Medalla & Lazaro, 2004) and
Lim stated that Bahasa Malaysia as the official language of the country. According to Asmah
(1987) as cited in (Lim Chin Chye), Bahasa Malaysia is a primary language as a medium of
communication and English as an international language. English is chosen in Malaysia and for
many other South East Asia countries because it is the language for international communication
and also language for development of science and technology. According to Asmah (1987) as
cited in (Lim Chin Chye) second language refers to the second importance language in the
hierarchy of the Malaysian languages as it is importance as a language of education and also in
the professions. Having said all these, English is the most important language after Bahasa
Malaysia and it is used in all aspects of life. Both, Bahasa Malaysia and English help reduce
barriers between people.
Next, even though English is perceived as a second language in Malaysia, there is lack of
attempt to master this language. Furthermore, there is a sharp decline in English language
proficiency in Malaysia (Vinodini Murugesan, 2003). This is supported by Choy and Traudi
(2006) found that some of them found the language is difficult. The decline is also due to the
changing of policy when Bahasa Malaysia that replaced English as official language. There are
people that can speak and write in fluent English because they believed that it is a famous
language throughout the world and by learning English they would be able to have more friends
and to understand things easily. Previously when English language was an official language in
Malaysia and as compulsory language in education, people is more capable in many things in
accordance to that they have different way of thinking and knowledgeable in many areas.
In Malaysia, education is the most important thing as it is made compulsory by the
government for parents to send their children to school, from pre-school until tertiary education.
English is made important in education. It is compulsory to study English language for all level
of education, starting from pre-school, primary, secondary and tertiary education. Sadly, even
English language is compulsory from standard 1 until standard 6, and from form one to form 5,
eleven years of learning English, but still students have lack English proficiency. From a
previous study there are two main reasons about this, firstly because of Bahasa Malaysia that

give strong influence to students in their writing skills and speaking skills because they just
translate it directly from Bahasa Malaysia. Secondly because English teaching in schools is all
about grammar alone and without teaching how it is used in a real communicative way
(Normazidah, Koo Yew Lie & Hazita, 2012). This is true because when the teaching of English
language depends on grammar only and the objective for learning English just to score in exam,
students will find that English is a difficult and boring subject to learn. Therefore, the way of
English teaching and learning should be changed to more practical aspects instead of focusing
too much on grammar or any theoretical aspects. For any field of interest, to have capability and
skills in English language is highly prized as stated by Vinodini Murugesan (2003). This is
important for students to continue their education for tertiary level. As stated by Vinodini
Murugesan (2003) students also realize that to get a good grade in English can give them more
chances of acceptance at local universities and foreign universities. In tertiary education, students
are lack of confidence to speak in English. There was a study by Ahmad Mazli
Muhammad,2007, Nambiar;2007, Zaira Abu Hasan,2008 as cited in (Normazidah, Koo Yew Lie
& Hazita, 2012), stated that learners at tertiary education have limited vocabulary and weak at
understanding long sentences or sentences with difficult words. Actually, students can avoid this
if they read dictionary and memorize three to five words with the meaning everyday and should
apply all the words in their writings. Other recommendation is to write an English journal; even
write only one paragraph would help a lot.
Furthermore, English is important in the workplace. Employers are looking for those who
can speak other language than Bahasa Malaysia and especially who are able to speak and to write
in English. Nowadays, English has been recognized as one of the soft skills that graduates must
possess along with their qualifications (Mohamed Zasfirul, 2010). Those who are entering the
job market tend to view English language as the most important factor for employment even job
interviews are done in English. Apart from this English is the major language for any part of the
world now, thus it is important for employees to speak in English and to use English as the
medium of interaction. Hence, English plays a vital role in the growth of trade, economy and
business industry.

English language has become crucial for everyone from infants until adults in Malaysia
now. This is good for the realisation of Malaysian vision 2020. English language is so important
and also contributes to Malaysian development today but not to say Malay language is
unimportant. Both of these languages are important as symbol of nationality and also for
development. It is hoped that solutions are to be taken by the government for all citizens to
master English language for the betterment of the country.

REFERENCES
David, G. (1997). The future of English?: a guide to forecasting the popularity of the English
language in 21st century. United Kingdom: The British Council.

Goh, S. & Chan, S.H., (1996). The use of English by Malaysian business executives in the
commercial sector. Pertanika J. Soc. Sci. & Hum, 4(2), 141-146

Lazarro, D.C.,& Medalla, M.M. (2004). English as the language of trade, finance and technology
in APEC: An East Asia perspective. Philippine Journal of Development, 31 (2), 1-24

Lim Chin Chye. Retrieved April 22, 2012 from

http://www.refseek.com/search?
q=the+importance+of+English+in+malaysia&start=10

Mohamed Zasfirul bin Zainal Abidin. (2010). The proficiency and perceptions of English
among top management staff in Malaysia. (Master dissertation, International Islamic
University Malaysia.

Normazidah Che Musa,Koo Yiew Lie, Hazita Azman. (2012). Exploring English language
learning and teaching in Malaysia. GEMA Oline Journal of Language Studies,
12(1),
35-51

Vinodini Murugesan. (2003, March/April).Malaysia promotes excellence in English.ESL

Magazine, 26-28.
APPENDIX 1
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Hines

English language learning around the world is evolving in surprising and sometimes alarming ways. A
few decades ago, the language learning process was either moderated by native speakers (NS) of English
or proactively initiated by second language learners who travel to English-speaking countries to study and
become proficient in the language. In many language encounters, English translators were also in high
demand to facilitate a clearer communication between peoples of diverse linguistic traditions. This is not
to say that formal English language teachers and translators have become relics belonging to a bygone
era. On the contrary, their function is still very much relevant, but their roles are changing dramatically.
For one thing, the number of language students leaving their home nations to study English abroad is in a
rather steep decline according to the most recent reports. That is because English language learning has
already become a critical strategic policy among non-English speaking nations that have wisely
institutionalized the learning of English in the home front. Given the undeniable role of English as the
language of choice in global business, the Internet, and international relations, not doing so will prevent
these nations from having any meaningful participation in global discourses.
In much of Asia, including China and India--two of its demographic and economic giants--the learning of
English has become an integral component of early education. Meanwhile, given their heritage of British
governance, Singapore and Malaysia have also consistently promoted the learning of English such that
their English-speaking populations are perhaps the most proficient in the region, based on online tests
conducted by some language-oriented organizations. Nearby, the Philippines still holds the title of having
the 3rd largest English-speaking population in the world after the US and India.
Given these developments, how has the role of language teachers who are also native speakers of English
changed as previously claimed? The simple and alarming fact is that neither they nor their linguistic
compatriots in the US, UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand own and control English anymore. If
numbers were a determinant of language ownership, they are outnumbered by at least 3 to 1 by nonnative English speakers. Native speakers number between 300 million to 400 million while speakers of
English who also have a first language exceeds a billion.

Of course, language ownership is a tenuous issue and games of numbers are just that. By all indications,
English has become a global language owned by all its users--regardless of whether they are native or
non-native speakers of it--who will naturally use English within their respective cultural contexts. It is no
accident that there is now the so-called Korean English, Indian English and other working variants of the
English language. The evolutionary transformation of language by people who use it is in fact, a known
and expected linguistic phenomenon. After all, any language that ceases to evolve, like Latin, is a dead
language.
Speaking of imperial languages, English too has undeniably become the de facto lingua franca of global
commerce, international relations, and the scientific and technological world, much like Latin was during
the heydays of the Roman Empire up to the Industrial Revolution. Two very vivid examples of how
English is transforming global businesses is the Toyota-Peugeot factory in the Czech Republic and the
Nokia headquarters in Finland. While managed by a multinational team and staffed mostly by technically
skilled Czechs and Finns, respectively, the enforced medium of communication within the business and
manufacturing complexes of both companies is unabashedly English. Elsewhere in Western Europe, the
modern Swedes appear to have the highest level of English proficiency among non-English speaking
countries largely due to the fact that Swedes believe that Swedish has very little communicative value in a
global setting or even anywhere in the world that is not part of Sweden. At the other end of the scale is
Spain, which lags behind all other European countries in English proficiency, a fact that may be related to
its population's awareness that Spanish is also a formidable language in its own right and is still used as
the language of business and diplomacy in Latin America.
However, in a much larger scale, it is English that has become the medium of choice when representatives
of the G7, BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China), and ASEAN communicate with each other. Without global
English, the inter-relational proximity of different nations would have been very remote indeed, requiring
translators that often feed a sense of "separateness" among diplomats. If anything, global English is
helping diverse nations become closer together by eradicating previously problematic linguistic barriers
to better trade, security and cultural relations.
In the realm of science and technology, English has also helped the global exchange of research data and
innovative ideas. Scientific journals and research are now mostly articulated through English, with some
estimates placing its use in modern science and technology to as much as 90 percent. Even the Internet,
one of the top technological marvels of the previous century, is largely English-based, even when large
pockets of localized online content are spreading. Notably, the programming codes that established the
World Wide Web and all its amazing functionalities today are also loosely based on the English language.

Software programmers from non-native English-speaking countries have very little choice but to get
immersed in the rudiments of the English language as used in the syntax of their programming codes.
Given the established dominance of English in the global ecosystem, how will educators of English as a
second language (ESL) redefine their roles in the new dynamic? The first is for educators to fully
acknowledge that English as used in non-native English speaking countries is not the language of
Shakespeare. It has been transformed into a far different variant called Global English, where the millions
of linguistic stakeholders are active participants in its continuing evolution. As of this writing, the Asian
trend indicates that more people are learning English, and starting learning it at a very early age. In many
respects, the method of teaching English has also changed from being articulated as a foreign language to
being shared as an acclimatized second language that functions as the local population's link to the rest of
the world. According to an article in the Economist, children with ages between 8 and 12 are better
language learners than younger ones.
In the same article, Malaysia ranked as the most proficient English user in Southeast Asia based on a
global sampling of 2 million non-native English speaking people conducted by the English teaching
company, EF Education First. At the other end is Thailand that ranked among the worst five performers
globally. The good performance of Malaysia may stem from its Anglicized history as well as its exportoriented economy that required intensive communication with a global market. As previously noted, the
spectre of political colonialism--at least in the case of Malaysia--has all but been removed from the
teaching of English, replaced by the practical need for Malaysians to learn English in order to maintain
their global economic competitiveness.
As if to affirm the status of English as a lingua franca, China has been pushing for state-sanctioned
English education years ago, in a similar effort to buoy their vibrant economy. Reportedly, such sustained
efforts will eventually empower China to even outperform English-acclimatized India in the services
sector that requires extensive use of English. To illustrate the far ranging implications of these
developments, the numbers of Chinese children that are learning English--more than a hundred million-now exceed the entire population of the United Kingdom.
The mandate for English language educators is clear: Global English is a previously unheard of
phenomenon but is a contemporary fact that educators, businesses, governments, technologists, learners,
and other linguistic stakeholders will be confronted in the next several years. Realigning teaching
methods to help steer its evolution into a robust mode of communication that is clearly understood by all
parties in global language interactions is of critical importance.

APPENDIX 2

Article Source: http://language.ezinemark.com/the-importance-of-learning-english-

16818ad050a.html
The Importance of Learning English
Paul Hatta

At this time and age there is a vast growth in every aspect. Education, technology, medical
sciences, gadgets and gizmos, almost everything and anything which makes our lives easier is
being developed. And it will not end here. As human beings what are we doing to develop
ourselves to ensure that we are at the same pace as the world?
English is an International language. Having said so, there are still many people around the
world who are yet to have mastered the language. Thus, it has been a much debated issue over
the years. What is the root of this problem? Is it due to our own negligence? Or is it due to our
lack of confidence?
The answer is not much emphasis, initiative and effort has been given in order to master the
language. The English language is a tool of communication. If at all two people from two
different countries who speak different languages are to meet, how would they communicate?
This is where English becomes a tool of communication and breaks the language barrier.
In many parts of the world English is taught as a second language, even then it is not given
enough emphasis.
And so, when students graduate from school and enter colleges and universities, the problem
starts. Students are unable to cope up with the syllabus even if they are straight A scorers in their
schools. Why does this happen? The only answer is because most of the courses offered are in
ENGLISH.

Parents often dream of sending their children abroad to further their education. Parents are forced
to fork our thousands and thousands of dollars in order to fulfill their dream or their child's
dream. It is of course not a crime to think so or to do so.
But students are often caught in a sticky situation due to the language barrier.

And so, various enhancement classes and foundation classes are introduced in order to help the
students to improve their language and most importantly their communication skills. Universities
and colleges have even taken drastic measures by introducing English into their syllabus as a
subject to be studied and learnt.
Many world-wide corporations and companies are looking for dynamic and versatile individuals
who are not only qualified and experienced but also who are multi-talented and multi-tasking.
Most importantly they are looking for individuals who are able to communicate in various
languages especially English, which are hard to find.
These problems would not have occurred in the first place if only we took the initiative to learn
and master the language. It is a way to arouse our talents by being bilingual or even trilingual.
What example are we setting to our future generation? It is important for us as parents and the
current generation to inculcate the English Language within children whilst they're still young.

Being Asians' and commonwealth countries it is important for us to master and use the English
language effectively. Education is the key to a country's development and growth. And quality
Education is difficult to be obtained if we are unable to master the international language.