THE IMPORTANCE OF ENGLISH

Language is something that is very important for human life. Language means
communication and without language, human cannot communicate with other people. As we all
know, English is the world communication language in todays global world. English is the most
common language spoken everywhere, so it cannot be denied and ignored. About 1.5 billion
people in the world speak in English, while 1 billion more are learning it. 75% of the world's
letters and postcards are also written in English. Almost all world sporting events are conducted
in English. For example, the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup. When we are not proficient in
English, it means that we cannot communicate with the people around the world. But there are
still many people who do not realize the importance of English. They considered English a
difficult and not important to their lives. Such as those working in the fields of mechanical, they
do not use English directly, so they are reluctant to learn English. Another reason is that they
would be considered arrogant when they use English in their daily lives. The young people
nowadays should learn English in order not to lag behind other nations. There are many
reasons for why learning English is very important.

One of the reason why learning English is very important is because mastering the
English language can increase our value and be more respected in the world of international
business. If we are proficient in English, we will be easily accepted to work in various fields.
Most jobs in our country require interviews in English and if we are good in that language, the
interviews will be just like a piece of cake for us. We just need to have a very high confident
level to pass the interview easily. English is the main language of business. Although the
country's official language is Bahasa Malaysia but in business language used is often English.
For example, English is used when a business is being conducted. According to studies, when a
business is being conducted, Bahasa Malaysia is rarely used. This is because Bahasa Malaysia
is lack in appropriate term to express the purpose of the business. Master in English is not only
important to ensure opportunities for career success but also important to ensure a good
relationship in the business field. If English is not compromised, the individual businesses,
companies, and countries will be limited. If the business opportunity is limited, it not only affects
the national economy but also affect diplomatic relations and good name. Thus, English is very
important in business.

In addition, English is the language of science. It is because in this era of globalization

and modernization, English is the language of an important resource. For example, most
encyclopedias, reference books, information, research and other knowledge are revealed in
English. It is not a problem for those who can master the English language to understand the
contents stated on the reading material. The knowledge contained in those reading materials
required an optimal level of English proficiency. With this, it appears that the English language
is very important in education. Not only that, English is important because this language is the
language of communication. In fact, they are able to understand the contents of the letter
featured in the international information that is distributed via satellites or mass media like radio,
television, and newspapers. Especially in this era of informational technology, many
sophisticated technological tools have been created to facilitate communication with the outside
world as the internet. Furthermore, the English language are revealed on the website. So, the
English language must be taken seriously because this language is the language of
communication or the internet language.

The implication of not being able to speak fluently in English is that we will find it difficult
to get a job. This is because people who are more proficient in English are more valuable than
those who do not fluent in English. They can communicate with the foreign easily in English
while those who cant speak English very well will have a problem to communicate with them.
This is why the people who are proficient in English are much more valuable than those who do
not proficient in that global language. Furthermore, we will find it difficult in our studies if we do
not know English language. This is because most reference books, scientific books and
textbooks are written in English. We will be hard to understand a lesson written in English if we
do not know the English language. Moreover, started from 2003, English has been used in
education in Malaysia. The system is initiated when English is made as the medium of
instruction for science and mathematics. Although the program faced a variety of obstacles but
the governments implementation on the use of English in education give the greatest benefits.

Besides that, if we are weak in English, we will not be able to continue our studies
abroad. As English has been accepted as the international language, many of the greatest
universities in the world use English as the language of instruction. If a student can master the
English language very well then their chances to study abroad is much brighter and vice versa.
Therefore, students who have the ambition to continue their education abroad should master
the English language very well. Furthermore, students who cannot communicate well in English
will have a low level of self-confidence when attending an interview. This is because they cannot
translate their ideas and opinions into English language infront of the interviewer. This will surely
cause them to lose confidence in themselves and become panicked. The interviewer will then
think that they are lack of confidence and are not ready to be interviewed while their problems
are just they are not fluent in English. This will cause them to lose marks and will not be
selected in any of the programmes that they applied. That is why we should be fluent in English
so that we can have a higher level of self-confidence infront of the interviewer during an
interview.

There are many ways to improve our English language proficiency. One of the ways is
by reading English books. This way can help us to visualize authentic vocabulary and grammar.
Read the phrases that we do not understand or read a chapter underlining words. Then, after
we have finished reading it, we must go back and look up unknown words in the dictionary. By
practicing this way, we will not only can increase our knowledge but we can also improve our
grammar in English. The next tips is by reading magazines. Reading magazines helps to learn
contemporary phrases and expressions. Magazines can be more exciting if we are interested in
pop culture such as fashion, food, or sports. Besides magazines and English books, we can
also improve our English proficiency by reading English newspapers. This way can help to keep
us up to date with the events that are happening around the world. High quality newspapers
such as the New York Times or the Guardian are good for learning new vocabulary and
expressions. We must try to read the story and then summarizing it for practice.

Another way to improve our English language proficiency is by watching English TV

programs or movies. By watching English TV programs or movies, we can practice our listening
skills and get to know more about the culture of the English speaking countries. If we have a
video, we can watch it and try to stop it every few minutes and summarise what we see. It is a
very good way for us to improve our listening skills and be more fluent in English. Listen to
English songs is also an effective way for those who want to be fluent in English. The words to
songs or lyrics can be found online. We can improve our listening by listen to our favourite
songs while reading the lyrics. We can also help our comprehension by try to summarise the
songs. Next, we can listen to the English books on CD. There are many popular books that can
now be found on audio CDs. If we have MP3 Player, we can put the CD on it and listen while
walking or taking the public transportation. Another way is by putting the CD in our car and listen
to it while driving.

The next tips is by expanding our reading materials. One way to improve our English
vocabulary and language comprehension is to widen our range of reading materials.This will
help improve both our reading and writing skills, as we will pick up new words, phrases and
grammar rules along the way. This may include finding the English-language version of our
favourite book, tracking down Australian magazines or making an effort to read Australian online
newspapers throughout the week. We can also create our own study materials. Even if we have
limited resources, setting our own assessment tasks can help us improve our overall skills
whether this involves writing essays to improve our writing skills or recording ourself speaking.
Assessing ourself does not necessarily mean that we will need a tutor or English-speaking
friend on hand. Correcting our own essay is possible with the use of a dictionary or by
researching English grammar rules online.
REFERENCES

Case, A. (2008). Learning English. 70 ways to improve your English.

http://www.usingenglish.com/articles/70-ways-to-improve-your-english.html

Sensei, E. (2011). Tools For Teaching English Overseas. Retrieved September 25, 2015, from
Tips to Improve English Language Proficiency: http://www.eflsensei.com/10-Tips-to-Improve-
English-Proficiency/

Chan, E. (2015, August 16). Building better English. Newspaper-in-Education. Klang, Malaysia:
STAREDUCATE.