13 main advantages and disadvantages of the English language - Intellectual Gyani (2023)

As children growing up in India, we all went through that stage of our childhood where everyone around us (parents, teachers and relatives) advised us to learn English.

But aside from being one of the "most widely spoken languages ​​in the world," have you ever wonderedWhat are the Pros and cons of the English language? If so, then you've come to the right place.

Because in this article we will examine each and every one of the most important onesPros and cons of learning English, in detail. Sit back, relax and read this article to the end!

If you are a student, I strongly recommend you read this article (Why English is important for students)?

Top 10 benefits of learning the English language

English is the international language of choice; there are big onesBenefits of learning English. Some of them include.

1. Gives you access to more job offers

This is undeniably thegreatest benefit of learning English as a second language. If you want to excel in this current competitive work environment in India, then English is something you cannot compromise on. By learning English, you open the gates to a vast array of opportunities in different industries.

For example, if you are able to communicate effectively with native English speakers, you can work abroad and live a better lifestyle, or you can even stay in India and work online with international clients at international rates and earn a lot more than the majority of People working offline for Indian employers.

Read our in-depth article on: Why English is important for career growth

2. Allows you to travel more easily

If you are one of those travel enthusiasts who want to spend some time abroad then your vacation time will be much less stressful if you can master basic English.

As I mentioned before, English is a world language. No matter where you choose to travel, you cannot survive even a day without speaking or understanding English. Even if you travel to a country where English is not widely spoken, most things there, such as signs, ticket machines, and maps, will also have some form of English written on them.

For example, if you're visiting a country like Japan and trying to communicate some of the basic things like asking for directions or the price of a room in a hotel, there's a much higher chance that a random person will understand you if you're communicating in English than in any of the Indian languages ​​like Hindi or Tamil.

Also read:Best foreign language to learn after English

3. Improves your understanding of the world

English is a broad language. From those informative videos on YouTube to the classic literatures that can be read on Google Books and Kindle, you can access them all by learning English.

By consuming the available English content, you can not only develop a much better understanding of the world, but also accelerate your personal growth.

4. You can make new connections

Google translator is good. But it will be decades before AI and other types of technology can communicate with you like any person speaking to you directly would.

Because of this rise of social media over the last few decades, the world is now more connected than ever. And on apps like Twitter, Linked-In, and Discord, there are plenty of ways to find and virtually meet people who have a lot in common with you. But language is often too great a barrier.

to learn English, will largely eliminate that language barrier as a vast majority of people from different parts of the world understand at least a few sentences of English online.

Not only online, but also when you visit a foreign country, you can get to know a person there much better if you communicate directly instead of talking through a separate human/AI translator.

Also read: Why learning the English language in India is important

5. Gives you access to a wide range of entertainment

Hollywood is by far the largest entertainment industry in the world. From action, comedy to horror and mystery, Hollywood has a wide variety of movies to choose from. And if you have run out of Bollywood film catalogue, then this will be heaven for you.

Yes, you can certainly watch the dubbed version, but there's a massive slew of high-quality movies that haven't been dubbed yet. And anyway, seeing a film in its original version is a whole different experience. Is not it?

Not only Hollywood, you can also understand and enjoy movies, TV shows and anime in many other languages ​​with the help of subtitles available in English. So if you're a movie geek looking to explore, then it's time you start taking yoursEnglish class.

6. Improves memory

Learning a language that is not your first language requires a lot of "remembering", especially if it is a foreign language. In this case, you usually don't have many people around who speak it on a daily basis.

If you are determined enough, you can certainly learn it, but you must put a lot of pressure and effort on your mind's holding power by constantly repeating the words you have previously learned. This will certainly have a very positive impact on your memory and ability to remember things.

Also read: 13 incredible benefits of learning a second language

7. English has a huge impact on e-commerce

During this pandemic, the use of e-commerce has increased tremendously. andEnglish is the backboneespecially this e-commerce industry,

If you are looking to expand your business and ship your product overseas, you will surely need to spend some money to hire someone who can communicate with your customers or learn English on their own.

8. Better understanding of computers and technology

"English leads to digital competence". Almost all major apps have their user interface in English. Although some Indian apps like PayTM have started to offer an option to switch from English to different Indian languages, we are still far from having a technology that is fully accessible via Indian languages.

And if you're planning to learn to code, then you simply can't succeed without knowing English. Since all widely used programming languages ​​such as Java, Python and Swift are available in an “English-like language”.

So, without knowledge of English, you will find it very difficult to learn programming.

9. You can learn other foreign languages ​​through English

If you are one of those people who dream of pursuing higher studies in European countries like Germany or France, then you should know that a large part of the curriculum in these countries is taught in their mother tongue.

In order for you to do well at the universities there, you must be able to understand and speak the European mother tongues such as German, French, Norwegian, etc.

English will help you achieve this, since many of the words and syntax of English are very similar to almost all other European languagesand it will be much easier for you to learn these languages ​​in English,than through an Indian language.

If you haven't checkedPros and cons of learning a foreign language, you should read this well researched article.

5 Disadvantages of Learning the English Language

1. English is a very difficult language to learn

The difficulty is probablethe biggest disadvantage of learning English. English has a huge vocabulary and learning it requires a lot of memorization as there are many words that sound the same but their spelling and meaning are completely different.

And it might be very difficult for someone living in India to distinguish between these words.

Not only that, while you're learning English, you'll come across a specific thing called "conjugate verbs." These could become an absolute nightmare for a non-native speaker trying to learn English.

This factor could be really demotivating and it's probably a reason why many people even during school hate learning English grammar or even give it up. But if you put in a little time and effort, there's no reason for you not to master it.

2. English courses are expensive

You can find hundreds of courses to help you learn English in any major city across the country, but almost all tend to be a bit pricey. Even those on online platforms like Udemy,Skillshare, andCoursera are also too expensive for most average middle-class Indians to afford.

That isA big disadvantage for learnersnot only in India but also in other developing and underdeveloped countries.But don't worry if you're really focused and want toimprove your English communication skillsYou can check the following articles.

The 10 best YouTube channels for learning English at home

3. Language dying

Having a mother tongue/native language can give people a sense of authenticity and plays a big part in how people express themselves and their beliefs.

Although English as a language is tremendously empowering, there have always been concernsit becomes a threat to many of the local native languagesas many people around the world have started to focus solely on the benefits of English and have abandoned their native language.

As the Indian Genz generation grows up in an all-English environment, many distant languages ​​could become extinct.

Conclusion

It takes a lot of time and effort to learn a new language. But English is not just “any other language”. It's basically "the unofficial language of the world". andEnglish has many more advantages than disadvantages.

If you aspire to a successful career in any industry, you cannot compromise on your English skills. Although English is a difficult language to learn,Once you manage to master it, it will surely be worth the effort.