Importance of English language in Nigerian schools

                            
It is hard to imagine the modern world without the English language. It is in the top three of the most spoken languages in the world. English has become the lingua franca of travel, business, and international communications. In fact, Nigeria is ranked 4th among countries with the highest population of English speakers. But how important is English for us?

  Nigeria is a country where different cultures and ethnic groups are mixed. There is a variety of tribes and each of them have their native languages. So how can people understand each other if the languages are so different? Here is where English comes in. It became the language of corporate environments such as Airports, School, Post Offices, etc. English has become a way to connect with each other even when you are from different ethnicity. But what is the importance of English language for students? Here are the most important points:

- For communication  First of all, as it has been mentioned before, English is essential for communication. It will help you a lot when you have to communicate with foreigners when traveling to an English-speaking country. Even knowing the basics can be crucial sometimes. And don’t be afraid to make mistakes! Usually, people are very kind to those who are learning their language. - For finding a job Knowing more than one or two languages is a significant benefit when it comes to seeking employment. Today there are a lot of companies that will require that you understand English in an expert level.

 - For self-improvement There is a big amount of useful information on the Internet. The only thing you need to do is to be able to search for it through the depths of the Web. But the problem is that most of it is in English. Sure, you can try and translate it using apps or online services, but there are always some issues with that. You may lose something that can’t be translated, or the translation won’t make any sense. Knowing English will give you the opportunity to explore anything you are interested in learning and in the exact way it was written.

- For understanding the culture of others It’s crucial to know what people are talking about if you want to understand the culture. Different references and cultural subtleties can be easily lost without a good knowing of the local language. - For books, films, games, etc. Isn’t it great to watch a movie with the original voices? Or read a book and understand that you haven’t lost anything due to translation. Good language skills will help you with that! All in all, knowing English comes with great benefits. To be honest, knowing any foreign language is a plus for you! It is important to consider learning a language from a young age (the younger - the better!). It is proven that people who have started learning languages in kindergarten or primary school, are better at multitasking and remembering. They are also good at learning languages in older age. So go, grab a book, look for information on the internet and start learning and improving your knowledge right now!