Why You Need a Foreign Language & How to Learn One

Chapter 2 (Excerpt)

The Truth and the hype about "global english"

There are many excuses for not learning a foreign language. However, the 800-lb gorilla among them is the "Global English" argument. This argument can be summed up as follows:

Why do I need to learn a foreign language when everyone in the world is learning English?

This is not a stupid question, and we will answer it in depth in this book. As it turns out, the worldwide significance of English is undeniable, but the role of English as a "global language" is often misunderstood.

Fragmentary English is everywhere

Get off an airplane in Brussels, Tokyo, or Taipei, and you will find signs written in English. In the same airport, the customs agent who asks you if you have anything to declare will probably ask the question in English.  When you check out of your hotel, you will notice that a lot of English is written on the credit card receipt—especially if you have stayed in a major hotel in a large city.

If there is an antiwar protest somewhere in Europe this weekend, the protesters will mostly be holding signs with slogans written in the local language. Depending on the country, it might be "Keine Krieg!", "Pas de guerre!", or "Geen oorlog!" etc. But you will also be likely to see at least a few signs bearing the English equivalent: "No War!" The protesters realize that on an international scale, more CNN viewers will recognize these phrases in English than will understand the same words in German, French, or Dutch.

Many people who recognize fragmentary snippets of English could not begin to hold a real conversation in English. This makes sense when you consider that you also recognize many words and phrases in languages that you don't actually "speak". Below is a sample of foreign words and phrases that many Americans have absorbed through the media and popular culture.............

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