Why Study English

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10 reasons why you should study English

1. English is the most commonly spoken language in the world. One out of five people can speak or at least understand English!
2. English is predominantly used in the fields of science, aviation, diplomacy, and tourism. Knowing English increases your chances of getting a good job in a multinational company within your home country or of finding work abroad.
3. English is the official language of 53 countries. That is a lot of people to meet and speak to.
4. English is spoken as a first language by around 400 million people around the world.
5. English does not replace your native language. It is a knowledge you acquire on top of your own dialects.
6. English is the language of the Internet. Many websites are written in English; you will be able to understand them and take part in forums and discussions.
7. English is based on a simple alphabet and it is fairly quick and easy to learn compared to other languages.
8. English is not only useful—it gives you a lot of global exposure and learning it is not very difficult. Making progress feels great.
9. Since English is spoken in many different countries, many diplomatic relations rely on English as a communication medium.
10. Because it is fun! By learning English, you will also learn about other cultures. Few experiences will make you grow as a person more than learning the values, habits and way of life in a culture that is different from yours.

Introduction to English Grammar

Three-Dimensional Grammar Framework

Components of Language

Linguists have broken down language into its functional components. Language is divided into the 3 major components of Form, Meaning/Content, and Use which are further broken down to syntax, morphology, phonology, semantics, and pragmatics. 

Syntax is the study of the organisation and arrangement of words, which come together to form meaningful sentences. Syntax is also the rules of grammar for language. In English there is a certain order in which words can be combined to form sentences that make sense. Due to syntax, we cannot simply just put any group of words together and expect a person to understand what we are trying to communicate. 

Morphology is the study of how words are formed from morphemes, which are the smallest meaningful units of language. A word can have one morpheme or multiple morphemes. A word with one morpheme cannot be broken down into smaller units and still have meaning;  e.g.: key, come, view.

Phonology is the study of speech sounds and accepted pronunciation in a language. International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) consists of a set of symbols that describe the pronunciation of a word.

Semantics is the study of meaning in a language (our mental dictionary). Semantic rules are rules that people have agreed on to give meaning to certain symbols and words.

Pragmatics is the study of the use of language in a social situation that involves 3 major communication skills:

• Using language for different purposes
  • greeting, informing, demanding
• Changing language
  • baby talk, adult talk, professional talk,
• Rule-following
  • taking turns in a conversation, staying on topic, how close to stand to a person when having a conversation, verbal and non-verbal signs

Learning English Grammar

Developing a solid foundation in English grammar will not only help you create your own sentences correctly but will also make it easier to improve your communication skills in both spoken and written English.