Foreign languages

Knowledge of foreign language is especially important today because they are the main and the most efficient means of information exchange between the people of our planet. Students should learn English as a foreign language because today English is the language of the world. Over 350 million people speak it as a mother tongue. The native speakers of English live in Great Britain, in the United States of America, Australia and New Zealand. English is one of the official languages in the Irish Republic, Canada and South African Republic. As a second language it is used in the former British and US colonies.

It is the major international language for communication in such areas as science, technology, business and mass media. English is used as one of the official languages of the United Nations Organization and other political organizations. It is the language of computer software, literature, education, modern music and international tourism.

Learning a foreign language is not an easy thing. It is a long and slow process that takes a lot of time and patience. But every educated person, every good specialist has to know English because it is absolutely necessary nowadays.

It is well known that reading books and magazines in the original, watching films and talking with the native speakers helps a lot. When learning a foreign language you learn the culture and history of the country where this language is spoken.

WHY DO PEOPLE IN OUR COUNTRY LEARN FOREIGN LANGUAGES?

It is necessary to learn foreign languages. That's why pupils have got such subject as a foreign language at school. Everybody knows his own language, but it is useful to know foreign languages.

I learn English, because I understand that I can use it. For example, if I go to England I'll be able to speak English there. If I go to the USA, I'll speak English too.

I learn English because I want to read foreign literature in the original. I know and like such English and American writers as Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, Lewis Carroll and others. I understand that I must learn English. If I know English well, I'll be able to go to the library and take books by English and American writers in the original.

I like to travel. But it is difficult to visit countries, when you don't know the language of these countries. If J know the language of the country, where I am going to, it will be easy to travel there. If I want to ask something, I can do it in English.

I like to read books. And I like to read newspapers, too. If I know, for example, English, I'll be able to read English newspapers and magazines. Knowledge of foreign languages helps young people of different countries to understand each other, to develop friendship among them. For example, we have a foreign exhibition in Moscow. If I know a foreign language, it is easy for me to visit this exhibition.

You can see a lot of advertisements, signboards, and names in the streets. They are in foreign languages. Very often they are in English. If you know English, you can read and understand them.

Now we buy many clothes from other countries. If you know English well, you can read something about the size of this or that thing. It is clear for you what it is made of.

There are a lot of films in foreign languages. If you know them, you can understand films without any help.

In short, I understand that I have to learn English in a proper way and I try to do it.

21. Answer the questions:

1. Why do we need to learn foreign languages?

2. How many people in the world speak English?

3. What English-speaking countries do you know?

4. In what areas is English mostly used?

5. What are the main difficulties for you in learning foreign languages?