Communication is an essential skill for being successful in life. Different walks of people have different needs, hence different reasons to learn English. To communicate with the outside world and to get your work done, it is very much needed to learn English, at least to what extent we need it. Therefore, assessment of our needs is essential to identify the level of English skills required.
This kind of learning may seem limited, but it enables adequate communication. For instance, consider taxi drivers (especially in the areas of tourist spots or airports) – though not having a good educational background, they are good enough with the English that suits their profession. They can manage to speak few sentences like where you have to go sir/madam, the place is near by, this is your destination, numbers, directions in English, which help them make the required conversation with their passengers. Same is the case with tourist guides (they need to be aware of some historical terms in English, so as to explain them to the foreign tourists).
When they can learn a new language just to serve their purpose/profession, why can’t you? Here are different roles of people, their needs and what extent of English is required by them to fulfill their needs.
- Housewives – They have to learn English for different purposes like, to teach their kids at least till the primary level, to converse while attending social parties, to buy groceries, pay bills, do bank transactions, to be safe while traveling, etc.
- Lecturers/school teachers – Teachers should learn English as they have to be able to make their students understand the subject (English or any other subject), give instructions, etc.
- Researchers – These people require English to present their thesis and other public presentations. They have to be perfect with the research specific terminologies in English to get their work published.
- Software professionals – They should learn English to understand their business functions, transactions, to communicate with clients or higher officials. They need to be aware of business specific terminologies like outsourcing, ledgers, etc., besides, also to converse fluently with their counterparts.
- Government officers – English knowledge is essential for them to write memos, government orders, government policies, recommendations, opinions to senior officials, to give presentations, etc. They need to be good at grammar and vocabulary.
- Tele callers – As these require good verbal and communication skills to explain their services/products in detail, guide/suggest customers, they have to be highly fluent in spoken English.
Apart from the above needs, a common man may require English for other purposes such as to communicate while traveling to different places, to know the world affairs, for higher education, entertainment and to understand various cultures, art and poetry.
Identifying your needs in English will help you not to waste time learning those aspects of English that are not relevant to your needs or jobs. Learning English should not be mistaken as a year long course. You need not struggle to master every aspect of language. You just need to learn what is needed to match your needs. Also, most of the people who are good with English will not stop updating their English skills throughout their life.