Learn the top five reasons you should be learning to speak American English right now
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| Chihiro: Hi everyone, I'm Chihiro and welcome to EnglishClass101.com. Introduction to English and the Top 5 Reasons to Study. |
| Daniel: Hey everyone, I'm Daniel. With these lessons we hope to give you an insight into the language you're learning |
| Chihiro: When you understand the background of a language, you get a clearer idea of why certain things are the way they are in English. And it will make the learning process much easier. |
| Daniel: And we hope to deliver it to you in an understandable and enjoyable way. Let's get started. |
| Chihiro: Okay. Well, first of all, English is the lingua franca in many areas of the world. In other words, it’s the language that is used between people who don’t have a language in common. That’s why many of our listeners are probably learning the language now, perhaps for business or school or talking with international friends. |
| Daniel: Right, and around 375 million people speak English as a native language, which comes in third with Chinese which is in first and Spanish which is in second. However, if you count the non-native speakers, than it might top Chinese in first, but it also depends on whether you look at Chinese languages as “languages” or “dialects.” |
| Chihiro: Mmm... you're right, because language is not always clear cut it’s got many shades of grey. Now, when you think of English, you might think of countries like the US, the UK, Canada and Australia, which actually do have the highest population of native speakers, and in that order. |
| Daniel: But since English is spoken by so many as a second language, the statistics change when we look at the number of total speakers in a country, and it goes... the US as first, then India as second! I’ve seen statistics change for the third and fourth so let’s not go there. |
| Chihiro: Wow, so with so many speakers from different areas, no wonder there are so many accents! And of course there are different ways of saying things, the phrasing might change, or the actual vocabulary might mean something different altogether! |
| Daniel: And most likely you’ll see it change with the changing demographics, because more and more people are learning English as the second language to be able to communicate for business purposes. |
| Chihiro: And we hope to help you listeners along the way for whatever reasons you’re learning it. |
| Chihiro: So, Daniel, what language family does English belong to? |
| Daniel: Well, it’s part of the Germanic Family, which is an Indo-European languages |
| Chihiro: Yup, and it spread along with the British Empire, and by the late 19th century, it stretched globally. |
| Daniel: That’s right. And these days, it’s the official language for many countries. |
| Chihiro: And it uses the Latin or otherwise known as the Roman alphabet which is your ABCs. |
| Daniel: Right, each letter is not necessarily pronounced what it’s called, but rather a combination of it creates different sounds. |
| Chihiro: This is because it has influences from several different languages. Which makes the pronunciation another story. |
| Daniel: Right, the alphabet is easy enough to learn if you don’t know it already. |
| Chihiro: But pronouncing the words might be a little more difficult to learn. Not only does English have so many vowels with different pronunciations, the pronunciation might change from speaker to speaker. |
| Daniel: And since many are non native speakers, the area and environment heavily influences speech,creating different accents. |
| Chihiro: And the tricky part is, a slight change in vowel may change the whole meaning of the word! |
| Daniel: Interesting! |
| Chihiro: It can be frustrating for speakers at times when trying to get the pronunciation because different English speakers may sound very different. But with that said, even native speakers don’t understand certain things when it comes to a different accent. I wish we could pin English to a single country so that we can talk about English with culture, but as we mentioned before, since English is an official language of so many different countries, there’s no way we can do that! |
| Daniel: I grew up speaking English in America. How about you Chihiro? |
| Chihiro: Well, I spent some years in Canada, England, Australia and the US, so I’ve seen English diversity at it’s best! |
| Daniel: So have you had any trouble with accents? |
| Chihiro: I definitely had my fair share of accent and slang confusion, but it was interesting that I got to see the different styles that exist. |
| Daniel: Ok, we've put together a list of top 5 reasons to learn English!!! |
| Chihiro: OK, starting with number 5 |
| Daniel: You can surf the net! Well, you can of course surf the net in your own language, but the number of English websites exceeds the other languages. Number 4 |
| Chihiro: You can do A LOT of reading!! English is the most widely published language, so you can get your hands on a lot of writing if you speak English! Number 3 |
| Daniel: It’s the language of science, of aviation, computers, diplomacy, and tourism. It’s the language used in business! So get ahead in your careers in those fields by learning English! Since it is the language of many professional areas, it’s good to learn the language for those who wish to get a higher degree, because many universities have classes in English! Number 2 is… |
| Daniel: Talk with the world! Well, since it is considered the lingua franca, or the international language, if you speak English and you’re friend speaking a different language can also speak English, you can talk with each other! |
| Chihiro: Definitely... although if they don’t speak English, then you can always learn their language, but then that defeats the purpose of the second reason... and finally, our number 1 reason |
| Chihiro: Well, it's fun! Learning a language is fun in general, but if you factor in all the doors the English language can open up, you'll have even more fun! |
| Daniel: Of course anyone can go through the ups and downs of learning another language, but if you stick with it and progress day by day, you'll soon hit that point when the words seem to flow smoother from your tongue. |
| Chihiro: And you’ll also realize that you understand a lot more than ever! So yes, it’s fun and very rewarding. |
| Daniel: OK everybody, are you ready? Get out your pen and notebook, grab your iPod, turn on your computers, whatever you use to study - and get ready for some English lessons! |
| Chihiro: Thanks for listening, everybody! I hope you’ll tune in next time. |
| Daniel: Thanks everybody! Bye for now! |
Comments
HideLet us know if you have any questions.
Hello, John!
That's wonderful to hear! 🎉 Congratulations on completing your first lesson with EnglishClass101.com. I am sure this is just the beginning of a successful journey in learning English. Keep up the great work and stay motivated!
If you would like any corrections, please let me know!
Thank you!
Team EnglishClass101.com
OK, I finished my first lesson of English101, I hope it's the succesful start.
Hello Amri! 😊
It's wonderful to hear about your interest in the American accent and your goal to understand English fluently. Many people find certain accents easier to understand and mimic, so you're not alone in preferring the American accent. It's great that you're using tools like "Gemini" to enhance your English skills. Keep practicing, and you'll be able to understand Joe Rogan's podcast without translations in no time!
Here are a few suggestions:
1. **"beginer"** should be **"beginner"**.
- *Reason*: "Beginner" is the correct spelling for someone who is just starting to learn something.
2. **"help of 'Gemini' (ChatGPT from Google)"** could be clarified as **"the help of 'Gemini,' which is a version of ChatGPT provided by Google"**.
- *Reason*: This provides a clearer explanation of what "Gemini" is for those who may not be familiar with it.
3. **"Indonesia translation"** should be **"Indonesian translation"**.
- *Reason*: "Indonesian" is the correct adjective form for something related to Indonesia.
Keep up the great work, and don't hesitate to ask if you have more questions or need further assistance!
Thank you!
Team EnglishClass101.com
I don't know why I prefer the American accent to the others. It's easier to repeat their words. By the way, I'm Indonesian and a beginer in English. I'm writing this with help of "Gemini" (ChatGPT from Google) to improve my English. I hope I'll be able to speak fluently soon. At least I'd like to be able to understand Joe Rogan's conversation on his podcast without Indonesia translation.
Hello Chab Panha,
It's wonderful to hear that you're excited about learning languages! That's the spirit we love to see in our students. If you have any particular questions or areas you're struggling with, feel free to ask. We're here to help you! 😄
Just a couple of small corrections to your message:
1. "I am excited for language Here!" should be "I am excited for language learning here!"
- Reason: The word "learning" is needed to complete the sentence and convey the correct meaning.
2. Don't forget to capitalize the first letter of your sentence and end with a period or an exclamation point for emphasis.
- Example: "Hi everyone!" and "Regards."
- Reason: Proper punctuation helps to clarify your message and makes your writing more professional.
Keep up the great work and enthusiasm!
Thank you!
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
Hi everyone!
I am excited for language Here!
Regards
Hello Viridiana,
It's wonderful to hear from you and your ambition to secure a job at a call center from home is inspiring. I'm here to assist you in achieving your English proficiency goals. 😄
Just to clarify, when you mention a 'B or C level', are you referring to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)? This framework is often used to measure language proficiency, with B1/B2 being intermediate and C1/C2 being advanced.
Also, could you please let me know what specific areas you're looking to improve? Is it grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, or something else? This will help me provide more targeted assistance.
Thank you!
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
Hi Emglish101:
I'm here because I want to get a job in a call center from home because I have a disability. I need a B or C level for that so.
Hello Pamir,
We're delighted to hear that you found the lesson useful! 😄😎
If you have any questions or need any further clarification, don't hesitate to ask.
We're here to help you on your journey to mastering the English language.
Regards,
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
Hello Abdale Ismail Ali,
Thank you for your message! It's great to see you engaging in the learning process.
If you have any questions or need further assistance, please don't hesitate to ask.
Remember, practice makes perfect! 😄👍❤️
Regards,
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
Thank you, It's very useful lesson today.
Amazing 👏
Hello Sabeur,
You're welcome! ❤️👍
If you have any questions in the future, don't hesitate to ask.
We're here to help!
Thank you!
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
Thank you
Hello Liuva,
Thank you for your message and enthusiasm! It's fantastic to see you taking an interest in the origins of languages. It's a fascinating topic, isn't it? 😄
Just a quick note on your Spanish: your sentence is generally correct, but to make it sound more natural, you could say "Gracias por compartir el origen del idioma." This way, it translates to "Thank you for sharing the origin of the language." The word "el" before "compartir" is not necessary in this context.
Keep up the good work! Please feel free to ask any more questions you may have. 👍❤️
Sincerely,
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
Gracias gracias gracias por el compartir el origen del idioma
Hello Fatiha,
We're so glad to hear that you're happy with your first English lesson! That's fantastic news. Keep up the good work, and remember, practice makes perfect! 😄
Here are some small corrections to help you improve:
Your sentence: "Thank you, i’m verry hapy for my first lesson in english"
Corrected sentence: "Thank you, I'm very happy with my first English lesson."
1. "I" should always be capitalized in English.
2. "Very" is spelled with one 'r'.
3. We usually say "happy with" something rather than "happy for" something.
Keep practicing and don't hesitate to ask any questions you have. 👍❤️
Kindly,
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
Thank you, i'm verry hapy for my first lesson in english
Hello Nsimba Adão Landu,
I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed the introduction and are looking forward to learning more about the English language! I'm sure you'll make excellent progress with such a positive attitude. 👍
Just a couple of suggestions to improve your English:
1. Instead of "I hope to learning much", you might want to say "I hope to learn a lot". In English, after "hope to", we usually use the base form of the verb, which is "learn" in this case.
2. "The introduction and to learning about English language" could be better phrased as "the introduction to learning about the English language". The preposition "to" should come right after "introduction", and we usually include "the" before "English language".
So, your revised sentence would be: "Thank you. I enjoyed the introduction to learning about the English language, and I hope to learn a lot."
Keep up the good work, and don't hesitate to reach out if you have any more questions!
Thank you!
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
Thank you I enjoyed the introduction and to learning about English language, I hope to learning much .