Top five motivations for learning English

Whatever you’re trying to achieve, staying motivated is the key to success. Learning English can be tough, so it’s useful to focus on the improvements learning English will make to your life. We asked 6,000 people in twelve countries about the reasons why they’re learning English – here are the top motivating factors:

1. Learning English makes it easier to communicate while abroad

If you want to explore the world, it pays to have some knowledge of English. Did you know that 58 countries list English as one of their official languages?

2. English is the closest the world comes to having a global language

In five years’ time the total population is likely to be over 7.5 billion. By 2020, it’s predicted that two billion people all over the world will be studying English – that’s over a quarter of the world all learning the same language!

3. Learning English facilitates communication with people from different countries

40% of the entire planet is now connected to the internet – we can interact with people all over the world without even having to set foot outside, but knowledge of a common language is key.

4. Learning English improves career prospects

English is the unofficial global language of business – in fact, some international companies have even made English their official language! Being proficient in more than one language is always attractive to employers, particularly if one of those languages is English.

5. Learning English makes working life easier

Not being able to communicate properly with key stakeholders is a frustrating barrier to success; 42% of our survey respondents said they were motivated to learn English to make life easier for them at work.

Why else do people want to learn English? Take a look at our infographic for the full picture.