Is english proficiency important?

Question

this is for a debate and i'm from the pro's and the topic is "Is English proficiency important in our country?". how is proficiency in english important.

Answer 1

It will land you a better job.

Answer 2

English proficiency is important if you ever want or need to communicate in the English language.

Leaving a listener or reader guessing as to the meaning of your words does not make for positive or efficient communication and can lead to communication break down that could have you reciving something you have no need for or not receiving something you do want.

for instance these Answers pages on Yahoo are a perfect example of people not getting what they need because they can not communicate in English profficiently.

ie.

Question: how it works the kidney to keep the body fit and strong?

what exactly is the questioner wanting to find out? Do they want to find out if some unknown and unmentioned thing works the kidney? Or, are they asking how the kidney itself works.

Question: reservation of seats in collages?

a collage is an artwork made by piecing together unrelated items to create a picture. One letter makes such a big difference in the asking a single question.

question: why does computer programmer choose thier carrier?

a carrier is something or someone that carries. so does the asker want to know why computer programmers choose the internet carriers they do? Or, does the asker wnat to know why the computer programmers choose the career (job) that they do.

see how simple mispellings or grammar errors can lead to big differences in understanding.

Answer 3

The trouble is - the language like all language is constantly changing - but to be a bit more specific - should the Queen's English be spoken proficiently - then I would say yes - if you are going to communicate with one another in the same language - then you need a standard by which to go by. What I disagree with, is that in this country because English is the international business language, that English people (and I am English) born and bred don't feel they have to learn any other language apart from their own, but everyone else must learn English and speak it to them when they are abroad - we are a lazy mono-lingual race and I am pleased to see that the media - namely some newspapers and tv programmes are now trying to encourage us to learn other people's languages - what chance have you of avoiding conflict if you can't even understand each other - but having said that - one country's language shouldn't be seen as superior to another - that is divisive and causes trouble !

Answer 4

Boy, oh, boy......you hit a nerve there. I think English proficiency (use of correct grammar, pronunciation, and composition to be more exact) is extremely important in our country. I'm 44yrs. old and I can't tell you how outraged I am about how it seems a large majority of our younger people can't carry on a respectable conversation or compose a simple paragraph without some strange new spin on words. I thought young people were supposed to be smarter these days and getting better educations. Let me tell you, no one appreciates all the slang and variations of dialect or trying to decipher what someone is saying. Plus, if it's written out, good luck trying to read it. It sure doesn't say much for us or our pride as American citizens if we keep altering our own language.
Thank You for letting me vent. I hope you know I'm not personally attacking you. Are you by chance watching Oprah this week? She has some very interesting things to say about this very subject.

Answer 5

English proficiency is only important to the degree you wish to sound educated. Some confuse the ability to convey ideas fluently with illiteracy.

If English is not your native language, fluency can hender, as stated above, business. However, if English is your native language and if you can not speak it properly, your chances of being taken seriously in may circles is small.

Answer 6

to understand the importance of understanding English,we need to know the spread of English-speaking people globally.i dont have exact statistics now,but with reasonable assumption i can say Englsh is spoken in over a third of the world and its growth rate(asia and far east are catching on fast).hence it becomes important to have a resonable level of proficiency since even mundane things like tourism will probably land u in an English speaking area/region

Answer 7

A decade ago to learn English, you had to attend costly English classes or purchase course material like tapes and books. Now you can learn English for free from the comfort of your home using the internet. The BBC and the British Council offer a number of online courses which teach written and spoken English. You can also improve your English by watching television programs and reading English newspapers. For more information, visit http://tinyurl.com/qnzpt

Answer 8

No!

Not in Russia, Spain, France etc.

In Australia, USA, England...depends on the job you want or have. Factory worker, No. School teacher Yes. Street sweeper, No, sales assistant Yes. Even to watch TV you need english, to fill out forms you need english, to comminucate you need english. How proficient? Depends on how effective you want to be in all your interactions with other people.

Answer 9

well Im in England and English will soon fade to a 2nd or 3rd language as we become a minority to immigrants (legal as well as illegal!)

Answer 10

First it will keep you from being made fun of. You can get good jobs and talk to people and they will understand what you're saying.