A question almost every Indian person asks themselves at some point is: Why do I need to learn English? or Why is learning English so significant?
For one, over 125 million people speak English in India; it is an official language here. Also, no less than 1.27 billion people across the world speak English as their first or second language! Learning English helps us interact with the world.
Let us see how and why English became an official language in India.
In the 18th century, the British found a way to secure a foothold in the subcontinent via the East India Company. With them came the English language. They soon realized that they would have to be able to communicate with the people of India and so they set up schools and encouraged the learning of English.
When India finally won its hard-earned independence in 1947, the British left but the English Language did not. Today, most people in India are bilingual – or even trilingual – and it is a matter of pride that so many people here can speak as many languages as they do. English is widely-used and serves as a common language across the different states in the country.
Although it is, of course, important to safeguard local languages and cultures, here a 10 good reasons why it’s also important to learn English.