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УДК 81’24

DMITRIEVA D.

Bashkir State University (Ufa)

The English language has become widely spread now. It is one of the world's most important languages. it is an international language, the language of progressive science and engineering. We may say that English now is number one in the world, second only to Chinese.

Great Britain, the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are regarded as English-speaking countries. Though the customs, traditions and the ways of life in these countries are quite different, they have owed common language – English it is the language of their ancestors who once left their homeland and sailed across the oceans in search of a new life and happy future.

Those who like foreign languages as well as teaching may enter the Linguistic University and become a teacher of one or two foreign languages – English, German, French, Spanish or Italian. Some graduates may work as teachers at schools or Institutes, others – as interpreters, translations, publishers, public relations agents.

A more general aim to learn foreign languages is to make our intellectual and cultural horizons wider through reading foreign authors in the original and through contacts with people of another culture. Languages study is an important key to understanding other peoples’ cultures.

As any other languages, English is a manifestation of culture. With the help of the English language one can acquire cultural background information and increase the knowledge about English-speaking countries and the people who live there, about their customs and traditions.

A foreign language is absolutely necessary for those who work in any branch of science. If you want to know much about the world’s famous scientific research information, you need command of a foreign language. And first of all you need English, because it is the language of most scientific books and magazines.

Nowadays English is becoming the language for practical usage. It is spoken in business. English is widely spoken at international conferences and also by those who travel in Europe, Asia, Africa and even in South America.

Nowadays, above 350 million people speak English as their native language. About the same number use it as a second language. English is spoken by no less than 50 per cent people on the Earth.

As for me I am absolutely sure that every educated and cultural person should know at least one or two foreign languages. There are many reasons for people to learn foreign languages. One of the main reasons is the need to communicate orally or in writing with other people who use this language. You may communicate with them over the Internet or mail if they are far away. When you listen to tapes, radio, watch videos and read a book or newspaper in a foreign language, it also means that you communicate. It is because you understand not only the words but thoughts and ideas of other people and you are ready to express your own thoughts in reply.