Importance of English as a Second Language

IMPORTANCE OF ENGLISH AS A ECOND LANGAUAGE
Importance of English as a Second Language
Name of Student
Name of University
Author Note

IMPORTANCE OF ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE1
Half of the population of the world can speak more than one language. Most of them at
least speak two languages1. Over 1.5 billion people have chosen English as their second
language2. The world is a global community now, in order to effectively communicate with one
another, everybody needs to know a common language, as English is one of the most widely
spoken languages, and it becomes easier that people learn English as a second language.
Mandarin, Spanish and Arabic are languages that are spoken most widely around the globe;
English on the other hand is the most commonly opted as second language around the world.
There are almost 1.4 billion English speakers including both native and non-native speaker3. The
language English is not restricted to the United States, there English language speaker in Asia,
Africa and Europe as well. Multiple origins and culture are linked by the language English.
Another important actor taking up English as a second language is because it is one of the most
accessible languages. It is widely taken up as second language because it is easier to learn
because written English is not at all different from spoken English. This essay will talk about the
motivation that learners of English as a second language have and the motivation that the
teachers have for teaching English and will relate it to the theories of motivation.
Motivation is the reason that an individual acts, it is one of the most frequently used
terms as it is the reason why a person chooses to live their life the way they do. The learners of
second language need a certain motivation to learn another language which is not their native
tongue. There are various types of motivation like instrumental motivation, integrative
1 www.sheffield.ac.uk, 'Native English Speaking Countries - Prospective International Students - The University Of
Sheffield' (Sheffield.ac.uk, 2019) <https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/international/english-speaking-countries> accessed
13 June 2019.
2www.sheffield.ac.uk, 'Native English Speaking Countries - Prospective International Students - The University Of
Sheffield' (Sheffield.ac.uk, 2019) <https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/international/english-speaking-countries> accessed
13 June 2019.
3 www.sheffield.ac.uk, 'Native English Speaking Countries - Prospective International Students - The University Of
Sheffield' (Sheffield.ac.uk, 2019) <https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/international/english-speaking-countries> accessed
13 June 2019.

IMPORTANCE OF ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE2
motivation, intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation 4. An affective system of motivation
goes a long way in encouraging students to take up English as a second language. Motivation is
English language learning is a complicated psychological process but it is the most influential
factor in learning a language other than your mother tongue. Teachers are currently focusing on
the practical use of motivation in classrooms to encourage students to take up English as a
second language and teach them English. In today’s times, the instructional approach which is a
student centered teaching paradigm, in the light of this cooperative learning as a practice has
been introduced in the classrooms 5. Teaching a small group of students, all of who are dedicated
to the process of learning English, have shown to make an impact in the students. They all have
the same goals and all of them co-operate with one another to learn a new language, this process
of learning English has been proven effective. According to research, this method of learning
through co-operation has a better outcome than any traditional form of teaching or learning. This
method infuses the students with positivity; the students develop a higher degree of self-esteem
and this always the keeps the students motivated to take up new things and learn the language
properly. The co-operative method also generates a lot of co-operation among each other. The
co-operative method also promotes the norm and reward tactic, the student will properly follow
the instructions and work and learn properly because of the social sanction they get and that
serves as their reward. This is the motivation that the student has, to follow the rules and get the
work done because the approval that he/she receives after a well done task is their reward for
doing the work. This kind of co-operative training will not only keep the students motivated but
also increase the longevity of the learning period; the students stick around for the entire course
because they remain motivated.
4 .Al-Sharief, Sultan. "The interplay of motivation and demotivation: The case of EFL learners majoring in English."
International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature 2.1 (2013): 53-59.
5 Jenifara Zaman, 'Role Of Motivation In Second Language Learning: A Study Of Private University Students In
Bangladesh' (Core.ac.uk, 2015) <https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/61807263.pdf> accessed 13 June 2019.