why do we study english essay

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• "Why Should I Learn English?" – 10 Compelling Reasons for EFL Learners

English has been described as “the language of opportunity”, and by the time you get to the end of this article, we’re pretty sure you’ll agree.

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If you’re currently in the throes of trying to pick a language to study at school, or you fancy taking on a new language in your spare time, we’re willing to bet that the English speakers of this world would join us in giving you the following words of advice: if you have to choose one additional language to learn during the course of your years at school, make it English. Why? Let us count the ways…

1. English is one of the most widely spoken languages

Although it comes second to Mandarin in the total number of speakers, English is the language you’ll be able to use most widely, as it’s spoken in more countries than any other language. That means that English is the language that will give you the best return for your efforts; after all, intellectual challenge aside, there’s little point putting a huge amount of time and effort into learning a language that you’ll hardly ever have the opportunity to use.

As well as the UK, a whopping 60 of the world’s 196 countries have English as their official language:  the USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, to name but a few. It’s the language of diplomacy and the official language of the European Union, the United Nations, NATO and the European Free Trade Association, not to mention many Commonwealth countries. What’s more, English is the commonly adopted second language of people in a great many more countries, including Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Holland. In total, around 1.5 billion people speak English worldwide – and another billion are in the process of learning it. Will you make this number even bigger by learning it yourself?

2. English will open up more opportunities for you

Being able to speak English allows you to communicate effectively in numerous countries, and this opens up lots of possibilities for you in terms of the countries you could choose to seek work in one day – not to mention travel to as a tourist. You won’t have to worry about getting lost when you travel to an English-speaking country, as you’ll easily be able to ask for directions, and taking guided tours, ordering food and chatting to the locals will no longer be a source of stress.

What’s more, careers that involve lots of travel or international exposure, such as the airline, tourism and film industries, use English as their official language, and many employers in these sectors are likely to require evidence of a certain level of proficiency in English before they will consider employing you. This means that if you can speak English, you’ll find that you have a greater number of possible careers to choose from after you finish at university.

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3. english will make you more desirable to employers.

Being fluent in a second language clearly demonstrates a powerful brain and reflects someone who has put in the huge amount of time, resources and commitment needed to master another language. But while being bilingual is impressive full stop, no matter what combination of languages you speak, adding English to your CV will be particularly useful. Not only is it an especially complex language to get to grips with, a fact that reflects well on you for having mastered it, but as we’ve seen, it’s also an incredibly useful language to learn because so many countries speak it. You’ll be in a much stronger position to apply for jobs overseas if you’ve reached a good level of fluency in English.

English has been referred to as “the language of business”, and it’s not hard to see why. If you have ambitions to become an international businessperson, it’s essential that you’re able to speak English fluently; business conducted internationally is done in English more often than not. Even if you’re not thinking of living and working abroad, that doesn’t mean you won’t find English a helpful language to put on your CV. There may well be plenty of English-speaking multinational corporations with offices in your home country. What’s more, English skills are just as desirable to employers in your own country and language as they are to employers in English-speaking countries. Here are just three examples to give you an idea of the kind of situations in which English may come in useful in your own country:

• Business meetings – being able to speak English puts you in a position to be able to attend or hold international business meetings. Where several languages are represented, the chances are that the meeting will be conducted in English – and if you’re the only one in your team who can speak English, you may find yourself being put forward to attend important meetings, advancing yourself up the career ladder in the process.
• Customer service and sales – you’ll be able to help with any English-speaking customers your employer may have – and sell to them. This gives you the chance to build relationships with overseas customers, and the ability to build relationships is an important business skill that puts you at an advantage over non-English speaking fellow employees and makes you more valuable to the company you work for.
• Marketing and communications – if the company you end up working for markets its products or services to English-speaking countries, or releases other sorts of communications such as press releases to these countries, your knowledge of English may come in handy for translating marketing materials or communications with customers or sales prospects. The cultural knowledge you’ll acquire through learning English may also come in handy in knowing how to pitch products and ideas to English-speaking nations.

4. English gives you access to some of the world’s best universities

English is widely regarded as the language of higher education. Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard and MIT are just a few of the famous universities that occupy the lofty heights of the top of the world education league tables, and you’ll need to speak English fluently for access to any of these, as they’re all English-speaking. It goes without saying that if you are able to study at one of these institutions, you’ll start your career with an illustrious name on your CV – and the benefits of that speak for themselves. If English isn’t your native language, you’ll need to take an English test during the admissions process to prove that your level of English is up to scratch for the demands of the academic environment. If you have your sights set on a top university, the effort you put in to study English as early as possible in your school years will be rewarded when it comes to the choice of universities to which you can apply.

5. English is the language of some of the world’s greatest literature

If you learn English, you’ll be able to enjoy works by some of the world’s most famous writers , in the language in which they were intended to be read or heard. The works of Shakespeare will take on a new meaning when you’re able to speak English, and you can look forward to enjoying such influential classics as Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights and her sister’s Jane Eyre , George Orwell’s 1984 and Animal Farm , Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and many, many more. Translation rarely does a writer true justice, so the only way to appreciate a classic literary work properly is to read it in its original language. Even better, through doing so, you’ll deepen your knowledge of English by enriching it with new words and sentence structures.

6. English allows you to get more from popular culture

The world’s highest-grossing movies are made in Hollywood, and needless to say, they are made in English. How many times have you been to see an American blockbuster and been frustrated by having to keep up with fast-paced subtitles? And how many times have you hummed a favourite pop song, but not been able to sing along because it’s in English and you don’t know the words? There’s a solution… Kiss those annoying cinema subtitles goodbye and get more out of the music you enjoy by learning English.

7. English allows you to attend international conferences and events

Major sporting events such as the Olympics are held in English, and so are international conferences, so competitors and delegates will need to be able to speak English to be able to get the most out of taking part. You may find yourself needing to attend conferences as part of your chosen career, so learning English now will be of enormous benefit to you in years to come. Not only will you be able to understand the talks, but you’ll get a lot more out of the networking opportunities that come with such events if you can talk effectively in English. You never know – there may be a new employer or client among the crowds of fellow delegates, so make sure you can communicate with them!

8. English has a simple alphabet and everyone’s equal

The English alphabet is straightforward, making it easier to master than the symbols or pictures that make up some languages. If you’ve struggled to learn more complex alphabets, you may find you make more progress with English, which shares an alphabet with many other languages.

There are no complicated symbols and characters to get to grips with in English, either; even in French, which essentially uses the same alphabet, there are several accents used on certain letters that alter the pronunciation. Not so in English. Furthermore, not matter how important they are, everyone is addressed as “you” – there are no polite and informal variants to agonise over (as there are in French with “tu” and “vous”, for instance), so you won’t need to worry about inadvertently creating social awkwardness by being overly familiar. And unlike many European languages, there are no masculine and feminine words to remember – it’s “a dog”, not “le chien”.

9. English gives you wider access to knowledge

Did you know that 55% of the world’s webpages are written in English? This absolutely dwarfs that of any other language, with the next most widely used language on the internet being Russian (which constitutes just 6% of pages). Knowledge of English therefore allows you to tap into far more of the world’s intellectual resources.

English is also the language of science. If you learn English, you won’t just have access to a greater proportion of the vast amount of knowledge available on the web; you’ll be able to educate yourself still further by being able to read scientific books and papers. English is, of course, essential if you intend to pursue a scientific career. Within the Science Citation Index, compiled by the Institute for Scientific Information, an estimated 95% of articles are written in English despite only around half being from English-speaking countries. According to the Open University , “At Oxford University two thirds of post-graduate students come from outside the UK. The students in the university’s chemistry research lab admit that working in English is a key attraction.”

10. English is a fantastic intellectual challenge!

English is undoubtedly one of the harder languages to learn . Full of nuances, unexpected pronunciations, odd rules and infuriating exceptions to rules, it takes dedication and perseverance to reach a good level of fluency. If you’re on the lookout for a new challenge, learning English may be just what you’re after. Not only that, but because it’s so widely spoken, it opens you up to a huge number of new cultural experiences, which will help you develop life skills, meet new people and grow your confidence in handling new situations.

Have we convinced you yet? If you’ve been inspired to learn English, consider enrolling on one of our English as a Foreign Language (EFL) courses   and develop your English skills in the company of like-minded students in the beautiful city of Oxford and Cambridge.

Image credits: banner ; tourists ; Christ Church ; Hogwarts ; scrabble ; reading . 

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Importance Of English Language Essay

500 words importance of english language essay.

The English Language is becoming more and more common in the world. As a result, increasingly people are dedicating time to study English as their second language. In fact, many countries include it in their school syllabus to teach children this language from a young age. However, the true value of this language is that it helps remove many barriers from our life. Whether it is to find a new job or travel the world. In other words, it helps to progress in life both on a personal and professional level. Thus, the Importance of English Language Essay will help you understand all about it.

Importance Of English Language

Language is our major means of communication; it is how we share our thoughts with others. A language’s secondary purpose is to convey someone’s sentiments, emotions, or attitudes. English is one such language in the world that satisfies both the above purposes. English has been regarded as the first global Lingua Franca. It has become part and parcel of almost every existing field. We use it as the international language to communicate in many fields ranging from business to entertainment.

Many countries teach and encourage youngsters to acquire English as a second language. Even in nations where English is not an official language, many science and engineering curriculum are written in English.

English abilities will most certainly aid you in any business endeavours you choose to pursue. Many large corporations will only hire professional employees after determining whether or not they speak good English. Given the language’s prominence, English language classes will be advantageous to you if you want to work for a multinational organization and will teach you the communication skills needed to network with professionals in your area or enhance your career.

The English Language opens an ocean of career opportunities to those who speak this language anywhere in the world. Similarly, it has turned into an inevitable requirement for various fields and professions like medicine , computing and more.

In the fast-evolving world, it is essential to have a common language that we can understand to make the best use of the data and information available. As a result, the English Language has become a storehouse of various knowledge ranging from social to political fields.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas  

Reasons to Learn the English Language

As the importance of the English Language is clear now, we move on to why we must learn the English Language. First of all, it is a global language. It is so common that one out of five people can speak or understand this language.

Further, learning the English Language can help in getting a job easily. As it has become the language of many fields, it automatically increases the chances of landing a good job in a good company.

In addition, it helps with meeting new people. As it is the official language of 53 countries, learning it helps to break the language barriers. Most importantly, it is also the language of the Internet.

Another important reason to learn this language is that it makes travelling easier. Being a widely used language globally, it will help you connect with people easily. Similarly, it is also essential in the world of business.

It does not matter whether you are an employee or employer, it benefits everyone. Students who wish to study abroad must definitely study this language. Many countries use their schools and universities. So, it can offer a good opportunity for students.

Why and where do we need the English language?

• Use of English on the Internet – Because of the tremendous rise of information technology, particularly the internet, English is the language of choice for Internet users. The internet has also played an important role in promoting and spreading the English language throughout the world, as more and more people are exposed to it, and English has also become the language of the internet.
• Use of English in Education – English has become one of the majorly used languages to understand, learn and explain concepts from various fields of knowledge. The majority of instructional tools, materials, and texts are written in English. The global educational systems at colleges all over the world need English as a foreign language.
• Use of English for Travel purposes – As we all know, English has been named as the official language of 53 countries and over 400 million people in the world speak English, the English language comes in handy for communicating with everyone when anyone travels around the world be it for tourism, job opportunity, settlement, casual visits, etc.
• Use of English for Communication – The most important function of a language is to allow people to communicate effectively. For many years, English has been the most widely known and valued language on the planet. In other words, English becomes an efficient tool for communicating with people all over the world.

Conclusion of Importance Of English Language Essay

We use the English Language in most of our international communications. While it is not the most spoken language in the world, 53 countries have named it their official language. Moreover, about 400 million people globally use it as their first language. Thus, being the most common second language in the world, it will be beneficial to learn this language to open doors to new opportunities.

FAQ on Importance Of English Language Essay

Question 1: How does the English Language help you get a job?

Answer 1: the  English Language is the language of many things like science, aviation, computers, diplomacy, and tourism. Thus, if you know English, it will increase your chances of landing a good job in an international company.

Question 2: Does the English Language help in connecting with people globally?

Answer 2: Yes, it does. It is because English is the official language of 53 countries and we use it as a lingua franca (a mutually known language) by people from all over the world. This means that studying English can help us have a conversation with people on a global level.

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The Importance of English: 11 Reasons to Learn the Language

What makes English an important language , not just a  common one?

Is it really worth putting all that time, effort and energy into learning English ?

English is an important language for all kinds of professional and personal goals.

Whether you are just starting out or need some motivation to keep going, understanding the importance of the language will help you reach fluency and change your life .

1. English Is the Most Spoken Language in the World

2. english will teach you about world history, 3. english opens up new career opportunities, 4. english is the top language of the internet, 5. english tests can get you into school, 6. english makes traveling so much easier, 7. english allows you to make more friends, 8. english allows you to enjoy hollywood, 9. english lets you enjoy (and learn from) a ton of internet videos, 10. english widens your reading horizons, 11. learning english can make you smarter, and one more thing....

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

According to a report from Statistics & Data, English is the most spoken language in the world . 

And if you include people who use it as a second language, an estimated 1.5 billion people worldwide speak English. Further, a total of 96 countries in the world use English .

Considering that there are over 190 countries , that means over half of the countries you will visit likely use English as their lingua franca —the main language that people from various groups use to communicate with each other.

Throughout the centuries, the British Empire expanded and ruled over many different countries. The empire (a group of countries ruled by a single government) forced the people they ruled over to speak English.

Because the empire lasted over 300 years, many of the countries under the former British Empire (like Ireland, which had Gaelic as its original language ) speak English to this day.

When you are studying English, you will come across the different types used around the world . When you know the history of English as it is used in a certain country, the similarities and differences between, say, Australian and New Zealand English make much more sense.

Many companies need employees who can communicate with partners and clients all over the world. Very often, that means finding employees who speak English.

Are you job hunting ? Do you just want to keep your professional options open? Learning English can be an important step to achieving those goals.

The global job market has even created new positions for bilingual people (people fluent in two languages). By learning English, you could become a translator, a language teacher or an English marketing professional for a global company.

Like in real life, English is the most-used language online, with 55 percent (or over half) of all websites using the language. That means if you can understand and read English, you can access and enjoy a lot of written resources online.

For example, you can read online news articles . You can participate in a discussion on a forum like Reddit . You can send an email to someone from halfway across the globe. The possibilities are endless!

Also, many people and businesses conduct (do) research, market themselves or communicate and develop connections on sites like LinkedIn —making internet English crucial to professional success as well.

If you learn English well enough to  pass tests like the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), you can study in English-language universities across the globe.

The TOEFL is one of the most common English proficiency tests. Others include the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) and the Cambridge exams . Some colleges or language centers even offer classes to help you practice for these tests.

Even if you are not taking a test for a specific reason, studying for an English exam can still help you improve your language skills.

Just knowing English travel phrases is great if you just want to do things like get around a hotel or ask for directions. But if you want to stay in that country for at least a few years or so, you need to expand your vocabulary. 

For example, if you live in an apartment (a room or unit in a building where you pay rent to a landlord), you need to know some house vocabulary in case you have trouble with your bathroom and need to ask someone for help.

And if you regularly interact (come into contact with) native English speakers, you need to know what the daily phrases they use mean.

Because English is the most widely used language online and offline, you are likely to meet English speakers when you are traveling or using chat apps like WhatsApp .

When you know their language, it is easier to share common interests like your favorite food , music and much more.

And hey, you may even want to surprise your new buddy (friend) with some of the weirdest English words you know—or at least ask them about the best way to use those words.

Understanding English means you can enjoy modern Hollywood blockbusters (very popular/successful movies) as well as classic films from different generations —and talk about them with other film-loving, English-speaking friends .

Not sure where to watch movies in English? Check out streaming services like Netflix or Amazon Prime Video as well as free services like Crackle and Tubi TV .

If you do not have time for a movie marathon (an event where you watch two or more movies consecutively), websites like YouTube and Vimeo can also give you engaging English videos that discuss all kinds of topics.

FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.

You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.

P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

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Want to put more books on your bookshelf? When you know English, you can read popular books written in English like “Harry Potter,”   “Twilight,”   “The Hunger Games” and more.

If you want to read books in English for free, here are some options:

• Check out a local library. Even if you don’t live in an English-speaking region, your library likely has an English- or foreign-language section.
• Use e-book services like Kindle or Nook . These usually have many free downloads. Browse their huge selections to see if any free English books interest you.
• Visit sites that have books in the public domain. When you say that a book is in the public domain , it means the book’s copyright has expired. In other words, you can legally download the book for free. One good site for books like these is Project Gutenberg —if you are taking an English literature class, this resource will come in handy!

Research shows that learning a new language changes your brain structure (in a good way). It impacts the parts of your brain  responsible for memory, conscious thought and more.

Put simply, learning a new language can make your brain stronger and more versatile (flexible or able to do more things).

Research also shows that bilingualism can keep the brain strong and healthy into old age and help with memory, concentration and other skills.

Well, what are you waiting for? Now that you know the importance of the English language, you can start learning . The sooner you do so, the sooner you can enjoy all of these benefits!

If you like learning English through movies and online media, you should also check out FluentU. FluentU lets you learn English from popular talk shows, catchy music videos and funny commercials , as you can see here:

If you want to watch it, the FluentU app has probably got it.

The FluentU app and website makes it really easy to watch English videos. There are captions that are interactive. That means you can tap on any word to see an image, definition, and useful examples.

FluentU lets you learn engaging content with world famous celebrities.

For example, when you tap on the word "searching," you see this:

FluentU lets you tap to look up any word.

Learn all the vocabulary in any video with quizzes. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re learning.

FluentU helps you learn fast with useful questions and multiple examples. Learn more.

The best part? FluentU remembers the vocabulary that you’re learning. It gives you extra practice with difficult words—and reminds you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. You have a truly personalized experience.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

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Home — Essay Samples — Science — English Language — The Importance of Learning English

The Importance of Learning English

• Categories: English Language Learning

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Published: Sep 16, 2023

Words: 627 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Table of contents

1. access to educational opportunities, 2. global business and career advancement, 3. enhanced communication, 4. cultural enrichment, 5. travel and tourism, 6. technological advancements, 7. international diplomacy and politics.

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Argumentative Essay: Reasons You Should Learn English

If you plan on making your way in the world, learning a second language is imperative. English has a foothold as the “language of business,” and being so, has become the most commonly learnt second language amongst foreign language speakers. Not only is English significant in the business world, but in general, when people of differing native languages congregate, English is the language of everyday conversation. Again, this is because it’s most commonly taught in foreign schools, as English is the collective language spoken by 1.8 billion people worldwide, or 27% of the world’s population. By virtue of this, for those willing to make the effort, learning English proffers forth benefits that learning any other second language mightn’t. Highlighted below are some of these benefits, including employment opportunities; technical, economic and scientific innovation; and cultural understanding.

As the language of business, English will open up the world to you in nearly any field of employment. Because it’s so important to be bilingual, any company in any country of the world prefers a bilingual employee – and even more so, an English-speaking one – over an employee who speaks only his/her native tongue. In being bilingual in English, you will be able to communicate with others in all corners of the world (remember, over 27% of the world’s population speaks English), and you will be able to translate for those in your company who do not speak English. This makes you an exceedingly vital communication tool. Not only will you be an asset to your company, but you will reap many benefits as a result, such as a larger annual income, a better standard of living, and the opportunity to live just about anywhere in the world.

Along with being the language of business, English is the language of economic development, as well as technical and scientific innovation. The United States is the leader in technical innovation and economic development and, as a consequence, the language to know in making your way in these fields is English. English is also the language of science, so scientists must be fluent in order to communicate their findings with others. Being successful in any one of these prosperous fields requires fluency in English.

Lastly a great benefit to learning English is that it increases cultural understanding, not only of native English-speaking cultures, but of any other country whose second language is English. The film and music industries are largely English-driven. The art, traditions and culture of any country, especially those of native English-speaking countries, can be better understood if you have some knowledge of the English language. Being centuries-old and having been the native language of empirical powers and world leaders, English remains a great source of influence in human history, weaved into the narrative of many cultures, and sewn, like a cultural seed, throughout time.

If you endeavor to learn a second language, that language should be English. The benefits it proffers – including employment opportunities; technical, economic and scientific innovation; and cultural understanding – are exceeded by no other language in the world.

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5 reasons why we love English

'I love English because I think it is a bridge to reach my dreams, so I can learn and find the best jobs, gain a lot of friendships, learn about people's culture and spread my culture to the whole world. It gets me where I have to be - at the top. With  English, everything becomes easy'.  - Samia Saeed

'I love English because it's become the world's first language and the first language in the field of scientific communication. My career and my field of study need me to be proficient in the English language, so I have to learn English to participate in building knowledge in the world'. - Abdulaziz Mansoor Al Raimi

'I love English because I can confidently communicate with others and it makes it easy to communicate during work, travel, etc. English makes a person brave enough to talk in public, especially women. Women need English very much for them to advance in their work life'. - Thurkhadevy Vijayan

'I love English because it is the key to international networking. I once thought of practising alternative languages to substitute English since most Malaysians are trilingual. However, speaking English inarticulately makes me lose confidence in my working life, especially when I'm surrounded by native speakers. English brings us together. Love it, break the barrier and make it your advantage.'  - Bernice Kee

'I love English because, it is the 'local' language of the universe! Not only that, it has also raised and boosted my confidence level whenever I meet new people. It is essential for me to make my first impression which can also be my last impression. Speaking in English also helps me to create a bond among all my family members.'  - Thilaga A/P Narayanasamy

11 Benefits of learning English as a second language: Why is English important in 2024?

English is the most-spoken language in the world, with an estimated 1.5 billion people speaking English as a first or second language globally. It is the language of science, technology, tourism, and business.

The benefits of learning English are, therefore, numerous. Not only can studying English open up new opportunities for employment, academia, and travel, but it can change your life on a personal level, too.

Let’s take a closer look at why learning English is important in 2024 and how it can benefit you and the people around you.

11 Benefits of learning English

1. speaking english brings better employment opportunities.

Being the most widely-spoken language in the world, English has also become the international language of business. 

Knowing English and being able to communicate professionally will undoubtedly give you access to new career opportunities and make you stand out among other applicants. A survey by  Cambridge English found that over 95% of employers in many non-native English-speaking countries consider English an important skill.

As companies do more business internationally, the ability to communicate in English will only become more important to those who want to progress at work; the same survey found that in 18% of companies, employees move to higher job grades faster if they have good English skills.

This is backed up by a 2019 study which found that advanced-level English commands a wage premium of 12% on average. Intermediate-level English brings about half this amount. Interestingly, the premiums for advanced-level French and Spanish were almost double and triple, respectively. 

So, whether you wish to work for a multinational company in another country, or you just want to build a solid career, learning English will help you achieve your goals. The good news is that there are some excellent online business English courses available these days, many of them free to access.

2. Learning the English language opens up the world

English is the language not only of international business, but also of travel and tourism. If you wish to travel to other countries where you don’t speak the native language, chances are that understanding English will help you navigate public transport systems, converse with locals, and learn more about the culture.

Even if English is not the official language in the country you are traveling to, it is still by far the most common second language spoken globally. In fact, over 1 billion people around the world have chosen to learn English as a second language, so one of the benefits of speaking and understanding English is that you will share a language with around 20% of the world’s population!

You can explore more ESL statistics here – and find out which country has the best non-native English speakers.

If you want to move to live or study in a country where English is the main language spoken, it’s even more important that you can communicate well with native English speakers and interact with the world around you. Fortunately, once you move there, learning the language will become easier as you have the benefit of English immersion .

3. English is important for accessing information

Around 95% of all articles published in scientific journals are written in English, even if it is not the author’s first language. 

If you want to be able to access global knowledge and do your own research on any topics of interest, this information is much easier to access if you have a certain level of proficiency in English.

English is also the dominant language of the internet, with almost 59% of websites published in English. This is over ten times more than the next-highest share, which goes to Russian with 5.3%.

4. Academic advantages of learning English

Given that the main language of instruction in many renowned universities and academic programs is English, you may find that you need to achieve a certain level of English proficiency before you can proceed with your studies.

This is especially true if you wish to pursue higher degrees, participate in research collaborations, and engage in academic discourse within your field of interest.

You may also decide to study in a country where English is spoken as the primary language, and you will certainly need a good command of the language in order to succeed with this.

In this way, studying English can open doors to other fields of study, too.

5. Learning another language boosts cognitive ability

One of the many benefits to learning a new language is that it encourages your brain to work in different ways.

This study looked at adults learning a second language and noted that after an initial learning period, and with sustained practice of at least five hours per week, the subjects benefitted from longer attention spans and a better ability to maintain attention when switching between tasks.

There is growing evidence that people who can speak more than one language are more creative and empathetic toward others. It’s also believed that language learning can counteract some of the negative cognitive decline brought on by aging. Specifically, it can improve memory recall and delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease .

6. Cultural benefits of learning English

Learning to speak English can also help make you more culturally aware and broaden your horizons in life.

Firstly, as you study the language you are also learning about the culture of English-speaking countries: national holidays, family traditions, history, food, music, and more.

Secondly, learning English will give you chances to meet people from other countries who are also learning the language. As you practice speaking together, you will discover fascinating things about how they do life differently to you.

Finally, as we mentioned earlier, English language skills can help when it comes to traveling and exploring new cultures first-hand.

7. Enjoy more entertainment

Another benefit of learning English is that you can more easily access and enjoy movies, books, TV shows, music, and podcasts. Again, English dominates international pop culture and being able to watch, read, or listen in the original language is much more enjoyable than reading subtitles or listening to a dubbed version.

Once you have a reasonable knowledge of English, you can also start using these forms of entertainment to continue learning, building your English fluency and comprehension .

For example, there are many ways you can use podcasts for learning English or learn new vocabulary from movies.

8. It’s a gift to your children

If you already have children or plan to start a family in the future, it’s an amazing gift to teach them English from birth or from a very young age.

Growing up bilingual, kids will experience the many benefits of knowing English without having to study it as a second language later in life. It’s a great way to give them a headstart in the globalized world they are living in.

Bilingual children also tend to have better attention spans, be better at multitasking, and be more emotionally perceptive than monolingual children, according to an article published by MindShift .

Speaking English at home can be a lot of fun, especially if you incorporate some  English-learning games into your family time.

9. Learning English can help you communicate better in your native language

As you learn a foreign language, you become more aware of how your primary language works.

If you want to learn English grammar , for example, you must first understand the grammar of your native language so you can recognize exactly what you are trying to say. It’s this kind of thing that you may never really consider if you only speak one language your whole life.

Second language fluency can also give you a better appreciation of the range and limitations of your native vocabulary. There are many words that exist in other languages that do not have an equivalent in English, and vice versa. This is why languages end up ‘borrowing’ words from one another so speakers can express themselves more eloquently.

10. You’ll form new relationships when you can speak English

English is the language of communication not just in business, but also when it comes to forming international friendships and relationships. 

Whether you want to participate in global networking opportunities, write to a pen pal abroad, or even check out the international dating scene, you’ll find more opportunities opening up as you start learning the English language.

One great way to learn English and start meeting new people is with a language exchange program . You pair up with an English speaker who is interested in learning your native language, and you help each other by chatting in both languages.

11. English skills will give you greater confidence

Our final benefit of learning English (or anything else, for that matter) is that it will build your overall confidence in yourself.

As you use English more and realize your comprehension and communication are improving each day, you will gain confidence in your own ability to take on new challenges and meet the goals you set for yourself. 

In this way, learning English will help motivate you to try other new things and continually develop yourself. If you’re lacking motivation right now, these quotes about learning English may help inspire you!

Start learning English easily

We hope that reading this list of benefits of learning the English language has inspired you to continue with your studies. Now you realize the many advantages that learning English brings, what are you waiting for?

There are many possible ways to learn English , from apps to online English courses to podcasts and more. This means it is easier than ever to access the resources you need to take your language skills to the next level. And even better – many English-learning resources are completely free !

Just make sure that you consider your goals for learning English and you keep these in mind as you study and practice. Having clear goals is one of the best ways to learn English faster and stay motivated. It also helps to have other people who understand why learning English is important to you, since they can support you as you learn.

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Courses in the department will develop your skills in close reading, critical thinking, effective writing, and thoughtful speculation.The techniques of analysis you will learn in each course will enable your curiosity, creativity, and independence  and help you to grasp and describe the intricacies of literary art. You will become familiar with texts that have long been esteemed, as well as many that have been too long neglected, and that familiarity—the main substance of a liberal arts education in the fullest sense—can itself provide an ethical framework to help you make a difference in the world.

Surveys show that students with degrees in English do very well on the job market. Although traditional forms of writing are on the wane (newspapers, books, letters), our daily lives are increasingly filled with new kinds of writing (on social media, via SMS and email) and those who read and write well have a distinct, sometimes irreplaceable, advantage over other job candidates. An English degree can also be a key asset in applications for many professional schools (including law, medicine and business) where communication skills are at a premium. Graduates with degrees in English also have an unusually wide range of career options:  in schools, as journalists, in publishing, entertainment, advertising, the theater, financial services, real estate, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology (to name only some).

The Study of English as Unique

English is a uniquely broad subject and it becomes broader year by year as the world of textual production continues to mutate and expand. Courses in the department will give you a language for talking about literature’s great variety and about the pleasures–aesthetic, intellectual, affective, guilty–that variety can produce. You will learn theories that will help you read more insightfully and make subtle, nuanced judgments. You will learn histories that clarify the social contexts of the production of literature, other forms of art, and popular culture from all around the globe. And you will become familiar with the many ways that literature helps us ask questions about who we are–along the widely-discussed axes of gender, race, and class–but also in ways so specific that they belong fully only to the particular poem, novel, essay, or play you have in hand.

The Importance of Learning English

Discover 5 reasons why learning English is important for your career and profil.

In today’s world, multilingualism is becoming more and more important. In addition to opening up employment opportunities, being able to speak a foreign language helps to make a real connection with people and to know more about diverse cultures, places and lifestyles. The more proficient you are, the better you can express yourself.

Out of the 6 500 spoken languages in the world today, why choose to learn English? As the third most widely spoken language in the world, English is widely spoken and taught in over 118 countries and is commonly used around the world as a trade language or diplomatic language. It is the language of science, aviation, computers, diplomacy and tourism. Last but not least, it is the language of international communication, the media and the internet.

Whether it is for professional or personal reasons, understanding the importance of English will help you reach your goals. Here are a few reasons why you should keep learning and practising your English language skills.

1. English is the Language of International Communication

Although English is not the most spoken language in the world, it is the official language in 53 countries and is spoken as a first language by around 400 million people worldwide. But that’s not all, it is also the most common second language in the world. According to the British Council, by 2020 about two billion people in the world will be studying English.

Therefore, it is highly likely that if you meet someone from another country, you will both be able to speak English. It gives you an open door to the world and helps you communicate with global citizens.

2. English gives access to more entertainment and more access to the Internet

Nowadays, many films, TV shows, books and music are published and produced in English. By understanding English, you won’t need to rely on translations and subtitles anymore. By accessing these media, you will also continuously improve your English listening and reading skills.

English is currently the language of the internet. An estimated of 565 million people use the internet every day and about 52% of the world’s most visited websites are displayed in English. Therefore, learning this language gives access to over half the content of the internet, which might not be available otherwise. Whether it is for fun or for work, if you understand English, you will be able to exchange information with more people online and use many more materials.

3. English makes it easier to travel

As highlighted before, since English is spoken as a first language in 53 countries and as a second language in over 118 countries, learning the language makes it much easier to travel anywhere. Indeed, airport announcements, train timetables, emergency information and street signs are often available in English, including in countries where the native language uses a different type of alphabet. It goes without saying that, when travelling to a country where you don’t speak the language, you are practically guaranteed to find someone who understands at least some English.

4. English can make you ‘smarter’

Learning a foreign language enhances your cognitive and analytical abilities. Learning a new language can be difficult and it involves a lot of mental exercises. Research from a  2012 Swiss Study  shows that learning a new language changes the brain structures, impacting the parts of the brain responsible for memory, conscious thought and it can make you more creative. In the long term, bilingualism can keep the brain strong and healthy into old age and supports concentration and memory skills. On an individual level, it improves personality and increases sense of self-worth. In simple words, learning a foreign language makes the brain stronger and more versatile.

Learning English is not only useful, but it also gives a lot of satisfaction and making progress will make you feel great. Why not make it even more tangible by taking a standardised test to certify your proficiency!  If you feel sufficiently confident and if you want to evaluate your English language proficiency, just register for a TOEIC ® test.

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Why study english.

"Are there not some pursuits that we practice because they are good in themselves, and some pleasures that are final?"

So said Virginia Woolf in her marvelous essay, "How Should One Read a Book?" 

Do you love reading? If so, read on.

In the Duke English Department you will encounter a range of learned and passionate professors who will introduce you to the transformative voices of great literatures written in English from the British Isles, America, and the many countries of the world in which English has been used. We are currently among the top ranked English departments in the United States.

The discipline of English in universities is historically relatively recent, but it has its intellectual roots in much more ancient paths and methods. The university discipline of English is a modern offshoot of forms of rhetoric honed in the classical age and revived in Humanist learning, whose principal aim is argument and expression, and in its earlier Humanist sense, initiation into a life worth living well.

In English classes you learn to read, to think, and to write, those activities being quite complexly interconnected in ways you will discover. To explore these literatures in this department then is to pay the most precise and rigorous attention to forms of address: who is saying what to whom? Why just this word, right there, right now?

Studying in English classes opens you up to your agency – that is, your capacities and power – in the humanly distinctive medium of language. To explore the indispensible medium of expression, of representation, and communication in the hands of its exemplary users, whether these are poets, essayists, or novelists, is life-enhancing. It is also no surprise that the skills of English majors are in high demand in so many professions and walks of life from law to business, and even medicine. Professional schools and businesses have long acknowledged the great benefits of rigorous training in English. 

The literatures you will encounter in our department are arts of attention. Their authors have attended to the world to illumine it for us.

They are also incitements to judgment because we respond to literary works strongly, in ways that are deeply personal (and therefore the source of self-knowledge) but not for that reason subjective (to love a text is also to want, need, and demand that you love this work too!) So in English classes we explore aesthetic and ethical judgments (because our responsiveness to works also engages our responsibility). And we learn to become progressively more articulate as we deepen our informed responses to writing, and learn to write our selves in creative and critical forms.

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Why Learning English is Important Essay

English is one of the most spoken languages in the world and one should definitely learn it. Different people have different opinions regarding choosing their language, but in my opinion, one should also move with society.

Short and Long Essays on Why Learning English is Important in English

We have bought some essays on the importance of English and hope you will like it.

Why Learning English is Important Essay 10 Lines (100 – 150 Words)

1) Learning English is important because it is the most used language today.

2) English is important to adapt to digital technologies.

3) Learning English will help you to enhance your communication skills.

4) English is important to crack interviews of multinational companies.

5) English will help you to communicate in foreign countries.

6) Speaking English makes you look smart and educated.

7) Most of the subjects are in English; therefore, it is important to learn.

8) Learning English will give you the confidence to express your views more clearly.

9) Most of the social platforms prefer English as their main language.

10) English is important because, in places like hotels or theatres, all the information is given in English.

Essay 1 (250 Words) – Why Learning English is Important

Introduction

There are more than 6000 languages are spoken worldwide. In India, people speak more than 120 languages, English is one of them. Language is a medium to express our thoughts and actions. All of us need a medium to talk and that is our language. Those who cannot listen have a sign language. Apart from all these languages, we are talking about English.

Importance of English Language

English is one of the most spoken languages around the world. India is known for Hindi; still, there are places where people won’t speak Hindi. I have mentioned some of the importance of learning English.

• Nowadays it is very necessary to learn English because the stuff on the internet is available in English.
• Although there is an option of customization of the local language in phones, still there are many brands that are available only in English.
• Whenever we travel abroad, English is one of the most spoken languages and helps us everywhere.
• Various government notifications and information are mostly available in English and Hindi, so one should know it.
• Apart from literature and foreign language studies all other books are in English.
• English makes us look sophisticated.

It is a fact that one should never forget his mother tongue; still one should learn English because it helps us everywhere. Apart from the above-mentioned importance, there are many more. English got popular because people across the world know this language more as a comparison to some other language.

Essay 2 (400 Words) – English Language and its Importance in India

As we know all of us to need a medium to express our feelings and whatever we think or want to say. Most of us talk in our mother tongue at home but at the same time, we also speak some other language at our workplace. And the most spoken language apart from our mother tongue is English. Do you know why this language got so famous and what historical importance it carries? Let’s have some details.

History of English in India

As we know India follows British English, and it started just when the Britishers came to India. It was 1830 when East India Company ruled India and as a result, they also forced us to learn their language.

It was 1835 when an Act was passed by Thomas Babington Macaulay, in which English education got compulsory for Indians. In this way, English got compulsory for us and it continued. Those who use to learn English were called mannered and sophisticated so, people started learning it.

Effect of English Language on Our Society

Although Britishers left us, we got habitual of their language; after all, they ruled us near about 200 years. After some time, English became the only language that people understood all over the country because most of the south Indian states disagreed to accept Hindi as their official language. As Britishers had all their Acts and rules in English, so we decided to translate it in our local language. But English was everywhere like our Education, Politics, etc.

Although we are free today, we are not free in terms of language. Apart from the language itself, we have also adopted English culture. Change is good when it is beneficial for us. It is good in terms of the abolition of some hypocritic thoughts and culture. English made things easy and it is the beauty of a language that we can talk to anyone and visit anywhere in the world without any difficulty.

English was a result of Britishers but when they left us it was totally our choice. Today the scenario is English is everywhere, either it is a signboard or a name of a station, it is always bilingual. Not only Indians but also tourists from other countries feel convenient when they get information in English also. There are multiple benefits to this language, so keep learning and keep growing.

Essay 3 (500 – 600 Words) – How Important is English Language in India

India is a country where all Indians are equal and they are never discriminated in terms of their religion, language, or culture. So, while talking about their language it is quite difficult to select one language as our national language. As we know there are more than 100 languages spoken in India. And if we will elect one as a national language, people of other states will definitely oppose it. Then what about English?

English and its Origin in India

India was a country where people use to speak different languages at different places like Hindi is spoken in the north whereas Tamil, Telugu, Malayan, etc. in the south. Unity in diversity is the beauty of our country, and apart from these many languages, we choose 22 languages as our official languages. But Hindi and English are adopted widely across the nation.

Now talking about the origin of English in India was the Britishers. As we know English is of two types one is American English and the other is British English. We follow British English just because the Britishers ruled us and gave us this language.

It was Lord Macaulay, who wanted to make a well-mannered society in India. So, in the year 1835, he passed an Act introducing the English language in our education system. English was also made as the official language of India. All the official work under crown and court were performed in English. This was the origin of English in India and although Britishers left us, they are still with us in terms of language.

Importance of English in India

As discussed, there are more than 100 languages spoken in India and it was very difficult to select one official language after independence. Although Hindi is spoken across the country, people from the southern part of the nation strongly opposed Hindi as a national language. As a result, English was left as it is and the other 22 languages were elected. Today there is no official language of India but English has some significance.

• English is a language which people easily understand all over the country, so we can say that this language unites us.
• English is also spoken all over the world and this connects us with the world.
• Our education system is based on English so, it is very necessary to learn English in India.
• Nowadays various companies conduct interviews in English, so one should definitely know it for good placement.
• One should definitely learn their native language but English holds equal importance, especially in India.
• Public places, hotels, restaurants, movie theatres, etc. all provide information, food menu in English, so one can really feel embarrassed if they do not know this language.
• English is not only a language but also a culture and it has helped us to boycott some social and traditional taboos like dressing, eating, etc.
• It is quite simple to earn knowledge in English as compared to other languages, just because all the educational kinds of stuff are available in English; the internet is filled with English. So, it is necessary for one to learn this language first.

India is a developing nation and a language can completely change your life, just because it opens more options for you. Suppose you know your native language, you can only work nearby and when you know English, it automatically brings lots of options for you. So, it is better to learn it. Some of us don’t want to adopt a foreign language and want to boycott this language but my opinion is, the world is changing and those who do not accept change are always left behind. It is good to promote your native language but at the same time, one should also understand the market strategies. Learn English as a language and it will definitely help you.

FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions on Why Learning English is important

Ans. British English is spoken in India.

Ans. In about 54 countries all around the world, English is considered the official language.

Ans. The English language is evolved from Anglo-Frisian languages. Later in the mid of 5th to 7th centuries AD, it was brought to Britain.

Ans. Geoffrey Chaucer is considered the father of the English language.

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A Peek Inside the Brains of ‘Super-Agers’

New research explores why some octogenarians have exceptional memories.

By Dana G. Smith

When it comes to aging, we tend to assume that cognition gets worse as we get older. Our thoughts may slow down or become confused, or we may start to forget things, like the name of our high school English teacher or what we meant to buy at the grocery store.

But that’s not the case for everyone.

For a little over a decade, scientists have been studying a subset of people they call “super-agers.” These individuals are age 80 and up, but they have the memory ability of a person 20 to 30 years younger.

Most research on aging and memory focuses on the other side of the equation — people who develop dementia in their later years. But, “if we’re constantly talking about what’s going wrong in aging, it’s not capturing the full spectrum of what’s happening in the older adult population,” said Emily Rogalski, a professor of neurology at the University of Chicago, who published one of the first studies on super-agers in 2012.

A paper published Monday in the Journal of Neuroscience helps shed light on what’s so special about the brains of super-agers. The biggest takeaway, in combination with a companion study that came out last year on the same group of individuals, is that their brains have less atrophy than their peers’ do.

The research was conducted on 119 octogenarians from Spain: 64 super-agers and 55 older adults with normal memory abilities for their age. The participants completed multiple tests assessing their memory, motor and verbal skills; underwent brain scans and blood draws; and answered questions about their lifestyle and behaviors.

The scientists found that the super-agers had more volume in areas of the brain important for memory, most notably the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex. They also had better preserved connectivity between regions in the front of the brain that are involved in cognition. Both the super-agers and the control group showed minimal signs of Alzheimer’s disease in their brains.

“By having two groups that have low levels of Alzheimer’s markers, but striking cognitive differences and striking differences in their brain, then we’re really speaking to a resistance to age-related decline,” said Dr. Bryan Strange, a professor of clinical neuroscience at the Polytechnic University of Madrid, who led the studies.

These findings are backed up by Dr. Rogalski’s research , initially conducted when she was at Northwestern University, which showed that super-agers’ brains looked more like 50- or 60-year-olds’ brains than their 80-year-old peers. When followed over several years, the super-agers’ brains atrophied at a slower rate than average.

No precise numbers exist on how many super-agers there are among us, but Dr. Rogalski said they’re “relatively rare,” noting that “far less than 10 percent” of the people she sees end up meeting the criteria.

But when you meet a super-ager, you know it, Dr. Strange said. “They are really quite energetic people, you can see. Motivated, on the ball, elderly individuals.”

Experts don’t know how someone becomes a super-ager, though there were a few differences in health and lifestyle behaviors between the two groups in the Spanish study. Most notably, the super-agers had slightly better physical health, both in terms of blood pressure and glucose metabolism, and they performed better on a test of mobility . The super-agers didn’t report doing more exercise at their current age than the typical older adults, but they were more active in middle age. They also reported better mental health .

But overall, Dr. Strange said, there were a lot of similarities between the super-agers and the regular agers. “There are a lot of things that are not particularly striking about them,” he said. And, he added, “we see some surprising omissions, things that you would expect to be associated with super-agers that weren’t really there.” For example, there were no differences between the groups in terms of their diets, the amount of sleep they got, their professional backgrounds or their alcohol and tobacco use.

The behaviors of some of the Chicago super-agers were similarly a surprise. Some exercised regularly, but some never had; some stuck to a Mediterranean diet, others subsisted off TV dinners; and a few of them still smoked cigarettes. However, one consistency among the group was that they tended to have strong social relationships , Dr. Rogalski said.

“In an ideal world, you’d find out that, like, all the super-agers, you know, ate six tomatoes every day and that was the key,” said Tessa Harrison, an assistant project scientist at the University of California, Berkeley, who collaborated with Dr. Rogalski on the first Chicago super-ager study.

Instead, Dr. Harrison continued, super-agers probably have “some sort of lucky predisposition or some resistance mechanism in the brain that’s on the molecular level that we don’t understand yet,” possibly related to their genes.

While there isn’t a recipe for becoming a super-ager, scientists do know that, in general , eating healthily, staying physically active, getting enough sleep and maintaining social connections are important for healthy brain aging.

Dana G. Smith is a Times reporter covering personal health, particularly aging and brain health. More about Dana G. Smith

A Guide to Aging Well

Looking to grow old gracefully we can help..

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Perspective

When pto stands for 'pretend time off': doctors struggle to take real breaks.

Mara Gordon

A survey shows that doctors have trouble taking full vacations from their high-stress jobs. Even when they do, they often still do work on their time off. Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images hide caption

A survey shows that doctors have trouble taking full vacations from their high-stress jobs. Even when they do, they often still do work on their time off.

A few weeks ago, I took a vacation with my family. We went hiking in the national parks of southern Utah, and I was blissfully disconnected from work.

I'm a family physician, so taking a break from my job meant not seeing patients. It also meant not responding to patients' messages or checking my work email. For a full week, I was free.

Taking a real break — with no sneaky computer time to bang out a few prescription refill requests — left me feeling reenergized and ready to take care of my patients when I returned.

But apparently, being a doctor who doesn't work on vacation puts me squarely in the minority of U.S. physicians.

Research published in JAMA Network Open this year set out to quantify exactly how doctors use their vacation time — and what the implications might be for a health care workforce plagued by burnout, dissatisfaction and doctors who are thinking about leaving medicine.

"There is a strong business case for supporting taking real vacation," says Dr. Christine Sinsky , the lead author of the paper. "Burnout is incredibly expensive for organizations."

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Researchers surveyed 3,024 doctors, part of an American Medical Association cohort designed to represent the American physician workforce. They found that 59.6% of American physicians took 15 days of vacation or less per year. That's a little more than the average American: Most workers who have been at a job for a year or more get between 10 and 14 days of paid vacation time , according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

However, most doctors don't take real vacation. Over 70% of doctors surveyed said they worked on a typical vacation day.

"I have heard physicians refer to PTO as 'pretend time off,'" Sinsky says, referring to the acronym for "paid time off."

Sinsky and co-authors found that physicians who took more than three weeks of vacation a year had lower rates of burnout than those who took less, since vacation time is linked to well-being and job satisfaction .

And all those doctors toiling away on vacation, sitting poolside with their laptops? Sinsky argues it has serious consequences for health care.

Physician burnout is linked to high job turnover and excess health care costs , among other problems.

Still, it can be hard to change the culture of workaholism in medicine. Even the study authors confessed that they, too, worked on vacation.

"I remember when one of our first well-being papers was published," says Dr. Colin West , a co-author of the new study and a health care workforce researcher at the Mayo Clinic. "I responded to the revisions up at the family cabin in northern Minnesota on vacation."

Sinsky agreed. "I do not take all my vacation, which I recognize as a delicious irony of the whole thing," she says.

She's the American Medical Association's vice president of professional satisfaction. If she can't take a real vacation, is there any hope for the rest of us?

I interviewed a half dozen fellow physicians and chatted off the record with many friends and colleagues to get a sense of why it feels so hard to give ourselves a break. Here, I offer a few theories about why doctors are so terrible at taking time off.

We don't want to make more work for our colleagues

The authors of the study in JAMA Network Open didn't explore exactly what type of work doctors did on vacation, but the physicians I spoke to had some ideas.

"If I am not doing anything, I will triage my email a little bit," says Jocelyn Fitzgerald , a urogynecologist at the University of Pittsburgh who was not involved in the study. "I also find that certain high-priority virtual meetings sometimes find their way into my vacations."

Even if doctors aren't scheduled to see patients, there's almost always plenty of work to be done: dealing with emergencies, medication refills, paperwork. For many of us, the electronic medical record (EMR) is an unrelenting taskmaster , delivering a near-constant flow of bureaucratic to-dos.

When I go on vacation, my fellow primary care doctors handle that work for me, and I do the same for them.

But it can sometimes feel like a lot to ask, especially when colleagues are doing that work on top of their normal workload.

"You end up putting people in kind of a sticky situation, asking for favors, and they [feel they] need to pay it back," says Jay-Sheree Allen , a family physician and fellow in preventive medicine at the Mayo Clinic.

She says her practice has a "doctor of the day" who covers all urgent calls and messages, which helps reduce some of the guilt she feels about taking time off.

Still, non-urgent tasks are left for her to complete when she gets back. She says she usually logs in to the EMR when she's on vacation so the tasks don't pile up upon her return. If she doesn't, Allen estimates there will be about eight hours of paperwork awaiting her after a week or so of vacation.

"My strategy, I absolutely do not recommend," Allen says. But "I would prefer that than coming back to the total storm."

We have too little flexibility about when we take vacation

Lawren Wooten , a resident physician in pediatrics at the University of California San Francisco, says she takes 100% of her vacation time. But there are a lot of stipulations about exactly how she uses it.

She has to take it in two-week blocks — "that's a long time at once," she says — and it's hard to change the schedule once her chief residents assign her dates.

"Sometimes I wish I had vacation in the middle of two really emotionally challenging rotations like an ICU rotation and an oncology rotation," she says, referring to the intensive care unit. "We don't really get to control our schedules at this point in our careers."

Once Wooten finishes residency and becomes an attending physician, it's likely she'll have more autonomy over her vacation time — but not necessarily all that much more.

"We generally have to know when our vacations are far in advance because patients schedule with us far in advance," says Fitzgerald, the gynecologist.

Taking vacation means giving up potential pay

Many physicians are paid based on the number of patients they see or procedures they complete. If they take time off work, they make less money.

"Vacation is money off your table," says West, the physician well-being researcher. "People have a hard time stepping off of the treadmill."

A 2022 research brief from the American Medical Association estimated that over 55% of U.S. physicians were paid at least in part based on "productivity," as opposed to earning a flat amount regardless of patient volume. That means the more patients doctors cram into their schedules, the more money they make. Going on vacation could decrease their take-home pay.

But West says it's important to weigh the financial benefits of skipping vacation against the risk of burnout from working too much.

Physician burnout is linked not only to excess health care costs but also to higher rates of medical errors. In one large survey of American surgeons , for example, surgeons experiencing burnout were more likely to report being involved in a major medical error. (It's unclear to what extent the burnout caused the errors or the errors caused the burnout, however.)

Doctors think they're the only one who can do their jobs

When I go on vacation, my colleagues see my patients for me. I work in a small office, so I know the other doctors well and I trust that my patients are in good hands when I'm away.

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But ceding that control to colleagues might be difficult for some doctors, especially when it comes to challenging patients or big research projects.

"I think we need to learn to be better at trusting our colleagues," says Adi Shah , an infectious disease doctor at the Mayo Clinic. "You don't have to micromanage every slide on the PowerPoint — it's OK."

West, the well-being researcher, says health care is moving toward a team-based model and away from a culture where an individual doctor is responsible for everything. Still, he adds, it can be hard for some doctors to accept help.

"You can be a neurosurgeon, you're supposed to go on vacation tomorrow and you operate on a patient. And there are complications or risk of complications, and you're the one who has the relationship with that family," West says. "It is really, really hard for us to say ... 'You're in great hands with the rest of my team.'"

What doctors need, says West, is "a little bit less of the God complex."

We don't have any interests other than medicine

Shah, the infectious disease doctor, frequently posts tongue-in-cheek memes on X (formerly known as Twitter) about the culture of medicine. Unplugging during vacation is one of his favorite topics, despite his struggles to follow his own advice.

His recommendation to doctors is to get a hobby, so we can find something better to do than work all the time.

"Stop taking yourself too seriously," he says. Shah argues that medical training is so busy that many physicians neglect to develop any interests other than medicine. When fully trained doctors are finally finished with their education, he says, they're at a loss for what to do with their newfound freedom.

Since completing his training a few years ago, Shah has committed himself to new hobbies, such as salsa dancing. He has plans to go to a kite festival next year.

Shah has also prioritized making the long trip from Minnesota to see his family in India at least twice a year — a journey that requires significant time off work. He has a trip there planned this month.

"This is the first time in 11 years I'm making it to India in summer so that I can have a mango in May," the peak season for the fruit, Shah says.

Wooten, the pediatrician, agrees. She works hard to develop a full life outside her career.

"Throughout our secondary and medical education, I believe we've really been indoctrinated into putting institutions above ourselves," Wooten adds. "It takes work to overcome that."

Mara Gordon is a family physician in Camden, N.J., and a contributor to NPR. She's on X as @MaraGordonMD .

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