How significant it is for us to know English in professional skills

People speak roughly 7,000 languages worldwide. Although there is a lot in common among languages, each one is unique, both in its structure and in the way it reflects the culture of the people who speak it.

Linguists analyze how certain speech patterns correspond to particular behaviors, including how language can impact people’s buying decisions or influence their social media use. Language is what makes us human. It is how people communicate. By learning a language, it means you have mastered a complex system of words, structure, and grammar to effectively communicate with others.

Language helps us express our feelings and thoughts — this is unique to our species because it is a way to express unique ideas and customs within different cultures and societies. By learning a foreign language, you can understand ideas and thoughts that may be different from your own culture. You can learn customs and how people interact in a given society. Language helps preserve cultures, but it also allows us to learn about others and spread ideas quickly. Humans all learn to talk at slightly different times, and observing when a child starts to use language can be indicative of how well they are developing. But this does not just apply to babies. It also applies to young children learning a second language in school that’s different than the language they speak at home, adults learning a second language, or even those who may have lost language due to some type of accident, and are working on regaining it.

Research has shown that there is in fact a correlation between self-perceived lower language competency and pronunciation skills, and elevated levels of anxiety. Moreover, an individual’s anxiety tends to be greater when they perceive their native language abilities as inferior compared to others. Together, these factors contribute to a distinct form of anxiety known as social anxiety, defined as the fear of negative evaluation and constant worry about saying or doing something that leads to them feeling embarrassed.

According to Dr. Anu Mohammad, in one of his articles, in our constitution, Bangla is the state language of Bangladesh. But all policy papers are written in English – none of it is in Bangla. All the research that is being conducted about Bangladesh are in English. I heard the same in one of Dr. Salimullah’s lectures, where he said that the prevalence of English in every sphere of our country may constitute as a breach of constitution in some cases.

At the time of writing, I am conducting an elementary economics course in the civil engineering department of a private university. That there is no lack of skill in civil engineering among my students is evident from their self-confidence (although I know nothing about the subject). There is no shortage of enthusiasm to learn something new and apply it in their professional life. But the lack of English language skills is a huge obstacle in their professional journey, which has been stuck in their minds since that time. I recognize that they need to improve their writing skills. However, I cannot convince them that not being proficient in spoken English should not affect their professional life. And it is not possible, because their fears and worries are not groundless. They are falling behind mentally even before the beginning of professional life. Should this happen at all? I don't have an answer to this question at the moment.

Let this be a gentle reminder that the languages you speak, and how well you speak them, do not define who you are or where you are from. Instead, they represent a collection of your life experiences, cherished memories, and your own personal growth on this life journey!

Author: Political and International Affairs Analyst