English – the most studied language?
In 2016, 94% of pupils in upper secondary education in the EU learned English, according to Eurostat statistics. The same year, Duolingo, a most well-known platform for language learning, published a blog post sharing their user base. Duolingo had 120 million users in 194 separate countries. The most popular language was English – studied in 116 of 194 countries, followed by French and Spanish.
English language is in today’s world a language of international communication, the language of business and the language that gives access to a world of entertainment, internet and education. At Dorea Educational Institute , participants can learn English in training courses – “English for Educators” Level I and Level II.
English for Educators Level I is perfect for teachers, university staff, adult educators, trainers and coaches who want to improve their English. It gives participants a basic knowledge of reading, listening, spoken and written skills. The course is for teachers and educators who have an elementary (A2), pre-intermediate (A2/B1) or intermediate (B1) language levels, while English Level II is designed for teachers who has at least (B1) language level and upper.
Importance of learning the English Language are vast
Trainer Paul Rogers is a qualified teacher who has taught in the UK state system for ten years before he went overseas, working with schools, universities, military training colleges and vocational training providers. Currently, he’s working at DOREA Educational Institute as a trainer. One of the courses he delivers is English for Educators (Level I).
“Students here are at a rudimentary level of English, but they are all qualified teachers and they feel that they need more English in their daily work. We have been looking at all kinds of aspects of the English language over four days. We looked at grammar, vocabulary, tenses, punctuation and the four skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening. I think these days it’s hugely important to know English. It’s the language of business, show business, the language of money and international language. So, for educators it is very important that they have a good working knowledge of English”, said Paul Rogers.
The biggest problem in learning English is vocabulary
Mr Paul Rogers emphasized that the biggest problem with learning English is not the grammar, but the sheer amount of vocabulary. “It has the largest vocabulary of any language on the planet and I suspect that’s why it’s so popular because a person can express themselves in English probably better than in any other language. English has a lot of synonyms, antonyms, metonyms and words that can delicately shade what you are trying to say. It’s an extremely expressive language”, said Rogers.
One of the participants from the course English for Educators (Level I) that was taking place in Limassol, Cyprus at the end of July, shared his experience.
“I came to Limassol for the English for Educators because my English is bad and I need to exercise. My problem is the words. Grammar is easy for me, but the problem for me is to remember the words when I speak. I think the daily lessons for so many hours speaking English were very useful for me. I can recommend this course for everyone and would like to come back to the second level”, said Konstantinos Karangounis, a professor of the Greek Psaltic Art and Music.
Prepared by Iva Badanjak
