Every year thousands of people from our country go to different countries as tourists or to work. They cannot go there without knowing a foreign language. Everyone, who knows foreign languages, can speak to people from other countries, read the works of foreign authors in the original, which makes our outlook wider.
Now there are many joint ventures in Russia. Without doubt, one should know foreign languages to communicate with the partners. Famous Coca Cola, McDonald's, IBM, General Motors, Microsoft and Boeing are well-known in the whole world. We see that United States' foreign policy affects other countries. Besides all this economic and political power, there is the influence in communication, information and entertainment.
Moreover, in many countries of the world today people see American films, TV-programmes and other types of entertainment. It helps them to learn the English language and American culture.
To know English today is absolutely necessary for every educated man, for every good specialist. It is the language of progressive science and technology, trade and cultural relations, commerce and business. For example, the USA has played a great role in the development of the computer. America produces both software and hardware and leads the world in it. I should also mention that UNESCO figures show, that 94 percent of Internet Communications are in English.
They say, there are about two thousand and seven hundred languages in the world, but English today is the most important international language. English is spoken by more than 350 million people. We can find people in any part of the world who can talk to us in English. Practically there is no country in the world where English is not studied. It is the official language of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, of the United States of America, of Australia and New Zealand. English is used as one of the official languages in Canada, the Republic of South Africa and the Irish Republic. It is also spoken as a second language in many parts of India and Africa. The number of second-language speakers may soon exceed the number of native speakers.
I should say that learning a foreign language is not an easy thing. It is a long and slow process that takes a lot of time and efforts.
Everybody knows his own language, but another one is, of course, very useful. Knowledge of foreign languages helps people of different countries to develop friendship and understanding. When they meet at the festivals or in international friendship camps, they learn much about each other, their countries and traditions.
As for me, I want to know foreign languages because I have always been interested in foreign countries, their culture and people.
There are many reasons why we study foreign languages. Now, when we are reconstructing our economy, when there are many joint ventures in this country, we need a great number of specialists who know foreign languages. If you know foreign languages you can communicate personally or in writing with foreign partners. If you wish to make a career in science, you must read scientific books and magazines in foreign languages. Knowing foreign languages, you can read the works of Foreign Writers in the original.
Of course, knowledge of foreign languages, helps people of different countries to understand each other better.
When people meet at festivals, international friendship camps, congresses, competitions and conferences they can come into contact easier when they know their partner's language.
Besides, there are a lot of professions which need a good knowledge of a foreign language. They are: a foreign language teacher, an interpreter, a technical translator, a diplomat, a guide, a shop-assistant and others.
You know teaching is a very difficult job of great responsibility. A good teacher forms the attitude to his subject and to learning. Working with children, a teacher studies them closely and discovers their interests, their character and abilities. A teacher tries to make his pupils well-educated, intelligent, industrious, honest and well-bred.
Another profession that needs a knowledge of F.L. is an interpreter. This job is very important nowadays. You know that a great number of foreign tourists are interested in Russia and its people. An interpreter helps at different forums, conferences, festivals, and congresses. He takes foreign tourists on various excursions, shows them the places of interest, historical and architectural monuments. He must know a foreign language very well. He must be well-bred, tactful, arid communicative. Of course, he must also love his own country.
One more profession dealing with foreign languages is a translator. He translates written texts from one language into another. This profession is very necessary too. Cooperation between different countries is steadily increasing. So they translate scientific papers, journals and different literary works.
Thanks to them we learn the latest achievements in the fields of science, culture, and art.
You know that every diplomat must know foreign languages as well. He must communicate with people, read the country's newspapers, make personal contacts. A good diplomat must have some knowledge of their history, culture and political institutions.
So, we may say, that there are many professions that need the knowledge of foreign languages: But we must not forget that every person must know at least one foreign language to be able to speak with people of other countries.