8 benefits you can expect from studying English

What are the benefits of studying English? For those of you who are learning English, this is probably a question you have asked yourself at least once.

This time, I would like to introduce what kind of merits and possibilities can be expanded by studying English for those who are working adults or those who aim to be working adults.

Benefit 1 of studying English: Favorable for employment and promotion

The first advantage of studying English is that it is advantageous for employment and promotion. For those who aim to become a member of society in the future or who are currently a member of society, the results of studying English may lead to employment.

It is the English qualification test that shows the results of studying English remarkably. According to the "English Utilization Survey 2019" conducted by the Association for International Business Communication for companies and business people, the average TOEIC®︎ L&R score required for employment is 545 points for new graduates, and English It seems that the average score required for mid-career recruitment to a department that uses is 620 points. In addition, some companies use the TOEIC score as a requirement or reference for promotion, and there is data that the average is 515 points for section chiefs and chiefs, 530 points for section chiefs, 565 points for general managers, and 600 points for positions.

In addition, there are companies that use TOEIC scores as a requirement and reference for overseas business trips and overseas assignment selection. According to the above-mentioned "English Usage Survey 2019", the average score for overseas business trips is 620 points, and the average score for overseas assignments is 635 points.

By studying English, there are merits that can lead to employment, promotion, and overseas business trips!

Benefit of studying English 2: Increased job opportunities

One of the greatest benefits of studying English for working adults is the expansion of job opportunities. If you can get involved in operations and projects that deal with overseas projects, you will be able to expand your playing field.

If you study English and improve your reading skills, you can expect to be able to read English materials and business emails smoothly. By improving your listening and speaking skills, you will be able to fully demonstrate the results of your English studies when dealing with overseas clients, negotiating with overseas business partners, international conferences, and presentations. Even if your boss is not Japanese, you can communicate smoothly. If you study English writing, you will be more likely to be able to smoothly reply to business emails and chats in English.

Studying English has the advantage of being directly linked to your career advancement.

Benefit 3 of studying English: Advantages for gathering information on the Internet

Studying English also has the advantage of developing skills that are useful when gathering information on the Internet.

English is the most used language in the world of the Internet. While only about 2.1% of the top 10 million websites in the traffic ranking use Japanese, the percentage of English used rises to about 60.4%. This is clear from the statistics of the content production company Visual Capitalist. Studying English gives you access to information that is only available in English.

Studying English is also effective for grasping the latest trends in business. This is because innovative movements in business tend to come from companies with a strong influence on a global scale, such as Apple and Google. Direct access to information in English is more efficient than relying on Japanese translations of information coming from overseas.

If you study English and quickly grasp the information that these influential companies transmit, you may be able to create new business strategies and create globally recognized products and services. not.

Furthermore, if you study English and acquire information gathering skills, you will be able to obtain useful information even from articles that are not written from a Japanese perspective. Since you can grasp not only information from Japan but also how to describe from a perspective other than Japan, it is possible to keep up with global trends in the industry.

In order to survive in a global society where information gathering ability is required, by studying English, you can quickly access information that cannot be touched in Japanese, and acquire the skills to quickly gather a wide variety of information. Know your benefits.

Benefit 4 of studying English: Convenience for living in an English-speaking country

Studying English also has the advantage of being convenient for traveling and living in an English-speaking country.

If you understand the contents of guidebooks and English-speaking guides for sightseeing, you will be able to gain a more concrete understanding of local tourist spots. Also, communication in English is essential for immigration procedures, ordering at restaurants, shopping, etc. It will be an opportunity to test the results of your daily study. Thanks to the knowledge I learned in studying English, I can easily deal with things like when I'm not feeling well, when I get injured unexpectedly, when I encounter problems such as theft or breakdown.

The benefits of studying English are even greater when you are transferred or study abroad to live in an English-speaking country. All contracts for housing, insurance, mobile phones and other necessities for daily life must be made in English. If you can understand the contents in English and reply in English, you can proceed with the contract procedure more smoothly than relying on a translation tool.

In order to make life more convenient, it is more beneficial to study English and acquire a certain amount of knowledge.

Benefit 5 of studying English: Advantageous in building personal connections

Beneficial in building personal connections is another advantage of studying English. By studying English and making it a skill that you can use in practice, you will have a wider range of interaction than someone who can speak only Japanese.

According to a survey by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, there are 54 countries that use English as an official language or semi-official language. Comparing the population of speakers, it is clear from a survey by the financial information site "Insider Monkey" that the population of English speakers is 1.348 billion. This number is more than ten times the Japanese-speaking population of 126 million. By the way, there are about 400 million native speakers of English. In other words, we can see that English is often used as an aid to communication between non-native English speakers.

Studying English and acquiring communication skills has the advantage of creating connections not only with native English speakers, but also with native speakers of languages ​​other than Japanese and English, both locally and on the Internet.

Benefit 6 of studying English: Expanding awareness and understanding of cultural differences seen in language

By studying English, you can also see cultural differences seen in language One of the benefits. From the differences in words between English and Japanese, we can observe cultural differences between the two. Here are some examples.

For example, when someone compliments you by saying, “Your English is very good.” “You look nice today.” A typical Japanese would be humble, saying things like, "That's not true," or "I'm not that good." But for English-speaking people, this kind of response is not very popular. This is because speaking excessively modestly when being praised or being extremely self-deprecating is socially unacceptable for English-speaking people. If you receive a compliment, it is safer to say “Thank you.” The culture of humility, which is considered a virtue by Japanese people, is not necessarily accepted by people from other cultures.

In addition, there are cases where direct translation of another language into another language does not work as it is and gives a sense of incongruity. For example, in Japanese, there are many different contexts where you can say "Thank you for your help today." As long as you have the context, in conversations between Japanese people, you can sometimes understand what they are asking you to do.

However, for English-speaking people, if you don't clearly state what you're asking for in words, they won't be able to convey your intentions correctly. If you communicate in English with ambiguous expressions, it is easy for the recipient to misunderstand the message. On the other hand, there are many cases where direct translation of English expressions into Japanese does not convey the meaning well. Each culture and the words used in it are closely related and inextricably linked.

Like the examples above, language is an inseparable element of culture. By studying English, in addition to the "linguistic ability" necessary to communicate in a foreign language, you will also acquire a skill called "cross-cultural ability" to understand the other's cultural background and social context. . For example, the following skills are included in "cross-cultural competence":

Studying English also has the advantage of being able to understand the general culture of the English-speaking world, which can be seen from the differences in the language, and the customs of Japan.

Benefit 7 of Studying English: Effective for Activating the Brain

Even if you don't have the opportunity to use English, there are actually benefits to studying English. The advantage is that it activates the brain. Studying a foreign language, including English, mobilizes all the functions of the brain necessary for recognition and judgment. I can.

There are various studies that study foreign languages ​​can improve brain function and delay aging. For example, at Pennsylvania State University in the United States, native English speakers who studied Chinese vocabulary for six weeks showed better development in the neurons that make up the brain network compared to native speakers who did not. There was a research report that A study at Lund University in Sweden found that those who studied a foreign language for 13 months had better brain function than those who studied a non-language, with a more developed hippocampus and cerebral cortex. It is clear.

In other words, studying English, which is a foreign language, can also be expected to have the benefit of activating the function of the brain.

Benefit 8 of studying English: Effective for feeling a sense of accomplishment

Studying English also has the advantage of giving you a sense of accomplishment.

You can feel a sense of accomplishment when you study and understand and communicate with different languages ​​such as English. According to Shugo Hotta, a professor at Meiji University who specializes in linguistics and communication theory, such a sense of accomplishment releases dopamine, a reward hormone, in the brain, giving joy throughout the brain. Professor Hotta says that the brain then tries to get that reward again, creating a positive cycle in which learning is further promoted.

The sense of accomplishment and success you get from studying English will make it easier for you to have opportunities that lead to greater self-confidence.

Be aware of the above advantages when studying English.

How to efficiently get the benefits of studying English

There are various benefits that come from studying English. If you spend time studying English, you want to get the benefits efficiently and reliably.

The following three things are important for that.

1. Objectively grasp the actual situation and weaknesses of one's English ability
2. Efficient English training that matches one's weaknesses
3. Correct Learn how to continue studying and form study habits. If you blindly rely on other people's learning methods without understanding your own problems, it will be difficult to obtain the expected benefits of studying English. It is also important to have efficient English training that is specific to the task. And if you don't do it in the right way, you won't get the benefits of studying English, and it's easy to end up with a crappy.

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   ＊＊＊By learning about the various benefits of studying English, you will be able to clearly understand why it is necessary to study English. Even if you feel discouraged by your daily English study, if you continue to study English, you will surely get the expected benefits. Please use this article as a driving force to work on or continue studying English.

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   (Reference) IIBC | [Case study] Support for job hunting The Association for International Business Communication (2019), "Survey on the actual use of English (companies/organizations, business people) 2019", pp.1 -16.STUDY HACKER｜Benefits of gathering information in English and recommended media Visual Capitalist｜Visualizing the Most Used Languages ​​on the InternetINSIDER MONKEY｜5 Most Spoken Languages ​​in the World Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology｜Deliberation on English education in elementary schools Reference Material (3) Edited by the JACET Educational Issues Study Group for Countries with English as Official and Quasi-official Languages ​​(2017), Basics and Practices of Action-Oriented English Education: Teachers Grow, Sanshusha.Michael Byram (1997), Teaching and Assessing Intercultural Communicative Competence, Bristol, Multilingual Matters. Edited by the Editorial Board of the 20th Anniversary Journal of the Association for Elementary School English Education (2020), Handbook for Elementary School English Education.

   [Writer Profile] STUDY HACKER Editorial Department "STUDY HACKER" is a study method hacking media that thinks about future learning. Based on the concept of "STUDY SMART", since the site opened in 2014, it has been used for studying and working, such as efficient study methods / memorable note-taking techniques / learning techniques based on brain science / reading skills for learning / writing skills / thinking methods, etc. It introduces many hints for rationally acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary for Operated by Study Hacker Co., Ltd., which operates an English personal gym “StudyHacker ENGLISH COMPANY”.