The British Council has used UN World English Language Day to celebrate the benefits of multilingualism.
UN World English Language Day is an annual celebration of the English Language – one of the official languages of the UN.
In an article British Council Regional Director, Adrian Chadwick OBE, spoke of the educational and career opportunities offered by having English as a second language, to people living in the Middle East and North Africa, commenting;
“Governments of the region are increasingly turning to English as a valuable contributor to their economic development and the creation of highly skilled workforce.
“As the region’s largest provider of English teaching and exams, the British Council is working hard to support and enable increasing numbers of young people to learn English, gain qualifications and skills, and expand their career and educational opportunities.”
In the MENA region the British Council has taught over 195,000 students of English since 2010. Last year it delivered over 420,000 English exams to individual learners and the corporate sector.
Online, the British Council LearnEnglish MENA Facebook page has 2.5 million followers, who are using British Council resources to improve their English, and connect with an online community of fellow learners.
It is estimated that there are over 50 million people learning English in the region, taught by over 430,000 teachers – with English becoming a desirable language have.
Martin Hope British Council, Director Qatar added;
“English is the language of international commerce and trade - those that have English, have a skill that differentiates them in the eyes of a potential employer.
“In today’s interconnected world, being able to speak a global language such as English is extremely valuable for an individual.
“As a global language, English helps to build better understanding and trust between cultures; bridging the language gap, allowing people to express ideas, share experiences and connect with each other.”