CHAPTER 01 – WHY DID YOU WANT TO LEARN ANOTHER LANGUAGE?

Summary: The other chapters will find what we promise in the title of the book – marketing study cases. Since this is the first chapter I choose to discuss the importance of learning English and why it can be so valuable for your personal and professional development.

Motivation is the first step

Over the last 1000 years, one kingdom that stands out the most is the Ottoman Empire. Established in 1299, the Ottoman Empire expanded rapidly under the leadership of Osman, Orhan, Murad, and Bayezid. It was not until 1453, that Mehmed II conquered Constantinople which was the capital of the Byzantine Empire. The then 21-year-old Mehmed II commanded an army that was significantly larger than the Byzantine army. When Mehmed succeeded his father in 1451, much of the enemies of the Ottoman Empire, celebrated the fact that Mehmed a mere 19-year-old is incapable of leading the Ottoman Empire and that he would become the reason of the downfall of the empire. Unbeknownst to them, the young Sultan would go on to conquer Constantinople, which mark the end of the 1000-year-old Byzantine Empire. 

During the ongoing siege of Constantinople, there was a moment where the entire campaign came to a standstill as the walls of Constantinople were able to withstand the bombardment from the Ottoman cannons. Furthermore, the Ottoman navy were not having any success as well as the Byzantine navy had blockaded the sea route by putting up a massive chain link fence. Despite the Ottomans having the constructed the largest cannon in the world at the time, they were unable to get through the massive walls of Constantinople. Amidst the supplies running dry, morale of the Ottoman Army running low, and the looming threat of an army from Europe reaching Constantinople, the young Sultan decided to do the unthinkable. As the seaward facing walls were scarcely manned and were weak, Mehmed ordered his troops to carry the ships to carry over land by constructing a route of greased logs around Galata. Years ago, Mehmed’s father had also tried to conquer Constantinople but failed to do so. This, combined with the young Sultan’s drive to prove himself, drove the Sultan to do something that was unthinkable. Once the ships landed inside the Golden Horn, the Ottoman navy was able to inflict serious damage to the opposing naval forces. Once those opposing naval forces fell, the defenders had to now defend on two fronts with a dwindling number of forces and resources. 

It was the effective communication between the ranks that enabled Mehmed to gain such a decisive edge over the Byzantines. And as the final assault began, the motivation of the Ottoman was running high after the recent advancements. As the defenders were unable to defend against the massive number of Ottomans, on May 29, 1453, Constantinople fell. The once impenetrable walls of Constantinople fell to unrelenting Mehmed, all because he dared to devise a plan that had never even been thought of before. Even Mehmed’s viziers had advised to lift the siege when it had come to a standstill. This is what motivation does. This is what it does when you put your mind to it. The young Sultan, who was underestimated by both his viziers as well as his enemies was able to prove everyone wrong all because he wanted to achieve something that even his father had failed to do so.

Whenever we start something new, there is always doubt and we can feel overwhelmed by the mere thought of it. However, when we put our mind to it and start working towards achieving it, then we manage to get it done no matter how many obstacles come our way or how many naysayers try to demotivate us. Regardless of everything, we find out way through the storms and when we do achieve something, it goes down in history as the greatest feat ever. Just look at young Mehmed, he was only 21 years old and had no experience when he undertook the siege that even the most experienced would think twice about. For a second, lets imagine that Mehmed had decided against the siege of Constantinople, the course of the world would be entirely different from what we know today. History would not have witnessed the coming of Mehmed and he would still be shrouded by doubts from both his allies as well as his enemies. When the morale was running low, quitting seemed like a sound option, Mehmed’s motivation to conquer the unconquerable drove him into the history books. At the end of the day, it the decisions we take that decide whether we achieve something that we want to or not.

Why do most people learn English?

English has become the lingua franca and, as per that, it is pertinent to be a part of that in order to join the international communication. It is the official language of 53 countries and is spoken by nearly 400 million people worldwide, in addition to this, English is the language of diplomacy, business, science, and almost all official documents across the world. No matter what level it is that you are starting at, once you spend enough time, you will be fluent in it in no time. It is understandable that it may be overwhelming at first, but there are many ways to learn English, in case, you do not want to opt for the conventional means. What we mean by that is, for instance, if you are an avid reader, then you can opt for genres of books that attract you the most and then focus on how the sentences are structures, how the grammar is used, and look up words that you find difficult to read or understand. Or if you are more inclined towards music, then listening to music will help you with not only your speaking skills, but also help with you comprehension skills. Just like Mehmed conquered Constantinople, you too can conquer the language as all that matters is your motivation. Especially, when today we have access to countless resources online, all of which are available for free or for a small fee. Resources are numerous and all of them are going to help you learn the language, all that matters is how inclined are you to learn the language. Learning English helps you across many fronts such as education, international communication, business, and even land you a job at a multinational company as ability to speak, write, and understand English is a must.

English As a Tool for Employability

As Globalization continues to happen, marketplaces across the world have become interconnected. And for all the communication purposes, the documentation is in English as it is the language of globalization. In order to be a part of this global workforce, it is pertinent that you have a good grip over English and in case you fail to do so, then your chances at getting a job will take a hit. Communication skills are the cornerstone of being employable as both oral and written communication skills contribute significantly towards how much you are able to add value to the company. If we talk about what communication means, then it is the ability to communicate meaningfully and not just say a bunch of random words. In other words, to have a positive exchange with someone. This can only happen when the speaker has the pre-requisite knowledge of their trade or skill, which is then communicated either orally or in text. Now the argument does exist about why English should be a must for employability, but as it stands right now, English is the go-to language for all business communication. Majority of the employers have employees who come from different backgrounds and speak different languages, so there is always a special focus on teamwork. However, teamwork will only be successful when there is meaningful communication between teammates. 

Employers’ Expectations

When you walk into an interview, the employers are evaluating you by looking at your body language, the way you talk, and the knowledge of the position that you are being interviewed for. However, you will only be market yourself to them if you can make your stance known to them and let them know all about who you are and how you can add value to the company. You can be the best in your field and still be handicapped if you are unable to express how good you are at your job. In addition to this, as all of the companies’ memos, emails, directives, and other documentation is in English, you will need to know the language of that the employer uses. 

“When in Rome do as the Romans do”

The saying is especially true when it comes to working somewhere. Every organization has its own set of rules that the employees must abide by and if they decide that English is the way to go, then English it is. Furthermore, every company looks to grow and expand internationally, and when this happens, all of the communication will happen in English, so if you have already established yourself as an effective employee, you may be looking at a promotion. This is what happens in a corporate structure, you prove your mettle, and when the opportunities arise your performance will make you stand out and the management will be inclined towards you.

English & International Education

There comes a point where you will seek educational opportunities abroad and the first thing you will notice is that the curriculum is in English. The education you may have had to this point may have been in a local language, but when you travel abroad you will see that everything is in English from presentations to exams, everything! And in this case, you need to have goof English skills in your arsenal. Being a part of a global community means you need to be able to bridge the cultural, language, and religious gaps, and you can only do this if you can communicate. Even when you look at all the academics from your region, you will notice that when they go abroad to deliver a lecture, they use English to deliver the presentation. And even if you do not travel abroad and look up lectures online from the comfort of your bed, you will see that most of them are in English and this is so, so that an audience is reached on a broader scale. In case you are looking to work on your English skills then there is plethora of online resources that you can use. What is even more interesting is that most of them are either free or charge you a small fee.