Have you ever heard the statement, “Why bother learning English when it's not used in everyday life”? From elementary school, we have been introduced to English, but why use English when we can use our country's official language?
In today's global era, we need to keep up with changes in the world. It is common knowledge that English has become a universal language. However, rarely used by countries that predominantly use the native language. For example, in the workplace at local companies. Daily communication, serving local customers, writing internal reports, emails, and problem solving are done in the language they are proficient in. And if nedeed, English is only used when dealing with foreign clients. English is considered less relevant for those who work in local environments or companies that do not have international connections. What is prioritized is professionalism, teamwork, technical knowledge, adaptability, and work efficiency.
This means that success at work does not always depend on English skills. Many seniors or professionals with English language barriers can be successful because of their strength and creativity. However, you won’t get promoted just because you can speak English if you can’t perform your job well. In general, English is not the main factor that determines a person's success. But if you are fluent and have skills, it can be an added value over other competitors in the job market and open up opportunities to compete globally.
Otherwise, English is certainly useful in certain fields such as tourism, international business, or technology. For ambassadors, pilots, flight attendants, tour guides, and related jobs, fluency is very much needed and mandatory for these jobs.
So, is English really useless in the workplace?—maybe not as much as we think, but in the real world of work, English is not the only factor that determines a person's skills. It would be better if you expanded your skills to broaden your career prospects. More than English.
