Conversational topic: The role of foreign language in my future profession

Language is the means of communication. The most common way of expressing an idea for people is to say out loud. Language enables people to understand each other. At the same moment language can be a major barrier to understanding because there are thousands of different languages on our planet. From the earliest time, with the development of trade and exchange of ideas and techniques people saw the necessity of learning foreign languages.

A language that is used as means of communication by people of different nations is called international. International language helps people of different nations to understand each other. Different epochs had different international languages. As a rule the existence of the language as an international one is determined by political, cultural and economic development of the country which language is spoken as international.

The leadership of English in the modern world can be explained by numerous factors. Over 300 million people who live in Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand and the United States of America speak English is as native tongue. English is one of the official languages in the Irish Republic, Canada, the South African Republic. It is also the second official language used in the former British and U.S. colonies. English is one of the official languages of the United Nations Organization and other political organizations. It is the language of literature, education, modern music, international tourism.

Previously the reason for learning any foreign language was not well defined. Knowledge of foreign languages was regarded as a sign of a well-rounded education, but few had really questioned why it was necessary. The problem of learning languages is very important today. Foreign languages are socially demanded especially at the present time when the progress in science and technology has led to an explosion of knowledge. The total knowledge of mankind doubles every seven years. English is needed as the main and the most efficient means of information exchange. With the acceptance of English as the international language of technology and commerce appears a new generation of people who know why they are learning the language. Many students need English because their course of studies includes textbooks available only in English in order to be able to use Internet, communicate with their partners in other countries, understand films and songs. So, the dominance of English in the contemporary world is explained by the appearance of lots of people who want to learn English not for pleasure or prestige but because English has become the key to the international scientific, technological and commercial innovations of today.

As far as Russia is integrating into the world community, the problem of learning professional and technical English is especially urgent today. Specialists have to know English will help them to solve their professional problems. With the help of foreign language they can also communicate with their colleagues at the conferences, through books and journals or the Internet. Specialists need English for specific purposes. First of all it promotes exchanging experiences with foreign specialists. Knowledge is the power and this power can help us to be familiar with the positive and negative tendencies of engineering technologies, their best using in different conditions in the world of new engineering materials. Secondly, scientists and engineers need knowing a foreign language to keep up with developments in their fields. That is why many young people who begin to think about their future early start learning several languages. For Russian specialists it is good to know not only English, but German and French as well. Undoubtedly, English is number one language that specialists should know.