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English as a Global Language The concept that English is a global language is a controversial and possibly contentious topic. On the one hand it can be stated with certainty that English is being spoken across the globe by a wide spectrum of cultures and peoples. Anyone who has traveled internationally has, no doubt, found themselves communicating to people from many different countries in English. However the idea that all of the world?s citizens speak or are learning to speak English is also far from true. There are, no doubt, ample reasons for students from any number of countries to embark on a study of the English language. It is commonly used in the business world and international transactions. When it comes to international travel there is no better language to speak than English. I have found this to be true while traveling internationally in a wide range of countries and several continents. Communicating basic needs to local peoples and also speaking and interacting with fellow travelers is more often than not conducted in English. There are a few misperceptions tied to a ?they all speak English? mentality. The first and most fundamental being that they all--don?t. Travel can be easy and convenient when one is able to communicate in, what to the native speaker, is a foreign language?that is English. However I?ve also noticed while traveling that relying on English to communicate will only bring a traveller into contact with a very small and selected segment of the peoples of a given country. This will be the people who cater to and provide services to tourists. As is so often the case it seems the primary interactions and conversations a traveler will have is with other tourists say from Europe, the united states, england, Australia etc. This observation then begs the question of why a traveler has chosen to travel within a given country in the first place. This is not to say that learning or speaking English does not have its distinct advantages in today?s world. It is however counterproductive to genuine cultural exchange if a native speaker of English does not make at least some attempt at learning the native language (at least a handful of words) of the countries in which they travel. By not doing so--at best there will be a linguistic barrier between a traveler and the everyday people of a culture and at worst a cultural arrogance will be exhibited. By attempting to learn foreign languages and words a traveler will gain a basic sense of what difficulties and hard work a non-native speaker of English has to go through to communicate in English. A great deal can be learned by simply showing an interest in the native language and a number of cultural barriers can be broken down. Even the most basic attempts to communicate in the native language (such as saying hello, thank you etc.) can elicit large amounts of appreciation from a local person who speaks little or no English. It is therefore important for a native speaker of English to be well aware of the native tongues of the countries he or she travels through. English is a highly useful language in Asia, Europe, and an increasing number of countries throughout the world. It is NOT the only language nor is it the best. The English language is riddled with inconsistencies and the difficulties of learning it for a non-native speaker are great. This is a fact that is well and often ignored.