Why learning English?

Instead of saying: "why learning English?", I would better say: "why learning a second language? or other languages?

We all know that learning another language, specially known for almost every one in this planet, is the best option we can take the moment we really want to go out from our little personal world. We all know already the importance for business, connectivity, social networks, information, etc. But some students still replay "so what". And here it is true, for a student who has his/her own problems, difficulties at home, living a hard life, having to be a teenager. Do you think they care if they can get information in English, if they can have the same in Spanish? Do you think they care to know people from other countries, when they all have already close friends? Do you think they mind about business if they don't have enough to eat at home?

What is the real purpose of teaching English to them, if they don't see any important reason to learn it?

And the truth is that they are right. And the problem is that we have taught them that English is for business, for communication, for getting information. When we have to teach them than learning a second language is a weird tool, that doesn't have an exact form. Do you remember the bad girl in the movie "Terminator 3"?, when she was creating a new weapon with her hand, depending the situation. Well, English (Second language) is like that too. It is up to the students to know how they will use English. They want it to know a lyrics of a song, ok. They want it to write romantic letters, ok. It is up to them what they want to do with the English language.

I can say that personally, thanks to know English,  I have known many people in my country and around the world. I have travelled to many cities, even going to the Philippines, which was the first and the most amazing experience I have ever lived. And I hope to go back to that nice country. (I send a greeting to the Filipinos for being so kind). No wonder why I have a girlfriend from Philippines.

But that is my experience, my students must find their own experiences in relation with learning a second language.

Just let's not push our students to learn English because we want them to find information, or friends, or business. Just let them know what to do with this amazing tool called "Second language", by their own.