Basic Needs

• Whether you're shopping or asking directions, you need to communicate with others. With a billion speakers globally, English is the language that gives you the best chance of getting a response, wherever you are.
  
  

Safety

• Migrant workers in the United Kingdom have to pass an English-language test on safety. In an emergency, there's no time to consult a dictionary. Such phrases as "emergency exit" must be instantly understood.
  
  

Etiquette

• A badly chosen word can be a serious faux pas. It's possible to be insulting without realizing it, if you don't understand common usage.
  
  

Career

• Anyone who works in a field that involves international communication needs a good English résumé. Moreover, English is the universal language of business and science.
  
  

Travel

• Whether you're traveling for business or pleasure, you don't want to feel isolated. Nearly every world city and international airport has signs in English.