English is an important language for many reasons. It is very widely spoken, both as a first and second language. It is, in its most basic form, comparatively easy to learn, due to its grammatical simplicity, making it a suitable lingua franca (where atrtificial attempts, such as Esperanto, have failed). It has a remarkable corpus of literature, much of which (particularly lyric poetry) does not respond well to attempts at translation.
The entire history of Old, Middle, and Modern English is barely 1,500 years, affording the chance for the linguistic historian to study a great deal of development over a relatively short time. The recent history of English has produced a new discipline, that of "World Englishes," in which cultures where English has been introduced and where it is in widespread use—such as India, the United States of America, South Africa, and Australia—are studied through the unique developments English has undergone in those countries.
The English language is important for many reasons, not the least of it being that many millions of people speak it and it is the primary language used in business throughout the world. What is interesting about English is that it isn't a clear legacy language like many others—Romance languages such as French and Spanish trace their origin back to Latin, while Germanic languages such as Dutch and German obviously date back to the ancient Nordic tribes.
English, however, is a conglomeration of many different languages, where we have picked and chosen the best words and rules of grammar for our purposes. That is what makes it so important to study: because we can see how languages evolve and change over time and how they are influenced by other languages. It parallels the history of English-speaking people and gives a good explanation of linguistic development and adaptation.
English has become, to a large degree, the international language of business and science. These alone make it an important language to learn. Additionally, the United States and Great Britain have some of the world's best universities, and if someone wishes to reap the benefit of their educational offerings, it is necessary to learn English. Finally, some of the greatest literature in the world is written in the English language, and while translations are often available, nothing is as good as reading fine literature in its original language.
As to learning the history of English, there are many reasons to do so. Learning the history of a language helps you learn the language better. And this is true even if English is your native language. And also true is that it helps you learn about other languages, too. What is so wonderful about English is that it has incorporated words from all over the world. Every time the British Isles were conquered, by the Danes, the Romans, and the Normans, instead of speaking the language of the conquerors, the English absorbed some of their language and made it part of their own. Every time the British sailed...
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to a new land, they absorbed new words into their language. So, in some ways, the history of English is the history of much of the world. It is fascinating to learn how English evolved and the history of so many of its words. Our words tell little stories. For example, "algebra" is an Arabic word. The whole idea of this kind of math is from the Arabs. A sandwich was supposedly invented by the Earl of Sandwich, who is said to have wanted to easily eat something without having to leave the gambling tables. So many of our words and expressions have colorful histories like this. For me, this is part of the delight of English, and I hope it becomes thus for you, too.
Many people all over the world are motivated to learn English, which has become an important part of getting along in our global village. Learning the history of the language helps us to learn the language even better, in such a fascinating way.