In Brazil, I have noticed three main reasons people like to learn English as a second language.
- Entertainment – A great deal of the world’s entertainment is in English. Music, books, television shows, movies, video games and more are often in English. Because of this, a lot of people pick up English naturally as they enjoy their favorite hobbies. I know a few people who learned a lot of English simply from playing video games as a child.
- Work – Most international corporations perform all international conversations in English. This means if a Brazilian and Argentinian company hold a business meeting, they will not speak Spanish or Portuguese. Instead, they will translate everything into English. This rule holds true for most countries.
- Academics – The majority of respected academic journals, from almost any scientific or other field are in English. Conventions, programs books, journals and speeches are commonly in English as well.
