A composition by the pupil of the 9-th form of school № 6 of the
town of Alexandrov
Makarova Ksenia for the contest of
compositions "Why I
Need the Knowledge of English”.
It is known
everywhere that an educated person should speak at least one foreign language.
It is better to know English, I think, because English has become the word’s
most important language in politics, science, trade and cultural relations.
It is necessary to learn foreign languages now. That is why pupils have got
such subjects as foreign languages at school. Everybody knows his own language,
but it is useful to know foreign ones too.
I learn English because I understand that I can use it in the future life. For
example, if I go to England, I shall be able to speak English there. If I go to
the USA, I shall speak English too. This language is the most widespread one on
Earth and it is used not only in England, but also in many other countries of
the world.
I have chosen to learn English because I want to read foreign literature in the
original. I know and like such English and American writers as William
Shakespeare, Robert Burns, George Bernard Show, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain,
Lewis Carroll, Walter Scott and others. I understand that I must learn English,
because if I know it well, I shall be able to go to the library and take books
by these writers in the original. Foreign writers will make my outlook wider.
I am keen on traveling. However, it is difficult to travel abroad when you do
not know the language of the country you visit. If I know the language of the
country I am going to, it will be easy for me to travel there. If I need to ask
something, I can do it in English.
Even if I never go abroad, it is possible nowadays to use the knowledge of
English living in Russia and in Alexandrov as well. We have various joint
ventures and companies of Russia and foreign countries, and they always need
persons who know English to help them to hold discussions.
I like to read books and newspapers. If I know, for example, English, I shall
be able to read English newspapers an magazines without a dictionary. The
knowledge of the English language helps young people of different countries to
understand each other better, to develop friendship and discuss their problems
together. If we have a foreign exhibition in Moscow and know a foreign language,
it is easy for us to visit this exhibition and to speak to people from England
without any goers – between.
We can see a lot of foreign advertisements, signboards and names in the streets
of Russia. Knowing English I can read and understand all of them.
Now we buy a lot of clothes from other countries. If I can speak English, it is
possible for me to read the information about the size and fabric of these
clothes so as to be sure how to take proper care of them.
There are a great number of films in the English language. I would like to
understand the films without anybody’s help, to listen to the real speech of
the actors. It is impossible if I don’t know English.
There are international friendship camps in the world. If I speak English, it
will be easy for me to visit such camps and to communicate to the people who do
not know Russian.
I understand that nowadays it is especially important to know the English
language, because English is the language of the modern world, computer
technology, international navigation, shopping and sports. It is the language
of international communication too. The English language is the major
diplomatic language as well.
I would like to be an educated person, a good specialist. That is why I repeat
the material I have learnt every three days, I memorize the material before I
go to bed. I know it is necessary to me.
When I think about the role of the knowledge of a foreign language, I always
recollect the words of the greatest German poet Goethe: "The person, who does not know a foreign language, can’t know
his own one.”
Makarova Ksenia, 2006.
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