While there is no way to accurately predict the demands of the labor market over the years, the trends are clear. While in the past a career required first and foremost professional knowledge, today the demands of the labor market are completely different and include a whole set of 'soft' skills, such as communication, flexibility, multidisciplinarity, ability to work in a team, creativity, expressiveness and more. When you add to this a global, dynamic and technology-based market that requires educated and skilled workers with a universal set of values, another condition is revealed that in the past was a bonus and today is a basic condition - complete control, which allows the free use of the English language.
Helen Doron, CEO and founder of the "Helen Doron" company, which specializes in English studies all over the world,
says: "Learning English and developing skills that will enable us to conduct ourselves in the fast and intense global reality are a basic condition, English is an integral part of everyday life in every space - real and virtual."
So what is English Language Day?
The English Language Day is an initiative of the United Nations Department of Global Communications from 2010, which established language days for each of the six official languages of the organization: French, Chinese, Spanish, Russian, Arabic and English. The English Day was chosen by the United Nations to be held on April 23 , the birthday and also the date of death of the English playwright, poet and theater actor William Shakespeare.
Hundreds of years after Shakespeare passed away, in today's global world, English is the key to success in many fields, especially for those interested in entering the fields of high-tech, entrepreneurship, digital business and content creation.
The global language of the world of work
Most companies and organizations in the high-tech field operate in English, both in internal communication and with international clients and partners. A good command of English will allow you to communicate effectively, take part in meetings, make presentations, read professional materials and write code properly.
Many companies prefer English-speaking candidates, both for development and programming positions and for management and marketing positions. Knowing English will open up more employment opportunities for you and will allow you to compete for coveted jobs in leading companies in Israel and around the world.
Although the majority of the adult population in Israel knows how to communicate in English at a reasonable level, few people know how to enter into in-depth professional discussions, read and acquire knowledge, prepare documents, deliver presentations and communicate with colleagues overseas in a clear and factual manner.
In addition, most of the most up-to-date professional information in the field of high-tech is available in English. Articles, books, websites, online courses - all will be accessible to you if you know English.
When it comes to entrepreneurship and startups, many entrepreneurs turn to international investors to raise capital for their ventures. The presentation of the project and the ability to communicate in a clear and convincing manner in English are critical to the success of raising capital, as well as to international collaborations with entrepreneurs and companies from abroad, which can significantly promote your project.
If you want to succeed with your project beyond the borders of Israel, you will need to know how to communicate with customers and partners In the English language, knowing English will allow you to establish contacts with potential partners, cooperate in international projects and expand your market.
Access to an international audience
But not only hiatists and entrepreneurs need to know English. If you have a digital business, you have access to a huge global audience of potential customers, but without knowing English, it will be difficult for you to attract their attention, you are also a marketing genius.
So it's true that AI tools like ChatGPT have made the job of writing easier, but the need to know English is not limited to content creation. Most advertising and digital marketing platforms, as well as programming and coding systems, operate in English. No matter how we turn it, you're going to have to deal with this at some point.
And of course, we must not forget that we are not alone in the industry. Even if you market only in Israel, many businesses around the world operate in the same field as you. Knowing English will allow you to keep up to date with the latest trends and trends in the field, learn from your competitors and offer your customers a better user experience.
And we haven't even talked about content creation yet. There is a limit to the amount of exposure that Hebrew content can receive. If you want to create content that will be really popular on social networks and other platforms, you will need to reach an international audience. Knowing English will allow you to create content that will be accessible to more people, increase your audience, collaborate and create a community around your content.
Better to start early
Helen Doron/Rev
Helen Doron emphasizes the importance of learning English at a young age and says: "Research in the field of the brain shows that over a million neural connections are formed in the brains of babies every second from the moment they are born. They learn through stimuli, which increase the rate of production of the neural connections that develop the child's brain. This is the essence of learning English for children from the age of 3 months."
According to her: "Children who are exposed to another language at a young age are able to learn the language at the level of their mother tongue easily and without effort. Learning a second language (and even a third or fourth and more) does not come at the expense of any other language - the children's brains are able to make the difference and take advantage of their natural learning abilities Helen added and said: "According to the professional literature on the subject and the experience we have gained over about 40 years of activity, children up to the age of 7-8 can pick up another language without effort because
up to
this age the brain continues to produce neural connections at a pace High. After the age of 7, the rate of neural connections in the brain decreases, and this makes it difficult to learn a new language. When there is difficulty, this creates frustration and aversion to the learning process, if it is not accessed in a natural and enjoyable way. The most common example is relocation , in which it can be seen that children pick up the local language very quickly, while teenagers and parents find it much more difficult."
And if I didn't learn English as a child, is it too late?
Learning English in old age is definitely possible and the importance of learning the English language for adults does not decrease but only increases. Studies have shown that learning a new language can train the brain and protect against Alzheimer's and dementia. Therefore, it is never too late to start. However, learning the English language for adults is not as natural and simple as for children and requires a lot of practice and memory training which is not always at its best. For those who know basic English, it is difficult to change habits and eradicate mistakes, and it is necessary to overcome obstacles and problems in order to improve in conversation and speaking. On the other hand, adults have more incentives to learn English since the benefits for career and life are huge and the reward for the hard work will still pay off huge.
Finally, Helen gives tips and advice for learning English as an adult:
Look for things that interest you - but in English
Learning and perfecting English is not done in a vacuum, it should be relevant, challenging, multidisciplinary, creative and up-to-date and use the many possible tools to produce learning adapted to the learner.
Meaningful learning occurs when it is relevant and addresses the learner's needs and interests. There is a real need to find a way to learn creatively from the field of interest, when English is everywhere - in stories or even dedicated professional fiction, songs, videos on social networks, series and movies and even programming.
Don't stop practicing
English has long since ceased to be a nice to have, it is a basic key to almost any future job and an entrance ticket to the global world, therefore it is important to practice it through hearing and speaking. If possible, create regular meetings with friends every week, where you will practice the language in a non-judgmental environment, preferably with a professional instructor. This action not only improves English skills, but also builds the ability to speak in front of people, strengthen self-confidence and work cooperatively, all while using English while understanding the flow of the language.
Look for familiar reading materials
Surely there are books you have already read and loved. Look for such a book in English and practice reading and understanding. When the content is already known it is easier. If you have to go through professional literature related to your world of work, read it in English and use a dictionary when necessary. Be patient and congratulate yourself on every success. However long it takes, you will see a result. Various applications that exist on the net will also help to practice grammar and increase vocabulary, from anywhere and at any time.