Nowadays, some are convinced that it is more important to learn English over local languages. This would threaten the latter as they would be at risk of disappearing if the number of their speakers diminish too drastically. While I agree that speaking English is crucial in our globalised world, we should still try to make sure local languages are kept alive.
On the one hand, everyone should learn English as it is a language spoken around the world. As a result, it has become easier to travel to foreign countries and visit them without the need to learn their language. It is a common language for tourism and business, so people from different countries and with different mother tongues can exchange using English. This has allowed people to be connected to each other and to have access to foreign culture and knowledge thanks to this lingua franca that English has turned it.
On the other hand, I strongly believe that governments and people around the world should ensure the survival of their local languages. Indeed, these languages carry the heritage and culture of these countries and they might lose this rich legacy – as well as their own identity – if they yield to the supremacy of English. For example, parents could teach their local language to their children and the latter could have some subjects at school in their local language. That way, they would not lose touch with it.
In conclusion, I believe that it is crucial to learn to speak English in the world we live to be able to travel abroad and have access to other cultures. However, I think that it is our responsibility to maintain alive our local languages so we do not forget about our history and cultural identity. Hopefully more local languages such as Cantonese in Chinese-speaking countries or Breton in France can be taught at school in the years to come.