There was once a time when living and working in a non-English speaking country was completely possible without ever needing to use English, but due to the global connectivity we have today, if you can’t speak English, this will impact your career options. English has always been the international language for business and that isn’t going to change anytime soon and for Asian parents, there is a drive to help their children become fluent in English.
International School Education
Finding a top international school in Bangkok is easy using Google and many parents enroll their kids into such a school, as English is the language of instruction and the students are fluent by the time they go to university or college. If a child of 5 years is exposed to the English language for 4-5 hours per day, it doesn’t take long to develop and as the students come from different cultures, they use English to communicate with each other.
English Proficiency Opens Doors
When you are looking to enter university, a very high IELTS score is required for non-native English-speaking students and this could mean missing out on your first-choice university or college. When you are close to finishing your degree, you will start looking at potential employers and all will require a level of English fluency. If your goal is to work for an international corporation, English is a must and you should start a child in an English program as soon as they are old enough to attend school; a couple of years of nursery leads to an early learning program, both of which should involve English. The earlier a second language is introduced, the better and while schooling in English might be more expensive, the benefits are huge.
Living & Working Abroad
This is a goal that many young Asians aspire to and when you are fluent as a teenager, you stand much more chance of landing a prime position with a multinational corporation. This can be a life-changing move if you are lucky enough to land a plum job that involves living and working abroad and your plan should start with an early learning international program. Click here for tips on landing that plum job.
Standard Requirement
If you start looking at the classified section of the newspaper, you will see that almost every job advertisement requires English fluency; due to the fact that this is the global language. Once a person enters their teenage years, if they don’t have a good command of English, it is a real uphill battle to develop a high level of English.
If you would like to take a tour of an international school near you, an online search will help find a good school and you can book a tour via their website. Prepare a few questions to put to the school principal and make sure you observe a lesson, as well as looking at the many amenities that an international school would have on their campus.