First of all, it is important to be aware of the fact that there are many reasons for learning a new language. Among them, you might want to learn English because you need it for your job or because you want to sit for one of the many existing official examinantions or simply because you want to travel and communicate with the local population of the place you visit or, perhaps, because you love music and are tired of not understanding your favourite band...
In this blog we have summarised all those possible reasons for learning English under the heading "English for Specific Purposes". This term originally refers to specific types of English related to those jobs which require specific vocabulary and structures. Thus, we have medical English (for doctors and nurses), legal English (for lawyers), business English (for people interested in business), aviation English (for pilots and air-traffic controllers), English for tourism (for those who work in touristic resorces or travel agencies) or technical and scientific English (for people who work in environments where technology and science are at the centre of their everyday exchanges). Believe it or not, there is even English for waiters so, as we have mentioned in the previous paragraph your reasons for learning English will certainly depend on the type of job you do or plan to do in the future.
However, in this blog we have tried to go one step beyond and, accordingly, we have included inside the category English for Specific Purposes new categories such as:
* English to pass official examinations: Cambridge KET, PET, FCE, CAE and CPE; TOEFL;
EOI exams (basic, intermediate and advanced levels), etc.
* English for communication purposes: for those who want to travel and be able to speak and
do typical activities while being in a foreign country: shopping, renting a car, asking for
directions, etc.
* English for leisure activities: understanding songs and films with and without subtitles,
reading magazines, newspapers and books written in English, writing emails to "pen-
friends", etc.
Whatever your "Specific Purpose" for learning English might be, this blog will help you to achieve it. Time to fast your seatbelt and enjoy the ride! But do not hurry... Remember there's some extra pleasure in those things we succeed at getting step by step. Time and patient will certainly be your best friends in learning a foreign language.
