1 . Have you ever thought of the reasons why we had better learn a second language? As a matter of fact, in today’s highly-connected world, there are many benefits of it. Here are a few of them.

It helps you better understand the world.

Learning a language isn’t just about learning words and grammar.     1    . Learning new languages can broaden your horizons(眼界)and bring you closer to people of different nationalities. You may develop a deep appreciation for another culture, or become friends with someone totally different from you.

    2    .

As you learn and get better at the language, you’ll find that you have increased self-awareness and more confidence using your second language, which can also make you more attractive to others! Truly, people will respect the fact that you’re learning another language. Native speakers will be impressed with your efforts, friends and family will be proud of you and strangers will be interested in your story.

It makes you smarter.

Believe it or not, it is said that learning a second language improves your memory and strengthens your problem-solving abilities.     3    . The more you use your brain to learn, the more powerful your brain will become.

You can help more people.

    4    ! Perhaps it’s obvious, but speaking another language allows you to help more people. There are volunteer programs around the world where multilingual(多语言的) speakers are valuable to the team. Being the bridge of communication between cultures is a great feeling, and the joy you’ll get from helping someone in need will make all the hard work of learning the language worth it.

There are so many positive effects of learning a second language.     5    .

FluentU is a great method to learn a foreign language. We watch videos with subtitles and at any time, we can stop the video if we don’t understand a word or an expression. We click on for additional explanations. Then, we have a quiz to work the vocabulary. I find this method very interesting to improve and stay motivated.

—Estelle Jaouen

I appreciate being able to hear the pronunciation from a male and female voice. I think the mix of characters and pinyin are great and well-balanced. I love the fact that I’ve only been doing this for less than a month and I already know dozens of useful phrases and words!

—Maria van Eeden

I like the fact that it’s very dynamic and not grammar focused. Also, having many videos to learn from makes it even less boring no matter where you are as long as you have a smart phone. I like to just watch each video one time, pause at each sentence and try to remember words and sentences.

—Eduard Marius

The best thing about FluentU is that you have direct context for each new vocabulary that you learn. Repeating the dialogues is the way I learn. Also, that you can bring in your own vocabulary list and that the program searches for videos or material in which the words are included are remarkable!

—Jan Rehmer

6 . Four Best Online English Courses

Udemy: English for Beginners

This 77-hour course is among the bestselling courses. The design based on real need makes it easy to adapt to even the busiest schedules. It opens to students with no knowledge of the language. Learners will become good enough to speak clearly and confidently and understand the language well enough to follow movies and TV.

Price: $109

Time to complete: 20 weeks

Coursera: English for Career Development

Coursera is supported by the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ office of English learning. Coursera teaches English for business skills like job searching, resumes and interviewing. Learners can start at any time.

Price: $100

Time to complete: 40 weeks

Alison: English for Career Development

This self-paced (自定进度的) course takes a unique approach to teaching business English. English language learners learn the basics of searching, applying, and interviewing for jobs in the United States. Though all parts of the course are free, certification costs $30 and is available only to those who receive 80 percent or higher on their assessments (认证).

Price: Free

Time to complete: Self-paced

Perfectly Spoken: English for Daily Use

This course helps non-locals with the kinds of English used on the street and on vacation. It covers common expressions, such as what to say when meeting and greeting people, and how to express feelings. The course includes the language used when traveling, ordering at a restaurant, and during the United Kingdom holidays.

Price: $90

Time to complete: 36 weeks

9 . If you are studying English, the Language Study Fair (游乐会) that is being held this month will certainly attract you. The fair is going on between the 28th and 30th of June at the National Education Centre. It is held to answer all your questions about self-study no matter how your English is.

The Language Study Fair gives a very good chance for you to see and to get all kinds of information to help you improve the way you study. Over 350 producers of educational materials will be at the fair. Come along to this, and you won’t waste your money in the future on materials that are out-of-date, or books that you just don’t need. We’ve got lots of different things for you to see and hear. There will be stands (展台) showing different kinds of self-study textbooks and talks by educational speakers on the best ways to study by yourself. We’re sure you’ll also enjoy watching people using the latest computer programs to make studying English alone so much easier. This is for you to make good decisions about what to buy. You can come to the fair from nine thirty to five. Tickets cost￡5 each, or￡3 if you’re a full-time student. All tickets can be booked by ringing the ticket hotline. The number is 984-7711.

So, we hope to see you there!