While English is not the most widely spoken language in the world when you look at it in terms of the number of native speakers, it is the world's most prominent language. While a larger number of people speak Chinese, that language is largely confined to China
English on the other hand, is spoken around the world. It has been
estimated that out of the roughly 6 billion people that are alive today
about 350 million speak English. When you look at the importance of
English for International Business, you must look at more than just the
number of people who speak it. You must also look at what the language
is used for.
English is the ideal language for many governments around the world, and
it is also prominent in business, education, world news, and
communication. In addition to this, Western pop culture is also carried
to foreign countries in the form of music or movies. If you wish to be
successful in International business, learning English is incredibly
important. In many places such as Asia, Africa, and South America, the
ability to learn English will determine who will increase their living
standards, and who will remain in poverty. There are a number of
powerful tools that have allowed more people to learn English than ever
before. One of these tools is the Internet
Before the Internet, it was hard for you to learn English if you
didn't attend a college or university. These were the only institutions
where the language was widely spoken. If you lived in a community so
poor that it didn't have a college or university, your chances of ever
learning English were remote. While many people still live in these
circumstances today, the Internet has allowed the English language to
spread around the word. Because the Internet was invented in the West,
English was inherently built into it. Because Internet usage has
expanded throughout the world, more people are being exposed to English.
The advent of online universities has now made it possible for more
people to learn English, people who may live in countries where access
to standard education facilities is limited. While it may have been
impossible for these people to learn English in the past, the Internet
has opened up new career opportunities. These people are now able to
learn English, and they can use their English skills to get better
paying jobs at home, or they can use them to find jobs overseas. In any
event, the Internet has played a powerful role in allowing English to
spread across the world, and the number of people learning it is likely
to increase in the future
Many companies have discovered early in the 21st century that they
can cut their costs of production by sending their jobs overseas. The
proper term for this is outsourcing, or offshoring. Some companies have
also found that they can cut costs by bringing immigrants into the
country on work visas. The employees will work for the company for a
given period of time, and once their visa has expired, they can return
home. For someone living in a country where English is not the native
language, they will need to master this language if they wish to travel
to the United States to find a high paying job.
While many people in English speaking countries complain about the
impact of outsourcing, it presents lucrative opportunities for people
living in foreign countries. Learning how to speak English can allow you
to travel to a Western country, work there for a few months, make more
money than you would make at home, and then bring the money back home to
your family. This is a practice that many people use, and it is factors
such as outsourcing which have allowed them to do it. As you can see,
learning how to speak English opened up a large number of doors, doors
that would normally be closed
In many countries where English is not the native language, you are considered highly educated if you can speak the language properly. You will be presented with a number of career opportunities, and you will have the option of staying home to work, or you could travel abroad. When you learn how to speak English, the opportunities are limitless
Norooz means new day or daylight. The spellings and pronunciations of Norooz vary, depending on the culture. It symbolizes the first day of spring, at the time of the spring equinox, when sunlight is divided equally between northern and southern hemispheres. This traditional Iranian holiday is not only celebrated within Iran. It is also celebrated in Turkey, Afghanistan, Albania, the countries of Central Asia, Georgia and Azerbaijan, to name a few. It usually is celebrated on the 21st of March of each year, but can be celebrated either a day before or after this date, depending on where it is observed. Besides being a Zoroastrian holiday, Norooz has significance for the Bahai’i religion and Sufism
In the article "The New Year of Iranian Peoples", author Dr. Ali Jafari, states that Norooz had its origins some fifteen thousand years ago, during the reign of the mythical Persian King Jamshid. Since life, at that time, revolved around the seasons, spring was seen as a time of new growth, new life and that of abundance. According to Dr. Jafari, it was Jamshid who introduced and started the Norooz celebrations. The prophet Zoroaster, however, later added and put in place the many additional festivals and rituals associated with this celebration. To Zoroastrians, Norooz was a celebration of Ahura Mazda and the Holy Fire
Twelve centuries later, in 487 BC, the Persian emperor Darius celebrated Norooz festivities at Persepolis. Much of the palace was adorned with statues depicting this celebration. It was here, that Norooz became a very special celebration, and it has been suggested that Persepolis may have been built for the purpose of celebrating Norooz. After Darius, Norooz traditions continued through the Parthian and Sassanid dynasties. It survived the introduction of Islam in 650AD and continued to be celebrated through the subsequent Turkish and Mongol invasions
Norooz today is commemorated by several events. First, as the spring equinox approaches, all Persian families do a spring cleaning and buy new items, such as clothes. The disposal of the old, with the replacement of the new, symbolizes rebirth during the spring. Also, the night before the last Wednesday of the Persian calendar is the traditional Iranian Festival of Fire. This festival dates back to Zoroastrian times and symbolizes the celebration of the good (light) over the bad (darkness). Small fires are made in the streets and people jump over the fires to symbolically rid themselves of sickness and problems. The fire, in turn, replaces health and good luck to those who jump over it.
At home, a traditional table containing the seven S’s or haft seen is prepared. Seven items, which start with the letter S in Farsi, are placed on this table, each symbolizing different aspects of life. The table is adorned ornately, for it not only has spiritual value to those that make it, but also represents their good taste. On Norooz, family members gather around the haft seen and wait for the exact moment of the spring equinox, at which time gifts are exchanged. The families spend the rest of Norooz visiting close family, relatives and friends, with a number of short visits. Traditionally, the youngest of the family visits the eldest member first. As the day goes on the eldest will reciprocate and repay his respects to the younger family members. Visits are typically short and are highlighted with many varieties of sweets and pastries.
Thirteen days after Norooz, Iranian families mark the occasion with a picnic outdoors. At some time during the picnic, home grown lentil sprouts are thrown into running water to symbolize the removal of all bad luck and ill-will. This day officially marks the end of all the Norooz festivities
Norooz is a holiday tradition that is in harmony with the rebirth of nature. The celebration encompasses the ancient concept of good versus bad, as well as death and rebirth. Norooz truly is one of the most important events in Iranian culture and is celebrated by many throughout the world