Every year on April 23, we celebrate World English Day, a day that concurs with the birth and death anniversary of English literature maestro William Shakespeare. This day is not just about merely honouring a language rather it is a worldwide recognition of the uniting power of the English language and its growing influence on cultural exchange.

The celebration of World English Day could be possible because of the efforts shown by the United Nations. In 2010, The UN established special days for each of its six official languages including Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish. Each day is celebrated to create awareness of the rich history, cultures and accomplishments in association with the above languages.

With its global reach, English has obtained the title of the modern era’s “lingua franca,” which implies a common language used for communication between people with different native languages. This, in addition to French, is a leading spoken language at the United Nations. Across the world, approximately 952 million people speak English as their first language, with an additional 603 million people using it as their second language.

Why celebrate World English Day?

World English Day’s exact value lies in the English language’s ability to bridge cultural divides across the world. As one of the world’s usually spoken languages, English has today become the most preferred language for people in all sectors like business, sports, politics, art, science and technology. This day helps us understand the importance of English to ensure its constant growth and use. In addition, this day encourages speaking multiple languages which inspires people to learn additional languages. Learning English helps us deeply understand and admire different cultures of the world.

The increasing use of English as a “lingua franca” reflects people’s shift in communication. For many, being able to connect and share ideas effectively with others is more important than just achieving fluency in English like a native. Such a trend of learning the English language is leading to a great evolution worldwide.