English is Important for Career Development
In an article, The Economist noted that more and more global companies have adopted English as their main language It is also worth noting that English is being adopted by international companies from countries that don’t speak English to become the official language, replacing their own native language.
Hiroshi Mikitani of the Rakuten Group in Japan is one example. As the operator of the chain Uniqlo, he made his entire staff learn English and once made a warning to fire or at the very least, demote those who were not very fluent. Mikitani holds the belief that the language of English helps in promoting attributes such as creativity and free thinking among employees. .
Another example is Yang Yuanqing, the CEO of the Lenovo Company in China. At the age of forty Yuanqing made it a point to become highly fluent in English. By doing this, he set a personal example for the entire company. Yuanqing made it a point to watch American TV and learn with a private tutor everyday despite his grueling schedule. Currently, he is able to conduct each board meeting in English fluently.
Trends such as these mean that English is becoming more and more important in career development.