write an essay 120-180 words for publication in a home-and-garden magazine

Learning foreign languages is important nowadays
I think that any educated person must learn foreign languages. But I prefer English to other foreign languages. Why? English is becoming a global language. A half of billion people in the world use English at home or work. English is the language which is known for the most part of our fine, magnificent and surprising world. English is so widespread that it has become the standard language for all kinds of international communication.

A lot of problems of the 21st century, such as the problems of war and peace, ecology, can not be solved without speaking the same language.

The English language is now the first language of about 350 million people, the native language of 12 nations and the official language of more than 33 nations. It means that one of seven people in the world speaks English.

Some people learn English because they need it in their work; others to travel aboard and for lots of people learning English is just a hobby.

I have been learning English since the age of 11. I like learning English very much. But I like and know well my native language, Russian. The great German poet Goethe once said: He, who knows no foreign language, does not know his own one. I agree with him. The knowledge of English helps me to learn Russian.