Peace Week, A Refugee Becomes a Citizen

This week is Peace Week at my university.  There are different activities and events, and today I took my classes to listen to people speaking about the United Nations.  One man was a refugee from Somalia and just recently got his American citizenship.  It was very impressive to see him stand in front of many people and give a speech in English. He spoke about many parts of the world where people don’t have clean water, health care, enough food, freedom and security.  He showed us pictures of people who were malnourished, who lived in refugee camps and stood in food and water lines for hours, and who had no clean water to bathe or wash in and were therefore bathing their children in dirty puddles of water. How does this relate to English other than the fact that I took my English learners to this lecture?  Many international organizations and non-governmental organizations have members from all over the world and need to be able to communicate with one another.  English is one of the main languages they use.  Therefore, learning English is not only important for exams and university, but can also be highly useful depending on what you want to do with your life.  That could mean a job in international business or even volunteering for a week in a foreign place that needs help.  There are various uses for your English, and being able to use it to help others is an excellent option.