Currently, the ability to speak English fluently has become a necessity for individuals and countries to participate in the global economy. This is particularly true for countries that heavily rely on international trade and investment. Singapore is a perfect example of such a country.

Singapore is a small city-state located in Southeast Asia. Despite its small size, it has become one of the most prosperous and innovative economies in the world, This nation has gained a reputation for having a good quality of life, well-developed infrastructure (基础设施), and a favorable climate for businesses. While there are four official languages in Singapore, English, Chinese, Malay, and Tamil, English is the most commonly used language in business, education, and government.

English has played a crucial role in Singapore’s economic development. The country’s founding father, Lee Kuan Yew, acknowledged the significance of English in the international business environment and made it a priority to promote English learning in Singapore. He saw English as a tool to connect Singapore to the world and attract foreign investment. The government carried out policies to promote English learning, such as making English the medium of instruction in schools and providing financial support for teachers to teach English.

As a result of these policies, Singaporeans have become proficient in English, and this has given them a competitive edge in the global economy. Singapore is home to many multinational corporations, and English proficiency is a critical factor for these companies when selecting employees. Singaporeans’ proficiency in English has also made it easier for them to conduct business with other countries, particularly those in the Western world. As a consequence, the country started marching forward steadily towards prosperity.

An Australian-led study warns that 1,500 of the world’s 7,000 recognized languages might no longer be spoken by the end of this century.

The research, published Friday in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, details a wide range of factors (因素) putting endangered languages under pressure.

Australian researchers have found that as roads increasingly connect cities to more remote areas around the world, native languages can be replaced by their more major counterparts (对手), such as English.

The study also claims that major languages have been found to take the place of those spoken by smaller groups.

Experts have said Australia’s record is poor, and the country has one of world’s highest rates of language loss worldwide.

Before European colonization (殖民地化), more than 250 First Nations languages were spoken in Australia. Today, there are just 40, and only a dozen is being taught to children.

“This has been an on-going process through colonization and globalization,” said the University of Queensland’s professor Felicity Meakins, one of the study’s co-authors. “So, we do not want to forget, of course, in all of this that individual speech communities have their own histories and experiences, and in many places, including Australia, languages have been silenced as the result of cruel colonial policies, which have been designed to suppress (压制) languages. So, for instance, in Australia people were punished for speaking their language and these experiences were really painful.”

Researchers have said that as the world prepares for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, Decade of Native Language in 2022，their findings were a “vital reminder” that more action is needed to save at risk languages.

They have said that every language is “brilliant in its own way” and a critical part of “our human cultural diversity.”

We all know what a brain is. A doctor will tell you that the brain is the organ (器官) of the body in the head. But a brain can mean so much more.

To tease is to make fun of someone. But a brainteaser is not one who makes fun of someone else’s brain. A brainteaser is a puzzle that makes you think.

To understand the next brain expression you first need to know the word “drain”. As a verb, to drain means to remove something by letting it flow away. So, a brain drain may sound like a disease where the brain flows out the ears. But a brain drain is when a country’s most educated people leave their country to live in another.

Next, we have a brainchild. A brainchild sounds like a really smart kid. But it isn’t. A brainchild is an idea that one has without any help from others. If you have a really great idea, it is your brainchild — no one else’s.

However, if many people are responsible for a great idea, you can say they brainstormed it. It is a process of thinking creatively about a difficult topic. For example, business leaders may use brainstorming to create new products.

But if you can’t find a solution to a problem, you may have to rack your brains. In this way, you may find a solution. Sometimes, you have to rack your brains, trying to remember someone’s name.

Now, if people are brainwashed, it does not mean their brains are nice and clean. To brainwash means to make someone accept new ideas by using repeated pressure in a forceful way. Keep in mind that brainwash is never used in a positive way.