The English language is currently estimated as the third largest mother tongue in the world. However, it is unquestionably the first and most popular second language. In fact, most of the information that circulates in our world - mail, radio, cable, internet, etc. - are in English. It has become the bridge language of our time. Therefore, it is no wonder that English has developed to become a lingua franca for business around the world. English unites people and companies from different backgrounds, countries and languages and allows them to communicate in a clear and effective way. That's why is so important to study business English.

Business English is a specialised area of English relating to the language used in business. Every year more and more people decide to study business English to improve their chances of finding a job at home, career prospects and to be able to work in English speaking countries. If you've already studied a general English course or similar, or your English is already quite good, you might be wondering if it would be useful to study business English.

There is a demand for business English which appears to be growing because learners are becoming clearer about what they want to use English for and as I indicated the same is becoming true for general English learners. In today's global economy, learners want not only the skills to read, write, listen to and speak English fluently, they also want to be able to communicate in a way which will be recognised and appreciated by their counterparts in the international arena. They want their English language learning to be targeted to this aim and they often also want their success in this to be measured using an internationally recognised benchmark - hence the rise in demand for business English examinations.

Completing an online course in business English provides students with many employment opportunities. Some students might choose to move abroad and work in an English-speaking country, and having strong business vocabulary and knowledge of the culture provides invaluable assistance in fitting in. Some graduates of the courses remain in their native country but plan to work for a business or organization with international connections for which working in English is an important component of the day-to-day tasks.