As someone who is interested in the American Accent, you probably don’t need any more reminders on the importance of American English.

In this article however, let’s take a look at some of the more obscure, lesser-known reasons on why English is important. These scenarios all assume that you have some degree of difficulty with speaking in English and that you are living in a primarily English-speaking country at the moment.

Calling the Emergency Number

Just imagine what would happen if for example, you or someone close to you were on medication and you had to call 911 or the emergency number in your area – but wait, you can’t speak English very well.

In your panicked state, you might have trouble expressing why you need help or even pronouncing your current address correctly. This could waste a lot of precious time in an emergency situation.

Seeing Your Child’s Teacher

If you experience social anxiety whenever you need to speak English, then how would you feel if say you had a child in grade school and you had to attend a conference with your child’s homeroom teacher?

The entire conversation will be in English unless the teacher knows your language. What is more, it will be entirely spontaneous and unrehearsed. You will not be able to get away with using common phrases and memorized one-line responses.

Buying a house or renting out an apartment unit

Let’s assume that you don’t have a place to stay and you want to buy a house or rent out an apartment unit. You have a list of specifications in your head, but because of your limited English skills, you are having trouble asking the landlord about your specs and you can’t put the tiny details that you have inside your head into words.

The common thread in all of these situations is that it’s all a matter of fluency and confidence in speaking the language so that you can articulate your thoughts and express them into words easily – and of course, they serve to highlight just how important English can be in your daily life – especially if you live in an English-speaking country like the U.S.

Author Bio: Sheri Summers is a long-time English and accent trainer.  She works with individuals around the world through private coaching programs and her online American Accent Course, to help them feel comfortable living, working and speaking in American English.  She can be reached at support@aoshelp.zendesk.com.